Prosperity = Abundance, Purpose, and Peace
You've probably thought a lot about prosperity. We often come at the subject from the standpoint of money—which is perfectly valid. If you are trying to live in this world, or possibly raise kids and retire, you know how much money that can require.
You've also probably heard a lot about the subject from others. Dave Ramsey: work hard, live in your means, and invest. Napolean Hill: think and grow rich. Joel Osteen: sow it and grow it. Who's right? They all are.
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus (not known for focusing much on wealth) prays to God: "give us this day our daily bread." Elsewhere Jesus says, "Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them, and why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even King Solomon in all his glory was not clothed as beautiful as one of these." This means Jesus did indeed care about our needs being met, but first and foremost: not to worry so much about it. Jesus points to a spiritual component to prosperty and abundance. Jesus isn't saying one would have to go without food and clothing, but rather Jesus focuses on the mindset about it.
Here's the problem...
Most of us have been conditioned to see life through the lens of scarcity—not enough time, not enough money, not enough opportunities, etc... This mindset creates a perpetual state of anxiety and competition, where we're constantly measuring ourselves against others and coming up short.
This is especially true if we were raised in a household and around others who expressed these ways of looking at money—"money doesn't grow on trees!"
But what if we flip the script?
An abundance mindset recognizes that while resources may be somewhat finite—creativity, love, generosity, and opportunity are not. When we operate from a mindset of abundance, we stop hoarding and start sharing. We stop competing and start collaborating. We stop focusing on what we lack and start appreciating what we have—and what we can give generously.
This shift doesn't require a trust fund or winning the lottery. It requires a fundamental perspective about how we see ourselves and our place in the world.
The Dignity of All Work
Every honest job—whether you're a teacher, plumber, artist, accountant, or store clerk—has the potential to be a pathway to a fulfilling life. The key isn't the title on your business card; it's the heart you bring to whatever you do. Even the book The Millionaire Next door highlights a journey of good responsible living can lead to an abundant life.
When you approach your work with integrity, excellence, and genuine care for the people you serve, something remarkable happens. You stop being just another employee and become someone who makes a difference. That difference gets noticed, valued, and rewarded—not always immediately financially, but consistently over time it will get noticed.
The carpenter who takes pride in every joint, the nurse who treats each patient with compassion, the cashier who brightens someone's day with a genuine smile—these people are building something far more valuable than a resume. They're building character, relationships, and a reputation that opens doors money can't buy—but then also tends to lead to more money and opportunity—that's the paradox of putting mindset first.
You don't need a mansion to live well. You need a home filled with love. That is probably obvious to most people by now. You don't need a luxury car to travel meaningfully. You need the wisdom to appreciate the journey. You don't need designer clothes to dress with dignity. You need to carry yourself with confidence and kindness. But still in all things, if you really want the car, the clothes, the travel you can have them, but it must fit within the right mindset to be true prosperity, success, and abundance—otherwise it can become a prison.
Simple living isn't about deprivation—it's about clarity. When we're not constantly focusing the majority of our energy on chasing the next purchase, the next upgrade, the next status symbol, we make the mental and emotional space to focus on what truly enriches our lives: relationships, experiences, personal growth, and contribution to something bigger than ourselves.
This approach to living creates the beautiful paradox: by wanting less, we often end up with more. More peace, more time, more authentic connections, and yes, often more financial stability too, because we're not bleeding money—and our lives—on things that don't truly matter.
The Wealth Heads-Up
Money is a powerful tool, but like any tool, it can be used wisely or destructively. While financial security provides important peace of mind and enables generosity, extreme wealth can be like driving the fastest car ever made, it can be fun and exciting—but also dangerous to us.
History and headlines are full of people who gained the world but lost their souls in the process. The relentless pursuit of more can consume relationships, compromise values, and steal the very joy it promises to deliver. When money becomes the measure of worth, we can easily lose sight of what makes life truly worth living.
This isn't to demonize wealth—many wealthy individuals use their resources beautifully to serve others. But it's a warning that the goal isn't to accumulate as much as possible; it's to have enough to live with dignity and share with generosity. This is why again, the mindset needs to come first. Many think they can get rich and then they'll fix the mindset, but it rarely works in that order.
Treasures That Last
In the rush of daily life, it's easy to forget how quickly our time here on earth passes. Almost every 50 or 70 year old you meet will tell you it went FAST, and you will say that too one day if you're not that age yet. Years that seemed endless in childhood now feel like months. Decades blur together in the rearview mirror of memory.
This reality isn't meant to frighten us or be negative—it's meant to focus us. If life is brief, what kind of treasure should you be storing up? What investments pay dividends beyond the grave? You can have money, but you must make sure that is not the primary focus. The primary focus should be prosperity, abundance, and fruitfulness—those all carry the spiritual component first and foremost.
Your answer will never be found in any financial portfolio. if tomorrow you were given a $5M value 401k, you would then worry how not to lose it. Prosperity is found first in the lives we touch, the love we share, the problems we solve, and the beauty we create. It's found in moments of genuine connection, acts of unexpected kindness, and the quiet satisfaction of work done with excellence and integrity. When we focus on that, our attachment to the money, whether we have a lot or a little, becomes less frantic. When that happens we ironically often become better stewards of our finances.
Those are the treasures that compound with interest in ways Wall Street can't calculate or forecast. They're the investments that create returns not just for us, but for generations we may never meet.
Your Unique Gift to the World
What lights you up? Each of us has been given a unique combination of talents, experiences, and perspectives. This isn't accident or coincidence—it's purpose. Your particular way of seeing the world, solving problems, creating beauty, or serving others is needed.
The tragedy isn't that some people don't get rich—it's that some people never discover and share their gifts because they are so focused on making the next dollar. They spend so much time trying to be someone else or chasing someone else's definition of success that they miss the profound satisfaction of being fully, authentically themselves—they miss their lives!
When you honor your authentic gifts and share them wholeheartedly, wealth often follows—but even when it doesn't, fulfillment does. And fulfillment is the foundation of true prosperity.
Defining Prosperity
What if you measure success not by net worth but by net contribution? Not by what you've accumulated but by what you've shared? Not by how high you've climbed but by how many people we've helped along the way?
This isn't naive idealism—it's practical wisdom. People who live this way sleep better, laugh more, and leave legacies that outlast just their bank accounts. They understand that prosperity isn't about having everything; it's about appreciating what you have and using it well.
The Daily Practice
True prosperity is built through daily choices:
✅Choose gratitude over comparison.
✅Choose excellence over mediocrity.
✅Choose generosity over hoarding.
✅Choose presence over productivity.
✅Choose peace over pressure.
These choices, made consistently over time, create a life that feels wealthy regardless of the numbers in your accounts. They create the kind of abundance that no economic downturn can touch and no market crash can steal.
Living the Truth
At the end of our days, we'll treasure most the relationships we built, the love we shared, and the difference we made.
True prosperity understands this truth and lives it daily.
✅It works hard but holds lightly.
✅It plans wisely but trusts deeply.
✅It manages money but spends love freely.
This is the path to a life that feels truly wealthy—not because of what we own, but because of who we become and how we serve. It's available to anyone, regardless of their starting point or current circumstances.
The question isn't whether you can afford to live this way. The question is: can you afford not to?
If you want to keep going on this mindset of money, sign up for download our booklet: The Beautiful Paradox - Practices for Grooving in a Positive Mindset About Prosperity and Enjoying Having it