In yesterday’s post, I asked if money makes you rich? Naturally there was some spirited debate. A couple of things came up that are worth a closer look…
Brian asks if prosperity a state of being and when we’re truly prosperous, won’t health, happiness and wealth will be the natural outcome. I believe this is true.
Poverty is not an absence of money and things, it is created in your mind. Prosperity is not a supply of money and things; it is a state of mind as well. But here’s where it can get tricky…
You don’t want to dispel or disparage money or material things, as they are part of the equation. That’s why I cautioned Peter not to say that money is “just” a tool. Like all things, at its core essence money is energy, and energy can be repelled or attracted.
I think we approach the really dangerous ground with something Joann alluded to, when she said money was only important when you can’t buy the basics. That kind of plays into the common mind viruses you hear bandied about like, “How much is enough, anyway?” or “How many shirts can you wear in a day?”
Personally I have never accepted the conventional wisdom that prosperity is simply getting your needs met. I’m been at a place where my needs we being met and didn’t feel very prosperous. I believe that seeking more is part of the growth and development process. And manifesting more is the demonstration of prosperity.
More just to get more? No. More just to have more than the neighbors? No. More because it brings more joy into your life.
I certainly don’t “need” 40 suits. But it’s prosperity to be able to walk into my closet and decide which one to wear to a particular event.
I don’t need five sports cars, but they bring much joy to me. And I can see the day when I may find a house with a 15-car garage and fill it up.
Now maybe you’re not into fashion or cars, but there are certain areas of your life that bring you great joy. And just having enough of whatever that is to get your needs met wouldn’t qualify as prosperity to me.
Remember to get more, you have to become more. So I could argue that the more money and material things you manifest, the more value you are creating for the universe.
Of course all this is conditional on you having the balance of other elements of prosperity, such as love, relationships, spiritual connection, etc. Some of you were suggesting in the earlier posts that I would consider Charles Ponzi or Al Capone prosperous and that you can game the system. I definitely would not consider that prosperity and the way they ended up would support that.
To create true prosperity and abundance, you have to redefine yourself from a recipient into a co-creator with God, the universe, energy, or whatever word you would use to describe the universal power we are tapping into. And that means you are creating real value.
Emile Cady suggested that God never gives you a desire without the means to manifest that desire. And that wanting something was just God tapping on the door to your mind, encouraging you to become more.
So what do you think of all that? Do you believe that wanting more is healthy and a part of the development process? Please share your thoughts below.
-RG
Prosperity TV
Really interesting final question, Randy. Is wanting more healthy? I am not sure how to answer that one because I see two wildly different pursuits of "more". There's a frequently observed insatiable pursuit of the next material thing...with the goal of achieving satisfaction or positive contentment or joy. For those individuals, more never provides. They become emotionally empty seeking to fill the void of love, joy, purpose with "things." I think this is where the most negative aspect of the pursuit of MORE. Tons of criticisms stem from this pursuit I think...and appropriately. However, there also is a positive side of ambition...a striving to improve, solve, rise to a challenge, overcome, achieve...that has to be driven by a positive desire for something. Material wealth or "more" plays a definite part in this. So, I guess for me...the challenging question is...how do I separate a shallow desire for more that doesn't fulfill from a healthy desire for more that is a personal driver?
I reposted several pieces of this article to my FB page because it resonates with so many people who watch what I say there. My only real question is how do you find that initial fire that keeps you burning for more? is that where passion comes in? where "value" plays a part?
Hrmm.. I'm beginning to think of a different word when it comes to 'wanting more' - and that is "options".
I believe wanting "Options" is very healthy - for the less 'options' you have, the closer you are to having 'no option'. (bondage)
Wanting 'more' or wanting the option of 40 suits to pick from or 15 cars to drive (depending on your level of desire to just 'cruise' or to have an adrenaline rush) or having fresh flowers every day... is wanting to remove yourself from bondage and live your life to a greater fulfillment!
(and sure beats having to wear clothes that don't fit, a car that 'might' get you to your destination, or dealing with the smell of cat's piss because you didn't have the 'option' of freshening the litter box)
healthy to want more? My vote's in - YES.
"Getting your needs met" is survival-level existence. To me, prosperity means THRIVING.
Yes, I think "wanting more" is a healthy response to personal growth and a more prosperous mindset. In fact I view it as a natural response to such growth.
