Our local Buy Nothing Group has sprouted, and I was surprised by the overwhelming scarcity mindset.
A scarcity mindset is when you are so obsessed with a lack of something — usually time or money — that you can’t seem to focus on anything else, no matter how hard you try.
It's much easier to pass something on when you know you can obtain it easily later should the need arise. That's the thing I love about the Buy Nothing Group. I don't need a thing anymore, so I pass it on to someone who does, and if I need something, maybe someone else has one for me. It's much more sustainable for the earth, which is one of the many reasons I love frugality.
Our group was booming, with over two thousand members covering around 25 square miles. With the sprout, we divided the group into three areas. Now my group covers about 14 square miles with only 450 people. It will grow quickly, I'm sure, but it's nice to have a more intimate group to share with who are located closer to me.
Rather than focus on all the good that the group has done, and all the good that the three new groups will continue to do, some chose to focus on what they perceived as resources being taken away. They felt like they were no longer going to have access to the good areas, never minding that half my pickups were in their neighborhood. They felt like it was unfair or racist, never minding that our old southern border used to be literally on the historical red line and was expanding five blocks south to encompass more people. And they felt like they were losing friends, never mind the fact that they can send a friend request on Facebook and continue to communicate. The reaction wasn't wholly unexpected, as change is often scary. However, the people who saw the abundance and focused on the gratitude had a much easier time embracing the smaller group size to come. We have established our new groups now, so hopefully it's smooth sailing from here.
Focusing on abundance and gratitude goes for all things in life. When I focus on the things I am thankful for rather than the things I am lacking, I'm significantly happier. As someone managing clinical depression, I try to keep this front and center on a daily basis.