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Issue 92 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In this issue ~~ True Prosperity Action Challenge Wise Words Bookshelf ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ True Prosperity When I say the word "prosperity," what's the first thing that comes to mind?  I'm betting that it has something to do with money. In our "lifestyles of the rich and famous" culture, we've been taught that the sign of true success is fame and money. For most of us, words like "prosperity," "abundance" and "wealth" conjure up images of winning the lottery and having palatial houses, luxury cars, elegant wardrobes and lots of stuff. But true prosperity is much broader than just money and material things. It's a state of mind. You may have a lot of money and all the material goods that life has to offer, and still not be happy. There are people who are extremely wealthy, and yet they feel impoverished.  They have a lot of things, but they're lacking in other areas, and the money and stuff are never enough for them to feel fulfilled. True prosperity is about appreciating what you have and feeling rich in any number of areas of your life.  Who do you think is wealthier:  a teenager in America who has everything, but feels bored and resentful and always wants more, or a poor African child who treasures her loved ones and who's ecstatic at the opportunity to get an education and create a better life?  True prosperity is an inside job.  Recently, a program called "The Secret" has sparked intense interest and conversation.  One aspect of the philosophy is that when you enjoy and feel gratitude for all you have, rather than focusing on what's lacking, you create a resonance that attracts more of what you want. If you get the "stuff," but you don't treat it with gratitude and appreciation, you won't enjoy it. Your focus will remain on what you don't have. So, let's expand your wealth.  Let's look at the many areas in life where you can experience prosperity. ~ Your creativity! –  Where do you get to express your creativity?  This can be in one or more of the arts, or even in cooking, decorating or other forms.  Do you enjoy your creativity, rather than agonizing over it? Where do you find it fulfilling to be creative in the way you approach other areas of your life? ~ Loving relationships – Do you have a great spouse or partner?  Wonderful kids?  Fabulous friends?  Interesting colleagues?  Do you take the time to appreciate them (and express that appreciation), rather than judging them and dwelling on how they bug you? ~ Health and well-being – Are you strong, healthy and vibrant, to the best of your ability, both physically and emotionally?  Do you enjoy and celebrate your good health, or do you obsess over every ache and pain?  Do you value your joys and successes, or do you lapse into self-pity at the drop of a hat? ~ Your environment – Do you have a home that's comfortable and welcoming for you and your guests? If it's not ideal, do you appreciate what you have and do your best to fix it up in ways that make it pleasurable for you to be there?  Do you have a work space that's pleasant and functional?  Do you appreciate and maintain your vehicle, however modest it is? ~ Talents and interests – What are you great at?  What do you love doing? Do you have hobbies or pursuits you're passionate about? Do you give yourself time for activities that are just for fun? ~ Career – Do you have work where you get to express your gifts and talents?  Are you doing something you love? If not, what can you do to find a more satisfying career or bring more passion to the one you have? ~ Spirituality – Do you have a rich spiritual life, whether it's through a traditional religion or one you've crafted yourself?  Do you give yourself time to feed your soul, through spiritual practice, expressing your creative passions or enriching your mind? ~ Personal development – Do you love to learn new things?  Do you continually develop and grow as a person? ~ Abundance on all levels – Besides money, do you have an abundance of fun? Friends? Opportunities to learn and grow?  Do you take advantage of the resources that are available to you in your community? ~ A great life! – Do you look forward to getting up every day? Do you live in a place that feels good to you?  Do you feel connected to people you enjoy?  Do you enjoy both work and leisure time? Do you feel good about yourself? When you experience joy in any number of these areas, that's when you truly feel prosperous.  Begin by shifting your focus to all that you *do* have, rather than dwelling on what's missing.  Really appreciate your good fortune; find all the things you can be grateful for. And, of course, you can work on those areas that you want to "beef up."   Make the commitment to go forward from this day on appreciating and enjoying your life.  Allow your joy to attract more of what you want and make your life even better.  To quote our old friend Mr. Spock, "May you live long and prosper!" Top   Action Challenge Where would you like to increase your true prosperity?  Choose one of the areas listed above, and come up with 5 action steps you can take in the next month to improve that area.   Wise Words "The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money." ~  Unknown "The fact remains that the overwhelming majority of people who have become wealthy have become so thanks to work they found profoundly absorbing. The long term study of people who eventually became wealthy clearly reveals that their 'luck' arose from accidental dedication they had to an arena they enjoyed." ~ Srully Blotnick "If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as possibility!"   ~ Soren Kierkegaard "All prosperity begins in the mind and is dependent only on the full use of our creative imagination." ~  Ruth Ross Top   Bookshelf (click on the book or disk graphic to see a description at Amazon.com) True Prosperity: How to Have Everything . . . Yehuda Berg Creating True Prosperity . . . Shakti Gawain Receiving Prosperity: How to Attract Wealth, Success and Love into Your Life . . . Louise Hay (Audio CD) Real Prosperity: Using the Power of Intuition to Create Financial and Spiritual Abundance . . . Lynn Robinson The Secret . . . Rhonda Byrne, editor The Secret (DVD) The Science of Success: How to Attract Prosperity and Create Harmonic Wealth Through Proven Principles . . . James Arthur Ray Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting of More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't Want . . . Michael Losier The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity AND Giving Makes You Rich . . . Catherine Ponder Absolutely Effortless Prosperity . . . Bijan Anjomi Chinese Style: Living in Beauty and Prosperity . . . Sunamita Lim Top ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ © 2007 Sharon Good. All rights reserved.  Next Issue  Previous Issue     Books, audios and videos listed in the Bookshelf section of each newsletter can be ordered from Amazon.com. To go to a specific book's page on the Amazon site, click on the book or disk icon next to each title. Click on the graphic left for a message from Amazon's president.