The 'Both' Principle—How to Reject Scarcity and Unlock Creative Abundance

Humans love to create false choices: you can either be happy or successful, creative or practical, rich or kind. These limiting beliefs, called 'either/or' traps, keep most people locked in small, unsatisfying boxes. You might catch yourself thinking, 'I can have career success or a great family life—but not both.' Or, 'I can be generous or secure—not both.' Yet, real-world abundance emerges when you ask the magic question: 'How can I have both?'

Behavioral science affirms that creativity blooms when people challenge binary constraints, generating novel solutions instead of submitting to old scripts. Business innovation, artistic breakthroughs, and even strong relationships often arise from refusing to accept the status quo of limitations. One lasting example: a company that combined high pay and work-life balance, finding hidden efficiencies by rejecting the assumption they must pick one or the other.

This principle isn't just for big, strategic decisions. It works in daily life. When you, say, design a weekly schedule that lets you save, play, and socialize—or find a job that combines passion and profit—you disrupt the scarcity mindset and open new doors.

Try thinking in 'both/and' terms for a week, and you'll be surprised how often it's possible to enjoy cake and still eat it, too.

This week, notice every time you think, 'I have to pick just one'—point it out to yourself as the old scarcity way and, even if it feels foolish, ask, 'How can I have both?' Push yourself to invent creative answers—sometimes it'll mean negotiating, sometimes combining tasks, but you'll see new openings. Each time you break out of either/or, pause to celebrate your small win for abundance thinking.