Prosperity, and Attitudes that Make It Possible

To stay healthy, one needs to have the income to afford general health care needs.  This includes good health care and products that may help in that regard. I was asked by a friend to read The Science of Getting Rich by Walter D. Wattles, a Timeless wisdom and a practical step-by-step prosperity program from a forgotten 1910 classic.  It is a short read, and being a slow reader that was nice. The article I read has an introduction by Rebecca Fine and can be found at http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net.

There are many good insights in this short read.  The main one is that God wants us to be happy and that there is an abundance in the universe that will allow all to be so, if we choose to act on what is presented.  The first key is gratitude for all that we have and to “embrace and practice what we all know as the Golden Rule.” If we want more out of our life, including prosperity, we need to help others so that they will also receive what they want and need. There is an abundance of everything needed by each person and when we strive to have that attitude, we will become prosperous in all the ways that are important to us.

Mr. W. D. Wattles wanted his book to be “PRAGMATICAL, NOT PHILOSOPHICAL — a practical manual, not a treatise upon theories. It is intended for the men and women whose most pressing need is for money, who wish to get rich first, and philosophize afterwards. It is for those who want results and who are willing to take the conclusions of science as a basis for action, without going into all the process by which those conclusions were reached.” As a devout Christian, I like the mention of Jesus Christ and God in the article, along with some the the fundamental precepts of Christianity.

First of all, we all have the right to be rich.  There is an abundance in the universe that provides a way for all of us to become so.  We all have a right to have “mental, spiritual, and physical” fulfillment, as long as it does not diminish the same right of others. In order to live life in the fullest and to be able to serve others, we need to have the resources to do so.  On a side note, we have a son who has already had three open heart surgeries.  Because of my education and jobs at the time, we were able to afford these surgeries and the means to help with his recovery.  We have had a good life, but we realize that in order to do all that we would like to do, especially to be able to help others, we need to step up our  activity to succeed.  Poverty does not allow each of us to fully develop our mental, spiritual, and physical capabilities. God wants the best for each of us, as long as we use those resources for good.

I think that everyone can agree that actions produce results.  If we are standing in the batters  box and hit a pitch, the ball will change directions.  If we hit the ball within the foul lines, there is a far better chance that something good will happen.  If we hit the ball where no one can catch it, positive results will occur.  The same can be said for our actions with regard to our health and our wealth.  Doing things “in a certain way” will be beneficial.

We need to look at our talents and what we like to do.  Having passion for what you do is a big part of the battle.  What are our strengths?  What are our weaknesses?  Do our weaknesses affect what we want to do? If so, what can we do to improve in these areas? The business we choose is not as important as the the attitude we have and the way we go about building the business.

The book talks about all things being constructed from a universal material, of which there is an inexhaustible supply.  In a free society, no one can keep any of us from using this inexhaustible supply to create wealth for ourselves. All substance in the universe is a creation of God and God wants us to have what we need and to share and teach these principals with others.  According to the book, “nature is formed for the advancement of life.” Our universe is “a great living presence, always moving inherently toward more life and fuller functioning.”  God wants us to be like Him, as best we can.  All things are His, and he wants us to share that abundance with Him.

As we think, so are we.  If we think about what we need and want, it will be created somewhere in the universe.  The items are created through growth of the universal substance, but we cannot attract what we have thought to be created without taking action ourselves.  All things created by mankind had to initially be created by a man’s or woman’s thoughts. There is enough substance in the universe to help all of us to lead a prosperous life.  We must have faith and a willingness to “do”  to bring all things to pass.

God wants each of us to become rich, to be able to better serve Him through serving others. In order to know and do more, we must have more so that we need not worry about our future.  There have been books written about what we need. We first worry about survival, and then progress through being able to serve others.  God wants us to serve, so He wants us to have the means to do so. In many ways, we can think of everything created by God as a living substance that wants to “live more.”  With this desire of the universal substance created by God, if we have faith and do what is needed, we can create our own wealth.  God wants each of us to make the most of ourselves.  Only through us can others be served.  If we cannot serve others because of our own poverty, we cannot fully do His will in our lives.

Creation is the key to becoming truly wealthy.  There is an abundance of the building material of all material things in the universe. Competition, or the thought that there is a limited amount that must be divided between all the inhabitants of the world, does not work in the long run.  Sure, there are people who succeed building their wealth through competition. However, the best way to become wealthy is to help others receive what they need or want. The creative path is the true way to happiness. There is a joy in helping others that does not come from taking away from others what they have.

The way to acquire true wealth is to give others something of value for what they are giving to you.  Franklin Covey talks about WIN-WIN scenarios where both parties receive what they need or want. This is the only way to create real wealth.

God wants all of us to have joy. As such, we need to have gratitude for all that He has given to us. Gratitude makes us realize that there is an abundance in the universe that is available to everyone.  There is no limited supply, there is only an abundance of all that is needed for us to live well and serve others. We all must do our part and we can all succeed.  We do not need to share a limited wealth, we can each help ourselves and others achieve our dreams. Just because one person is successful, does not mean we should bring that person down. It just means that it is possible for each of us to succeed.  Let us all go out and learn to do and be our best.  Prosperity will follow.