Enough is a decision, not an amount.
By Kim Deans
When we are operating from a belief that there is not enough we get caught on a treadmill of constantly seeking and consuming more. More land. More money. More time. More yield. More livestock. More work to do. More fertiliser. More inputs. More consumption. More knowledge. More education. More books. More courses. More experts to tells us what to do. A never ending desire for more, no matter what it is you are consuming becomes more-on farming.
Industrial farming systems are driven by scarcity and characterised by competition, constantly seeking more in terms of resources, attention, time, energy, money which drives the degradation of the natural and human resource base on which they depend. These systems create outcomes that leave us on a treadmill of consuming more land, more inputs, more debt.
The exhaustive cycle that stems from this unlimited desire for more keeps us looking outside of ourselves for everything. It is based on consumption not production and has created farming systems that are dependent upon external inputs, reducing our resilience and leaving farmers vulnerable to increasing costs of production and input supply chain shortages.
Knowing we have enough and we are enough starts from within and happens when we consciously slow down and connect with our own inner wisdom and the land we are stewarding. It begins with the decision to start where we are, use what we have and do what we can so we can refocus our energies away from endless consumption and open the door to farming in co-operation with nature to produce regenerative outcomes.
Consciously cultivating an abundance mindset on the path of reinventing our agricultural practices is an essential practice if we are to achieve regenerative outcomes. If we approach regenerative farming with a scarcity mindset it becomes difficult to walk our talk and we can keep ourselves up at night worrying about failure and concerned about appearances. This keeps us on the treadmill, running our financial and human resources down in the pursuit of natural capital outcomes, believing we need to spend more and work harder to “make” things work.
Looby McNamara (in her book 7 ways to think differently) explains how abundance thinking emerges from the belief that there is enough. Enough for us as individual, collectively and for future generations. “We don’t need to hoard, be greedy or fearful of sharing because there is enough. There is a security to be found in this belief that is not present if we are thinking in terms of scarcity.”
A scarcity mindset is characterised by feelings of lack that stem from believing there is not enough, we are not enough, focusing on what we can’t do, don’t know or have not done yet. Many of us have inherited a scarcity mindset from the families or cultures we are born into. Farming families in particular have a long history of making ends meet, stretching every dollar because “money doesn’t grow on trees” and doing everything to avoid paying tax. Questioning our beliefs around money can unearth some interesting assumptions that we may be operating on and never have questioned them.
A scarcity mindset keeps many of us from achieving our goals. If we are caught in a cycle of believing we don’t know enough or fearing change we might be caught in a scarcity mindset which can prevent us from imagining outcomes outside of the norm or status quo. Fear of the unknown can trigger a scarcity mindset, a belief that there will never be enough, feelings of fear, stress and anxiety. This is common when we set out to reinvent ourselves or our businesses because reinvention itself creates uncertainty.
Start to pay attention to the beliefs you have around time and money. If there is never enough time or money shifting this always starts within. Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to refocus our thinking. What we focus on grows. What are you focusing on? Is it going to get you to where you want to be? Get curious around your mindset and surround yourself with people who operate from an abundance mindset. When you start to see your scarcity mindset in action you can consciously work on flipping the script towards a more abundant point of view.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” Anais Nin
We can’t always breakthrough our mindset challenges on our own, that’s where working with a coach who incorporates mindset coaching alongside the practical farm transition strategies comes in. Contact us to find out about our coaching packages that are designed to empower you with mindset, financial and soil strategies in the process of transitioning to a more regenerative system.