Tony Robbins' Secret to Abundance The abundance mindset is what creates fortunes and lasting financial freedom.

When I started my podcast, "The School of Greatness," more than three years ago, one of the top three people I wanted to get on the show was Tony Robbins.

That happened in Episode 109, and it's been one of the most popular episodes to date. We discussed his powerful new book about money and got into all the fascinating details of what he has learned from coaching some of the wealthiest people in the world.

So when a paperback version of his book (claim a FREE copy here), came out this year, I gladly accepted the opportunity to interview him again, as I knew there was much more wisdom to be learned from Tony's wealth of experience.

Related: Tony Robbins: Take Control of Your Finances and Take Control of Your Life

Interestingly, our conversation took a different turn than the first time we discussed money. Tony took a deep dive into the mindset of abundance, positivity, faith, and prosperity. He told incredible stories of how this applies in real life -- even when you're broke. As we got into the difference between a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset, I asked him how someone gets beyond a scarcity mindset. His answer surprised me.

"You never get beyond scarcity. You have to start beyond it," he said.

I was immediately curious since I have always seen Tony as a man of endless possibility. He explained that scarcity is something you have to choose out of mentally before it will actually go away in your physical life.

As an example, he told a powerful story of when he was in his early 20s and down to his last $20. He didn't know how he was going to make rent or even get food that week, so he went to a buffet to load up on one last meal. While there he noticed a young boy come in with his mother and he was impressed with how well the boy treated his mom.

Without thinking about it, he paid his bill and then gave the rest of his cash to the young boy as an acknowledgment of his good behavior. He told the boy he got to treat his mom to lunch, just like a real gentleman would.

Related: Tony Robbins: 6 Basic Needs That Make Us Tick

He then left the restaurant and walked home on cloud nine, feeling like all was right with the world and everything would turn out just fine. He had no proof that any money was coming his way and had just given away his last bit of cash.

But because he chose to live as an abundant, generous man, he trusted he would make a plan and figure it out. The next day he got a letter in the mail with a check from a friend he had loaned money to months ago, with interest.

And obviously that wasn't the last time Tony chose to live in an abundant mindset, even as he still struggled with scarcity.

As he pointed out, however, if someone doesn't start learning how to live in abundance and generosity when they don't have much, it's going to be a lot harder to form that habit when they have a lot of money.

Related: Tony Robbins: 3 Steps to a Breakthrough

That is just one reason he advises setting up automatic savings accounts and regular charity donations as soon as possible in your financial planning. The habits that support long-term financial health are built in the small daily choices that we can make now.

Over time, this abundance mindset is what creates fortunes and lasting financial freedom. Coming from a master of money, I'll take Tony's word for it.