There are two type of people in this world, people that live life with an abundance mindset and those that live with a scarcity mindset. What does that mean? Let me explain. Individuals that live their life with an abundance mindset simply means that they believe that they are more than enough, they have more than enough, and more than enough is coming in the future. These individuals look for the positive in every situation. They are grateful for the one life that they have been blessed with. They realize that they only have one opportunity to live their best life. They realize that the world is a huge place and there is plenty of opportunity. These people live their life serving others. These people are selfless instead of selfish. Individuals with a scarcity mindset on the other hand are the exact opposite. They find problems instead of solutions. They are selfish, what’s in it for them? These people are constantly negative, literally energy sucking vampires. These people talk bad about and judge others. These people are more insecure than ever and it shows in their actions. I could go on forever, but you get the point.
My most selfish years were throughout high school. I complained constantly about not having money. I complained about how rough my life was and how I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown. I would constantly compare myself to others. Shoes, clothes, cars, sports equipment, girlfriends, other people’s houses, etc. It’s not fair that “bob” got a brand new car! How come “sally” doesn’t have to be home till 1:00 am!? I wish I was rich. How come I can’t go on that vacation!? Etc. Basically I was a selfish teenager that didn’t appreciate anything. I was living my life with a scarcity mindset. From there, things got worse. I fell into the trap of quick money. Selling drugs was something that allowed me to have more money then I had ever had before. It allowed me to have all things that I thought I wanted at that time. The fast life eventually took its toll and I got caught up. I got arrested. I went to jail. I made a promise to God the night that I got arrested. I asked for forgiveness. I promised God that if he gave me a second chance then I would completely change my life around. I told him that I would stop being selfish and instead I would start being selfless. From that point on, I have done everything in my power to live my life in a way that creates a positive impact in this world. Fast forward eight years, I am and will continue to live my life in this way. I realize that I was blessed on that night in jail. It has honestly been the best motivation in the world. Literally, all I care about is helping others. I want to help as many people in this world as possible. I want to build a team of amazing people that go out and make a positive impact in this world. God is using me. I am blessed.
This was my transition from living my life with a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. I realized that I got lucky. But I knew I had a choice at that very moment. Would I learn from my mistakes? Would I follow through with my promise to God? The years after were not easy. I went through a lot of adversity. But I also had amazing mentors in my life and an even better support system. When I got out of jail, I didn’t know what I was going to do. I knew i had let a lot of people down. I knew that I would be judged. But, I also knew I needed to move forward because my past did not define me. I knew I needed to get a job so I applied at 24 Hour Fitness. I got a job working at the front desk making minimum wage folding towels. From there, I decided to become a personal trainer. I didn’t know it then, but this was going to be my avenue to create a positive impact in the world. As soon as I started doing personal training, I began helping people. I listened to peoples struggles. I learned from peoples mistakes. I began to realize that all of my dreams were absolutely possible. Not to mention, I started making good money legally.
I had some amazing mentors that really shaped me into a man during my early years in the field. I also had an amazing girlfriend at this time that inspired me to be and do better. My support system was amazing. I became more passionate than ever to learn as much about the human body as possible. I was studying in a formal education setting as well as through seminars, certifications, and working with hundreds of clients over my four year period of working as a trainer. From there, I fell in love with CrossFit. I began competing and coaching CrossFit. During this time, I was in school pursuing my degree in nutrition. I was also still dating that amazing girlfriend, now my fiancé. During this time, I was constantly studying nutrition, strength & conditioning, and rehabilitation. I began to realize the power of human optimization. I also realized that I could not become an expert in all three of these areas. So I decided to go all in on nutrition. I finished my degree and began studying the most successful nutrition companies in the world. What were they doing that was effective? Why were they successful? Etc. At this time, I was also building a nutrition program for the performance center that I worked at. I began to realize the lack of individualization in the nutrition field. Everything from templates to meal plans to apps and everything in between. With technology advancing, we were getting farther and farther away from human interaction.
Through all of the growth that I had experienced over the previous 8 years, I still was living with a scarcity mindset. I had always dreamed of working for myself. I had always dreamed of owning my own company. I had always dreamed of building an amazing team of people that created a positive impact in this world. But yet, here I was at 26 years old and I still hadn’t gone all in. I didn’t realize that I was scared. I didn’t realize that I was making excuses. I wasn’t aware of my insecurities. But through the help of a mentor, it all came full circle. I had been feeding myself bullshit lies and excuses as to why I hadn’t taken the leap. I wanted to wait until I was 30 years old. I wanted to wait until I had a certain amount of money saved up. I wanted to wait until after I was married. I wanted to wait until I graduated school. The excuses and lies went on and on. But finally I came to my senses. I realized that the timing was never going to be perfect. I realized that the time was now.
So regardless of how scared I was, I put in my 2 weeks and took the leap. Here we are five months later, I can honestly say it was the best decision I ever made. Well, besides marrying my amazing wife! Who I must say, was a huge reason why I was able to make the jump. She has always been so incredibly supportive of my dreams and goals. She is literally my rock. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without her! For the first time in my life, I can truly say that I am living my life 100% with an abundance mindset. The excuses I used to make about the market being over saturated were all lies. There are so many people in this world that need help with nutrition, the supply is unlimited. I used to live in my own little bubble, but now I know that the world is a big place. Life is blessing. I am more excited than ever to pay it forward. I am extremely blessed for the mission that God put on my heart eight years ago in a jail cell. I pray every day that he will continue to inspire me to inspire others to live their best life. It’s amazing what happens when you shift your mindset from one of scarcity to one abundance. I challenge each and every one of you to live a life focused on helping others, that’s where true happiness and fulfillment lies.
-J