And then *I* decide what "more" means for me. I may choose to drive the same car and live in the same house, yet purchase many intangibles or not-obvious things: more rental real estate, more vacations, hire a staff to cook/clean/drive. Frilly lingerie. Better insurance policy. Double the salary of the minister. Hire a personal fitness coach. Fund Convention trips for 7 distributors. Fly cross country on a whim to surprise a friend. Etc.
My personal litmus-test question: "If I am the only person who knows I have this item (or knows I did this action), do I still want it?" If no, that likely signals I am trying to "keep score" or am trying to fill a non-material need with material things. If yes, then buy and enjoy.... share the news if I wish.
Wanting more is healthy and only natural. The desire for more propels us to higher plateaus in life.
Wanting more is indeed healthy. We are powerful manifestors and co-creators. Our entire existence is to create more. More love, more money, more food, more joy, more homes,etc. Denying yourself the joy from creating and allowing more to yourself goes against your very nature as a energy being.
In fact, stagnation is not even allowed in God-Mind.
Stagnate and you will be recycled. It's universal law.
God-Mind experiences itself through us and is not love, peace and light. That's New Age crapola to make people not see the whole picture of what is going on here on this planet.
God-Mind is infinite love, but also insanity and everything else. It's a constant creation of everything and all possibilities, both positive and negative.
God-Mind also goes "What if..." and expects us to do even greater things than itself.
I remember reading something that said our dreams for ourselves are never as big as God's dreams are for us.
From the Bible:
“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)”
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when dreams come true, there is life and joy. Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)”
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. [Proverbs 23:7]”
I think God does want us to have more and we limit ourselves.
We need to remember it comes from God...we are co-creators with God.
I also agree that we have to become more...change, learn & grow.
I watched a video from Tony Robbins where he talked about the 6 Human needs, that all humans have, and one of those needs is that we must grow. If we don't grow we die.
Another need Tony Robbins listed was to contribute beyond yourself. The more prosperous we are, the more we can contribute beyond ourselves.
As I read Atlas Shrugged, a theme keeps re-occuring to me, instead of death and taxes we should focus on life and productivity. If we are doing what we love to do and are passionate about what we do, then being more creative and being more productive is the ultimate positive end result. But we aren't doing it for the outcome, we are doing it for more selfish reasons, our own personal pleasure, enjoying the moment and enjoying the process. I'd consider this to be a healthy part of the personal development process. On the other hand, wanting and getting more at the expense of others where there is no "fair exchange" I feel is not a healthy part of the personal development process. In fact I think it would be ultimately a destructive process.
Wanting "more"is absolutely healthy, otherwise life would be fairly boring.
However, is not wanting "more" unhealthy?
Or do we all desire "more" but do not want to admit to it.
One of my favourite authors, Philip Wylie, stated that money is the crystallization of human effort. I would have restated that it is the crystallization of human achievement and represents the value brought to other people i.e. - the universe. This supposition is based on the fact that it was earned ethically. In this practical world that we live in money can bring, and, give security and comfort. The fact is you need money!! I think that wanting more is a natural state of being for humans. Otherwise we'd all choose to go back to subsistence living - i.e. the way your great grandparents lived on a farm. Rather, we collectively decided that individual specialization is the way to go and use money as a medium of exchange. We earn a living using our unique talents rather than chafing wheat. I have 4 mountain bikes ( all high - end) not because I needed them, but wanted to allocate each one for its own unique type of riding. Its a hobby that gives me great joy. I do this because I can afford to. I also have 3 cars - One SUV for winter, a muscle car for the summer months, and my hobby car.
There is also a host in my garage so oil changes and simple repairs can be done in the comfort of my own home. I personally think it would suck ( for lack of a better term ) to be in a low wage job, live in an apartment, and not have any cash for anything else.
ABSOLUTELY!! Without a doubt. Have not even read the Blog yet and I know the answer. Sorry, I'll go back to reading the Blog again!!
Thanks Randy!!
i always want more, whether its from where i was today, which was hocking some gold in a bad neighborhood because my husband is ill and i'm trying to hold on to the house, or when i had enough to travel and wear beautiful shoes with a great haircut. i keep thinking that there is always more somewhere, another reinvention of myself around the corner, and i still always find a way to give things i love to those i love.
i've had, and lost, and always hope to want more graciously.
