What is Prosperity and How Do We Get More of It?

Prosperity is defined by one dictionary as “a successful, flourishing, thriving condition, especially in financial respects. Good fortune”. How does that definition feel to you? For many people, it feels a little bit uncomfortable, because it mentions 'good fortune', which could be translated as ‘luck’. If you aren’t lucky enough to be lucky, you’re screwed! Right?..

This traditional definition makes prosperity sound like something that is bestowed on some people by an invisible and arbitrary being who wields a magic wand, showering ‘too much’ luck on some people and not enough luck on others. It implies that that we have no say in the matter of personal prosperity, that we have little control.

But nothing could be further from the truth; as individuals, we have complete control over our personal prosperity because prosperity is an overall state of well-being that embraces all aspects of our lives.

Finances are just one facet of prosperity, albeit an important one because using money for the exchange of nearly all goods and services is so pervasive in our society. That is why for most of us, our financial state is thought of first as the primary indicator of the presence or absence of prosperity.

However, in numerous surveys, most people consider their own health to be the most valuable thing they possess: most very wealthy people with failing health would gladly give up their assets and wealth to gain a few more years of energetic living. And of course, countless poets extol the supremacy of love. Other people value freedom of schedule or the ability to perform work that they love as the most important expressions of prosperity.

So with so many facets to prosperity, why do most people immediately think of money when prosperity is mentioned? Because money it is the underlying social fabric that allows us to exchange energy with one another.

It is very difficult to function in our modern society without enough money to be geographically mobile, have some degree of control over our schedules, and purchase the goods or services that make life more physically comfortable. Many people in their quest for more life employ cutting edge medical advances to extend the length of their lives, and it takes money to pay for the treatment. It’s no wonder we define our prosperity by our accumulation of money! But don’t be mislead…

To enjoy greater prosperity, we must shift our focus away from finances to a balanced view of prosperity, and recognize how much abundance and prosperity are present in our lives already.

Prosperity is never absent; it surrounds us everywhere, at all times. It is only our inability to notice it, perceive it, appreciate it, and come into alignment with it that is the challenge. The fact is that most of us are extremely prosperous by nearly any measure, but few people truly feel prosperous. Yet the fastest way to become more prosperous is by feeling prosperous right now, and as much as possible throughout the day, and that requires recognizing the overflowing abundance that is already present in our lives.

The next time you hear the word prosperity, think of having and enjoying a state of being where we enjoy abundance and gratitude in all of the facets of our lives – social, health, relationships, business, emotional, psychological, spiritually, and a keen sense of self love as well.

Prosperity is not something nebulous for those who have it. It is a state of being, an inner glow of comfort and security, and when we are in this state, our energy is a match to the energy Source through which everything flows. If one facet of prosperity is lacking in your life, then focus on the prosperity that IS present in the other facets of your life. This is how we open the channels of prosperity to experience even greater prosperity.

Look for evidence of prosperity around you in all of its numerous forms, and appreciate it when you see other people enjoying prosperity. Seek out stories about people who experience prosperity. Look for small “victories” or demonstrations in your own experience that are small 'flowers of prosperity' blooming in your life.

This is how you create ‘luck’ or’ good fortune’ and enjoy control over something that at first glance seems uncontrollable. The degree to which you look for and appreciate prosperity around you is the degree to which you will ‘have’ prosperity. If you can feel the warm glow of gratitude for your current level of prosperity, you will enjoy ever increasing prosperity.