is not a fixed goal, a place where we will finally arrive, or a
certain state that we will someday achieve. It is an ongoing
process of finding fulfillment that continues to unfold and deepen
throughout our lives.
In this chapter, I will outline seven steps on the road to an
increasing sense of prosperity. These are not steps that are
necessarily taken in any particular order. Rather, they describe
different elements of the journey.
We each have our own unique path. We may focus on each of these
elements at various times and in various ways. At times we may even
work on all of them at once.
*** STEP ONE: GRATITUDE
Whether or not we feel particularly prosperous at the moment, the
truth is that most of us in modern Western society are enormously
prosperous, materially and in many other ways. We need only compare
our lives with the struggle for survival and subsistence that most
humans in history have experienced, and that a majority of people
in the world today are still experiencing, to realize how truly
fortunate we are. Many of us live better than the kings and queens
did a few centuries ago.
Whatever our individual troubles and challenges may be, it's
important to pause every now and then to appreciate all that we
have, on every level.
We need to literally "count our blessings", give thanks for them,
allow ourselves to enjoy them, and relish the experience of
prosperity we already have.
One simple way to do this is to write a list of every single thing
in your life that you feel grateful for and appreciate. Keep the
list in a notebook and add to it whenever you think of something
else, or whenever something especially good happens. You can even
make different pages or different sections in the notebook for each
area in your life, such as home, relationships, work, and so on.
When you wake up in the morning or before going to sleep at night,
take a minute or two while snuggling luxuriously in your bed to
think about what you appreciate in your life. If you are feeling
troubled about something, you needn't brush that aside. Acknowledge
that feeling as well, and simply let it be there, along with your
feelings of gratitude for what is working.
You may not be able to do this everyday, but remembering to do it
as often as possible will enormously expand your experience of
prosperity, and create space for more to come.
Make a practice, too, of expressing your appreciation as often as
possible to the people in your life who enhance your experience of
prosperity in many different ways. Let them know in your words and
your deeds how much they mean to you.
*** STEP TWO: AWARENESS
We all have certain ideas, attitudes, core beliefs, and emotional
patterns that limit our experience of prosperity. Deep feelings of
unworthiness, a sense of scarcity, fear of failure or success,
conflicting feelings and beliefs about money, and many other issues
can block our growth and fulfillment.
Also, we have each developed certain energies and disowned others,
which leaves us out of balance and unequipped to deal effectively
with certain aspects of our lives.
Most of these beliefs and patterns are initially unconscious; we
are not really aware of them and yet they control our lives. The
moment we begin to consciously recognize them, we are on the road
to having a real choice about how we live.
The dawning awareness about what doesn't work in how we are living
is by far the most powerful step in our growth. It is also the most
difficult and uncomfortable. As soon as we recognize a problem, we
are on the road to healing it. However, that healing takes time.
Meanwhile, we may have to watch ourselves repeat the same old
self-defeating patterns a few more times.
It's difficult to do this without getting frustrated and
self-critical. We need to understand how important this step of awareness is.
When
you are unconscious, you can repeat a behavior endlessly without
gaining much benefit. Once you have some awareness and can catch
yourself repeating the same behavior, you learn an enormous amount.
You really feel the pain of it.
Then you are able to explore other possible ways of handling the
same situation. It's not long before things start to change. You
don't have to make change. Focus on gaining awareness, and change
will follow.
*** STEP THREE: HEALING
While we can't force change, we can support and enhance the process
of change that we are going through. There are, of course, many
ways to go about supporting our healing and development. Different
tools and techniques are appropriate and helpful at different times
on our journey, and certain things are helpful to some people and
not to others. I believe we know intuitively what is right for us
at any given moment and can learn to trust and follow that inner
sense.
The work of healing needs to be done on all levels of our
existence. I have written about this extensively in The Four Levels
of Healing: A Guide to Balancing the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional,
and Physical Aspects of Life. The book contains many practical
suggestions and exercises.