Webster's dictionary defines want as: "to lack; to have a need or lack; to be destitute; poverty," among other things. So by this definition, wanting is very negative, unhealthy. Remember, you can't "want" something and "have" it at the same time. So I suggest moving from a consciousness of "wanting" to"having."
Great article Randy,
Wanting more is healthy if you want more for the right reasons. Some may say having a 15 car garage is materialistic. I personally don't think so. Some may say having houses in multiple locations is greed, I don't believe that. Some say having seasonal closets is vain, not me! Some may even venture to say that having buildings in remote villages named after me is arrogant. Then heaven forbid having the yacht, bus, or jet, equipped with a captain of each! Let's not dare mention the personal attendants, such as a personal chef, gardener, massage therapist who doubles as a nail tech! All of which I want!
But....you have to know my heart. For me to have all those dreamy things, I would have had to help alot of people become financially independent----defined as freedom from the need for money--- marriages saved, relationships b/t children/parents restored, houses not taken by foreclosure, moms home schooling their own kids instilling their own values into them, dads being the heroes they should be & deserve, children not sold into prostitution at the age of 8 or human trafficking, etc. Catch my drift?
I am finishing Bob's book at home & have begun T.Harv Eker's book, The Secret of a Millionaire Mind at work. I am determined to help as many people as possible change their mindset of money.
To whom much is given, much is required. I prefer wealth & prosperity over want & lack any day. I can do more w/ more!
God wants me abundantly provided for!
g-
I lived this contrast. When I allowed myself to want more, my life exploded joyously. Trying to settle & make do for so many years made me so unhappy I manifested sicknesses & dramas all the time. So it's indelibly printed onto my mind & soul that wanting more is healthy & highly recommended! 😉
also thinking we need to be grateful for what we have and for what is coming to us...
Would love to see more posts on the links between health and wealth...they are related....there was a study done that showed how Whole Foods shoppers were thinner than counterparts at competing grocery stores....people make arguments that well they're skinny because they're rich and they can afford to do this and that...I think they're not separate and are tightly interrelated...the same principles that lead to health are the same that lead to health. We are an overweight nation who on average spends much more than we earn when you consider credit card debt.
Randy,
This is a great post and I love when you quote Emile Cady, Catherine Ponder, The Fillmores, Emmet Fox and the whole new thought gang.
I agree that money is not just prosperity. Al Capone died a very painful lonely death from syphillis not being treated. That is not prosperity. I think in those cases it is not the money that is evil it is the love of money and nothing else that leads to lack.
I took a class where our lives where compared to a bicycle wheel and each spoke was equivalent to an area in our life. One spoke was financial, career, spirituality, relationships etc. And when one was out of sync the wheel rode flat.
It is when we reprogram our thoughts to the emotions of joy, love, romance and yes sex that we live in that space.
This is interesting! I was sitting in Wmart waiting to have my nails done, b/c my regular salon was closed for Memorial day. Where I was sitting, you had a clear visual of where people entered & grabbed a shopping cart. I did my own study as the first thing I notice is weight proportions.
The results were astounding! I would have to say prob 90% of the people were obese. I don't like shopping at Wmart, and prefer Sprouts or Farmer's Markets. I was embarrassed for my community! Volume shopping=volume weight! Poverty mindset=obesity. Then you have the entire spectrum of emotions that follow each.
Health & Wealth are directly related. PZ Pilzer touts this all the time! Help people accomplish health goals & they will be empowered to take on the rest of their "broke" thinking.
Thanks to you & of course to Randy for attacking this issue!
g
Hi Randy, what I meant to say in my previous comment is money is only important if you dont have enough to meet your basic needs.Then it becomes the only thing that is important. I did not mention the word needs and therein lies the difference. Do you agree?
I think they are obese due to ignorance. They do not know what foods they should eat and are addicted to that starchy, sugary, fatty food.
"Wanting" is a tool, once discovered and accessed can provide everything your hearts desire. Tools have no character for good or bad. Is a hammer good or is how it's used the issue?
thats a good point. If want you want or what you just got has to be told to everyone to bring you joy then maybe it is just keeping score. At the same time if what you just got is so exciting to you that you have to share your joy then people may want what you have and know how you were able to get it.