It is our inevitable human nature to adopt feelings of complacency in the “now” of our current situations. Whether we remain employed, follow the entrepreneurial path, or otherwise, we are all capable of immense growth and success. We desire better positions, pricier items, bigger cars and houses, a greater degree of wealth, more prestige, and success far more immense than what we currently have. A person can only crave the things they do not have; we crave to be better than what we are now. However, just as a Chihuahuas, we often bark without ever biting. In other words, we have these desires of becoming someone or something “better” than what we are now. We often fail to act on our desires due to the current comfort we hold in the things we know, and out of fear for what we do not yet know. We become complacent in the fact that we are “just getting by,” or “doing ok.” An abundance-mentality or a lack-mentality is what ultimately divides society into the following groups; the barkers and the biters.

A person’s mindset is what drives them into either success or failure in the achievement of their personal-growth goals. As much as I would like to say that I’ve never held a lack-mentality, I can’t; no one can. It is our choice whether or not we let our circumstances define us, or whether we take control and define our circumstances. We all have mental or emotional highs and lows, struggles and successes, shortcomings and triumphs. We all occasionally dwell on the fact that we aren’t living up to what we think the “best” version of ourselves could be. I truly believe that a person can only make a mistake, if they did not learn a lesson from it. We sometimes lose hope in that we do not know what the journey ahead may hold. We lose confidence in ourselves as we dwell on the “failures” and the “lack” we interpret in our lives.

No one is perfect. Everyone feels complacent and hopeless at times. We have two choices on how to handle our emotions. The first choice being whether to alter our mindset into thinking abundantly, or to remain complacent and fail to grow in our lack-mentality (because yes, that is easier). The second choice we have is to act, or not to act, on the fact that we are not currently where we want to be. These aspects are a major dividing factor between those who embrace being comfortable, versus those who exit their comfort zone, grow, and succeed as a result.

Those who hold a lack-mentality (the barkers) view their current “lack” (of resources, drive, motivation, skills…etc) and “failure,” as their end-all-be-all. They “bark,” so-to-speak, about their goals and dreams, but never do anything to improve on themselves, or grow out of their current, less-than-satisfactory, situations. They become comfortable in the fact that they aren’t achieving. They want to achieve, but they are afraid to let go of those things that will allow them to do so. They focus so-much-so on their mistakes and the things they “lack,” rather than focusing on what is going right in their lives and those things, both tangible and intangible, that they are fortunate enough to have.

Barkers tend to focus more on the negatives of every situation, rather than the positives. The barkers view their past mistakes and their current situation as a block wall that they can “never” climb over. Those with a lack-mentality become comfortable in their current situations, because they don’t know what growth entails…a change in their mindset. They are so focused on their lack and limitations that they lose sight of their end goal, or become so hopeless that they never begin working toward achieving it in the first place. Change can be scary, but a person can not grow if they do not change. People who hold this lack-mentality view their current situation as an indestructible block wall, rather than a few speed bumps in the road to achieving their goals.

The biters (the doers) view their seemingly un-satisfactory position with a positive attitude…an abundance-mentality. People who hold this mindset achieve far more than those people who hold a lack-mentality. This type of person acknowledges the lessons they have learned from past mis-judgements. They consciously decide to apply these lessons to improve upon outcomes of future situations they face. They take the lesson and move on with life, rather than dwelling on all that the “mistake” entailed. They acknowledge that they are not where they want to be. They want to grow, and will grow, because they are consciously aware of managing and monitoring their mindset. When they do fall into feelings of hopelessness, complacency, or failure, they remind themselves of their goal and they count their blessings. Instead of focusing on why they “cant” or “haven’t” succeeded, they make a mental note of all of the reasons why they can and will succeed. They are not focused on their lack and limitation; they are forward-thinking.

For instance, a person who holds a lack-mentality would approach financial situations with a phrase such as, “I want to accomplish that, but it will never happen, because I don’t have enough money.” A person with an abundance-mentality would approach the same situation with a phrase such as, “I do not have the resources right now, but I am actively learning and developing the skills I need to make more money. I will accomplish that.” As can be seen, the difference in verbiage between these two kinds of people is drastic.

Look in the mirror…as cliche as it sounds, you are your own greatest competition. Personal growth and success comes as a battle between you and yourself, or rather, your heart and your brain. The decision to alter your mindset out of complacency and into that of an abundance-mentality will not be a smooth road, but it is the only road you can take if you want to be “better” than what you currently are. Its a matter of deciding whether you will take control over your emotions and mindset, or whether you will give them permission to dictate the trajectory of your future. It is one thing to talk about improving upon your current situation or to talk about your hopes and goals, but actually doing it is another thing. Will you bark, or will you bite? Your future is calling your name.