I wish I could offer a simple magic formula for healing your life.
There is no quick and easy way, for on a deep level this is truly
our life's work. Teachers and healers who promise a quick fix or an
easy way are either misguided, or eager to sell their products.
(They may offer one piece of the puzzle, however.) I feel we need
to surrender to the fact that life is an ongoing adventure in
healing and growth, and learn to enjoy the ride!
I also feel that it is very important to get help and support from
others as we need it along the way. A good therapist, teacher,
healer, support group, wise friend, or mentor can be an invaluable
resource for our healing process.
*** STEP FOUR: FOLLOWING YOUR TRUTH
We all have within us a deep sense of what we need, and what is
right and true for us. To access this we need to pay attention to
our feelings and our intuition. We need to learn to listen deeply
to ourselves and to trust what we hear. And we need to risk acting
on what we feel to be true. Even if we make mistakes, we must do
this in order to learn and grow.
Here is a simple way to practice paying attention to your inner
wisdom:
Find a comfortable, quiet place where you will not be interrupted
for a few minutes. It's wonderful to do this outdoors if you can
find a place that's really comfortable; a peaceful place indoors is
fine, too. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Close your
eyes and begin to pay attention to your breath. Breathe slowly and
deeply. Whenever your mind wanders, gently come back to focusing on
your breath and relaxing your body.
Now shift your attention and the focus of your energy down into
your heart or belly area. Imagine that a very wise part of you
lives in this area of your body, and it has a message for you right
now. Ask what the message is, and then relax and pay attention to
whatever thought, feeling, or image comes to you.
Take whatever comes and be with it for a few moments. Don't worry
if you don't fully understand it. Just sit with it a little. Ask
your inner guidance if you need to be aware of or be reminded of
anything else. Then thank your inner guidance. When you feel
complete, open your eyes. If you wish, you can write a little about
what you experienced.
Do this simple meditation as often as you can. It's great to do
first thing in the morning or last thing at night. With some
practice, you will develop your ability to receive and follow your
inner guidance.
*** STEP FIVE: CREATING A VISION
What would a truly prosperous life look and feel like for you?
Where and how would you live? How would you feel about yourself?
How would your body feel?
What would your relationships be like? What kind of work or
creative expression would you have? What other aspects of your
lifestyle can you imagine? How would a typical day in your life
unfold? How would you feel at the end of your day?
It's important to imagine how you would like things to be. Our
imagination is a powerful creative tool. Once we can vividly
imagine something, it often opens the door to manifesting it.
Remember that none of us exists in a vacuum. We are powerfully
affected by the world around us, and we have an equally powerful
effect on the world, whether or not we realize it. We are an
integral part of the whole. We can only have a truly prosperous
life to the extent that our world is prosperous. And our world can
only be truly prosperous when we learn to honor and respect the
earth we live on, and all the other beings - human and otherwise --
who live here as well.
Those of us fortunate enough to live in circumstances where we have
the luxury of pursuing personal growth have a responsibility to use
what we learn to make the world a healthier, more prosperous place
for all.
Since we are all ultimately part of one consciousness, the most
effective way to do that is to take responsibility for our own
healing. The more conscious and balanced we become, the more we
live in integrity and follow our truth, the more healing we bring
to the world. We need to ask our inner guidance, too, if there are
specific actions we need to take to make our contribution to the
world.
Create a vision of prosperity for yourself and the world, in
harmony with the earth. You can do this in meditation, or you can
write out a description of your vision. Another wonderful thing is
to make an actual picture of it by drawing or painting, or make a
collage by collecting photos, cards, pictures and words cut out of
magazines, elements from nature - anything that has meaning to you -- and gluing
them onto a large piece of paper or cardboard. Hang
it on your wall, and it becomes your treasure map - every time you
look at it, you will give energy to your vision.
