Abundance Amidst Financial Chaos
- Maya Gudka
- May 5
- 5 min read
Is now really the time to be talking about abundance?
With everything going on - tariff chaos, market instability, and the ongoing cost-of-living challenges here in the UK - I wasn’t sure at first.
But as I sat with it, I realised: this is exactly the time to talk about an abundance mindset.
It’s easy to feel abundant when things are going well.It’s much harder - and more powerful - when everything feels uncertain.
In moments like these, with panic in the headlines and instability all around, abundance thinking can seem unrealistic or even naive. But if we can access it properly, it becomes an anchor — something to ground us. It helps us stay open, to notice and act on opportunities that others might miss.
Often, opportunity is hiding in uncertainty. But you need the right lens to spot it.
As Morgan Housel talks in a recent episode Tariffs, Trust Risk & Regret, when the market is racing along, it's easy to say ‘I wish prices would dip so I could buy some of these stocks’, but the reality is, they are cheaper now - are we all rushing to jump in? No, because that market correction comes with huge uncertainty and a completely different mood from 6 months ago.
Because opportunity always arrives dressed in discomfort. It takes perspective to be able to zoom out beyond this current mood and consider some sensible bets.
On the Pod this month, we’ve been exploring different angles of abundance thinking - tune in for the deep dive and plenty of real-life examples.
And here in this post, I’m sharing three key takeaways:
A simple, high-achiever-friendly way to think about abundance mindset, and why it matters.
When to access abundance mindset, and how to differentiate it from blind optimism - especially if you’re a logical, grounded decision-maker.
The simplest ways to tap into abundance thinking, even in uncertain times - which you can do this week.
What is an Abundance Mindset, really?
Beyond the surface-level Google definitions, an abundance mindset has two deeper, more transformative elements.
First: it's about allowing ourselves to receive.
This can be surprisingly hard — especially for high achievers who are used to driving things forward. When we're in "push" mode all the time, we can unintentionally block the very things we’re working so hard for. Shifting into a receiving state means opening up to support, opportunity, ease. It’s saying to ourselves: I don’t have to force this.
We move from controlling everything... to trusting a little more.
Second: it’s about recognising that what we want is already available to us internally - and we don’t have to chase it to be worthy of it.
When we operate from a sense of inner wholeness, we stop seeking things to complete us. We’re no longer trying to earn abundance. We’re grounded in the knowing that we are already enough.
And that’s where the real power lies - in the combination of these two shifts.
Because often, it’s only when we let go - when we release our grip on the outcome - that things begin to unfold. That opportunity lands. That decision becomes clear. That longed-for result finally arrives.
Why is an Abundance Mindset important?
Because so many of us are stuck in chase mode - chasing money, success, recognition, time. And while that drive can fuel achievement, it often comes with a hidden cost: a creeping sense that we’re not quite there yet. That we’re not safe, not enough, until we’ve reached the next milestone.
The problem with this pattern? The finish line keeps moving, we are never satisfied and we overwork.
When we attach our sense of fulfillment to external results, we live in a constant state of striving. Even when we hit our goals, we’re already on to the next.
This is where an abundance mindset changes everything.
It helps us shift from chasing to receiving. It roots us in a sense of deep inner security, where we can pursue our goals not from lack, but from inspired action and alignment.
It’s not about giving up ambition. It’s about freeing ourselves from the idea that we need to earn our way to enoughness.
From that place, our energy changes - and so do our results.
How do I know it’s not just over-optimism?
Let me share a real example from my own life - the leap I made from a long career as an employee into a more independent, entrepreneurial path.
When you've been employed your whole adult life, it’s not easy to walk away from the comfort, the steady salary, and the security of a known structure. But when the right opportunity came along, having an abundance mindset helped me move quickly. I didn’t get stuck in the comfort zone. I took the leap - and I haven’t looked back.
That opportunity came with a solid foundation: a guaranteed flow of coaching work, plus the credibility and launchpad to take on higher-end mandates. Without that, I’m honestly not sure I could have stayed the course.
If I’d left earlier - before securing that foundation - I would have been running on blind optimism. I’d have been ignoring the valid questions I had about financial viability. And, like some brilliant coaches I know, I may have had to give up by now.
Instead, I was able to layer more playful, speculative projects on top of something steady. I could start a podcast without knowing how (or if) it would make money. I could say yes to opportunities that simply lit me up. I could invest in business coaching and my master’s - both of which changed the game for me.
I call this blend "logic meets magic."
In my programs, I teach this as the sweet spot: having an abundance mindset over the long run, and getting your ducks in a row so you’re ready to take bold, playful and well-considered risks.
Because when that moment comes - and you probably won’t feel 100% ready when it does. But if your foundations are in place, your abundance mindset can give you the courage to say yes.
So how can I start practicing an abundance mindset today?
The beautiful thing about abundance thinking is that we can start small:
Simply ask "Is this coming from an abundance or scarcity mindset?" when you are making key decisions. You can also ask: "What would this decision look like if it was coming from an abundance mindset? What would it look like if it was coming from a scarcity mindset?" and see what shifts.
Access abundance through nature. When we can tap into the incredible abundance that nature has, we are able to occupy that abundant energy on a more regular basis.
Be generous with our compliments and with gratitude. Taking the time to express gratitude to people and being really generous with our compliments is linked to abundance mindset, and is something you can do today, and every day.
If you’d like to put abundance thinking into practice in your work and life — but aren’t sure how to start - I have two brilliant tools for you:
💡Start with the Vision Builder programme - define & map out what abundance means to you - in Wealth, Wellbeing and Work.
Then go deeper with LifeWork Design programme - my signature programme that turns that vision into reality by helping you redesign your week, unblock your energy & mindset, and create capacity at work.
Your next abundant step doesn’t have to be huge - but it does have to be yours.
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