How ‘Consumer Mentality’ Deprives You From Being Successful and Happy
About three weeks ago I watched an interview with a very successful real estate marketer. He mentioned that people have two different types of mentalities: consumer mentality and creator mentality.
People with consumer mentality are focused on extracting value. It is sort of “What’s in it for me?” way of thinking. People with creator mentality are focused on creating value. They think about what they can do to help others and how they can create value for other people and for themselves.
What does mentality have to do with financial success? Everything! Until you are focused on extracting value, your chances of earning a lot of money are very slim. And even if you earn it, you will still not be able to enjoy it.
I know that it sounds a little disappointing. After all, the fastest and easiest way to get rich most of us can think about is to win the lottery and not to provide value for others first and to receive a reward for it later. Maybe that is why the gambling industry is thriving even during times of recession. Interestingly enough, though, research shows that 97% of people who have won over one million dollars on the lottery after 5 years end up even more broke and unhappy than the day before they won.
We have all heard the phrase from the Bible (Luke 6:38) “Give and it will be given to you”, but how many of us take it close to heart and live by it? We all try to do our best, but in general it is counter-intuitive for us to focus on someone else’s needs, problems and desires. According to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs we cannot pursue higher order needs, like affiliation and relationships until our own needs for physical and emotional well-being are satisfied.
Although, after our basic survival and safety needs are met it is natural for us to aim higher and concentrate our energy on improving our relationships, seeking personal growth and achieving higher career status.
But again, our Hierarchy of Needs is centered on our own desires, not the desires of others. We do not wake up in the morning thinking, “I have a strong need to help my neighbor mow his lawn!” or “I can’t wait to donate $200 to charity! ”
If we want to be wealthy, we dream about winning the lottery or becoming a movie star, but only a few of us actually ask ourselves, “How do I give people information that costs $100 and ask them to pay only $10 for it?”
Even as I write this sentence, a little voice in the back of my mind keeps saying, “why would you give away information that costs 100 bucks for a tenth of the price?!”
It is very hard to make that mind shift from consumer to creator mentality, but it is necessary if you want to be successful financially and personally.
Imagine having a full glass of water and taking a little sip out of it every day. If you no one refills it, after some time you will find yourself thirsty, but your glass will be empty. There should always be a healthy balance between how much you take and how much you give, and I am not just talking about money. This Energy Exchange Law is Universal.
For example, any relationship that starts wonderfully is doomed if one of the partners feels that they are giving a lot and receiving very little in return. The single biggest reason behind 99% of all fights is that our expectations have not been met. Sometimes we are so busy concentrating on what another person should do or has not done for us that we completely forget to pay attention to their needs and to the fact that they, too, want to feel appreciated and loved.
And even though is it not easy to make that switch from “What I want to get” to “What I can give” way of thinking it is well-worth trying, because until you concentrate on extracting value there will be no miraculous changes in your life or in life in general.
More From Arina's Self Help Blog
Tags: consumer mentality, creator mentality, financial success, giving, happiness, improve relationships