*** STEP SIX: SETTING GOALS
Once you have a sense of your overall vision for a truly prosperous
life, you can set some specific goals. There are times in life when
it is helpful to set goals, and other times when it is best to let
go of goals for a while and just see where life takes you. If you
check in with yourself and it doesn't feel right, skip the goals
process for now. If it feels exciting, fun, or helpful, go ahead
and give it a try.
You might start by creating a special notebook for your goals.
Think of the different aspects of your life that are important and
make a list of them.
For example:
Personal Growth
Health/Appearance
Relationships
Work/Career
Finances
Home/Possessions
Recreation/Travel
Creative Expression/Special Interests
Making a Difference/Service
Write one of these categories at the top of each page.
Then think about your relatively long-term goals. Where would you
like to be in five to ten years, in each of these areas? Write one
or two long-term goals for each aspect of your life on the
appropriate page. If you like, you can write your goals in the form
of affirmations, in the present tense, as if they were already true.
Go through the process once again, this time creating one or two
one-year goals in each category. Try to be realistic with your
one-year goals; pie in the sky will only set you up for
disappointment.
Now go back through each category, and write down one to three
reasonable steps you can take toward each goal. Choose a few of
these steps to take within the next month or so. Here are some
examples of long-term goals, shorter-term goals, and action steps:
* WORK/CAREER *
Long-term goal: To become a family therapist.
One-year goal: To go back to college and complete my master's
degree.
Action steps:
1. Call local colleges and have them send me information and
applications.
2. Read through materials and decide which schools interest me.
3. Complete and send in application.
* CREATIVE EXPRESSION *
Long-term goal: To learn to play the piano.
One-year goal: To take piano lessons.
Action steps:
1. Ask musician friends about possible teachers.
2. Call piano store about renting a piano.
Once you have created your goals, put them away for a while. Look
at them occasionally and update them as needed. Be sure to
appreciate yourself for the steps you have taken, and the progress
you have made.
Goals can help us gain clarity, inspiration, and focus. However,
they can also work against us if we hold onto them too tightly, or
try too hard to make them happen. Try to let go of your attachment
to having them happen in a certain time or way. Don't worry about
how to make them happen; let the higher creative power handle the
details.
Hold your goals lightly, and allow them to change and evolve as you
do.
You may find that certain things are going as you hoped, while
others aren't. You may even find your whole life is going in a
different direction than you expected. Remember that our souls have
a purpose in this life that we may not fully understand yet, and
everything that happens to us is part of our soul's journey.
Learn from everything that comes your way. Continue to follow your
intuitive sense. If a certain goal is right for you, it will unfold
naturally from this process. Let your inner guidance show you the
way.
*** STEP SEVEN: SHARING YOUR GIFTS
As you follow these steps, you will find yourself naturally
expressing and developing the special talents and abilities that
you brought into this life. When you follow your heart, and are
committed to your healing and growth, you simply can't help
becoming more and more of who you are meant to be!
Often we have difficulty recognizing and appreciating our own
talents, because they come so naturally to us that they don't seem
like a big deal. The things we find ourselves gravitating toward,
the things we can't help doing, are important indications of what
we are here to do. The things we feel passionate about are clues to
our life purpose.
Ask yourself, "What do I love to do? What do I just naturally find
myself doing?" For example, I just can't help talking about
consciousness growth. I'm fascinated by the process, and passionate
about sharing it with people. As things have unfolded, I've ended
up teaching and writing about personal growth for a living. I did
not plan this, nor could I have predicted it. It's what evolved as
I followed my interests and desires.
Unless we are blocked in our ability to succeed or receive, life
always rewards us appropriately for what we give. Through answering
what calls us, we develop our right livelihood. Essentially, the
universe pays us to be ourselves, as fully as possible!
The opportunity to share our gifts and thereby make a difference in
the world is one of the most profoundly fulfilling experiences we
can have in life, and an essential ingredient in creating true
prosperity. As we live our lives with integrity and passion, our
experience of prosperity just keeps expanding.
This article is excerpted from the book Creating True Prosperity, by
Shakti Gawain.
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