Defining True Prosperity

You are right! As you know, people don’t know what they don’t know!

“Yes Mother Theresa lived a simple life.  And it took a lot of money from rich people like me to support that simple life.”

Right on, Randy! Thanks for stating the situation concisely!

I started coaching a woman this past week who like your lady, loves to give to charity, especially animal charitys. She and her husband are in a holding pattern right now with money even though they own a lot of different properties.

I asked her one simple question. “How would it feel to be able to double what you give to your fav charity?” At first there was silence. Then she started to come from a place of joy- “well that would be great! I could do so much more…” and off she went. Finally the lack thinking started to take over. “It sounds really nice, but its not reality.” I simply pointed out, “It’s not YOUR reality, but I assure you there are people in this world who have more than enough to give on any given day. Besides reality is fluid and always changing.” My goal was to point out to her where her belief was limiting her.

I have worked hard to limit my access to the info about Haiti because I just don’t believe I can feel bad enough about any situation to improve it. (Abraham-Hicks) I can do much more for the people of Haiti and the world in general by releasing my own limiting beliefs and becoming an example of abundance in action.

As for the woman helping impoverished mothers….the question I would ask is who is benefiting more from her not allowing more money (and who says money can only come from salary?) to come to her? The obvious thought is “there isn’t enough for everyone so I wont be a burden on the already strained system.” She is just feeding them fish instead of teaching them to fish. My guess is it probably goes back to her learning proverty = spirituality.

Randy,

Awesome post!!

If possible, can you speak more about or define what you mean “moving from success to significance”…

Thanks…

First of all, I live just outside of NYC, so I’m not sure I would enlist Michael Bloomberg, based on his performance in NYC, but I guess that is a different issue lol – I’d replace him with Ross Perot maybe…anyway, I feel that the woman in yesterdays post comes from a position of lack, and so is not prosperous. I know from daily life on the planet that $1,000,000 CAN accomplish more than $1. The problem of course is whose hands the money is in…you may have one prosperous person who could turn the $1 into milions and millions for whatever and there would be lots of prosperity for all. On the other hand, you could have the million end up in an unskilled or wrong hand and turn it into to nothing…so there is a reason to not judge the book by the cover!

Alas, I like your example of the $150K minister is the guy I want to follow…however, the same problem arises if he/she is a leader who tells that you are a sorry assed sinner and if you put all of dough into the pot, then MAYBE you’ll get some positive flow from the Universe, all the while he’s driving that Lambo.

I think that the prosperity talk is tough, because at the end of the day it usually is refined to a conversation about money, so to follow that thought, I think these examples of people would be better served with the belief that everything flows from Source/God/Universe and there is no lack coming Perfection, so why not have financial abundance, becasue you can surely do more with more.

So true. Excellent post once again. I beleive when we try and live too meek, God can not be seen in our lives. Who wants to follow a leader that is always down-and-out and never realizing a win.
Have a great weekend.

Randy, I posted your deal with this struggling woman working with impoverished mothers on my Facebook. What a firestorm it created! Holy Cow. I immediately had two women tell me what the bible has to say about this…..lmao. One said she was “taught” (at church) that spiritual wealth is different from financial wealth. Interesting!

Wow, interesting thoughts.

I’m gonna have to deliberate these for a bit.

I was taught in school, or at home, if you don’t understand the meaning of a word, you check it out in the dictionary. After looking up prosperity, I checked out the word success. Interesting I must say.

Enjoying the subjects and the comments.

Thank you!!

Genesta

Randy, your thoughts brought about a very different prospective for myself..yes I think the lady felt “properous with her life as it was” but how much more would she have felt and done with more dollars..a very different mindset that I want to live by.

Thanks for your comments!!

Loved your post. I never quite thought of it like that but find I totally agree with you.

There is no such thing as needing money in order to have true prosperity..
It starts the moment you be and remain in the Being….
Inner peace and staying focus is all you need in the beginning then everything else will follow$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
AprilO.

Dear Randy, thank you for your food for thought, which is good as always. I am about to start a school for orphans in Mhanda-Whanda – one million dollars will be needed. I would like to ask you for a donation of ten million dollars. Nine will be my salary – and I promise I will get myself Ferrari AND Lambo. Honestly. (Did I miss anything in prosperity consciousness?)

Great Post Randy….It starts with oneself…we have to value ourselves as high as we can…and transmit our worth…One thing about Mother Teresa…I wouldnt say she was prosperous and I can see how people like you and others enabled her to live the life and do the work she did..One big question for me when I try to equate prosperity and the kind of work she did is ..could I or could you do the work she did? No I definitely couldnt but I can see the enormous value.
Have a good weekend….love Angie :))

First, Randy thank you for making the point about Mother Teresa.
She was an extremely savvy individual in Marketing her Brand and Closing the Sale (to nourish her agenda). She understood the laws that influence the Universe. What is so important is that her consciousness did not accept anything other them to manifest the money she wanted to accomplish her mission.

She was the epitome of an incredibly accomplished Fundraiser.
My point here is that despite her environment (poor slums of India) she did NOT surrender to lack of financial prosperity. Mother Teresa understood exactly how to get rid of any mental blocks that could keep her from materializing finances.

She had it all: passionate wonderful work, good health, positive relationships all over the world, and lots of money to fund her projects.
It is only when we become aware, commit to thinking and choosing differently can we move forward to pursue financial prosperity or anything else we want. We can definitely learn to have all areas of our life working.

I believe there is a GREAT Power in us and it never fails us, and Mother Teresa understood that at the core of her being.

Enjoy your day,
L.E.E.

No, I don’t believe she is prosperous. That line about not taking a bigger salary because it would inhibit donations is the telling factor. She Is holding herself back – doing with less – albeit for a really charitable reason.
And doing with less is not prosperous. Wouldn’t it be fun to see how much she could do with More?
And in my book, if she could raise her personal prosperity consciousness, she would be an even bigger force for good amongst impoverished mothers than she is already.

Aaah, how I love the thought provoking debates you create, Randy!

Bliss and blessings,
The Goddess known as Jacqui

Very interesting points. It makes me think: can we be prosperous while holding onto limiting beliefs.
I consider myself blessed but I can’t realy say I am prosperous mainly because I am limited in believing in myself and my destiny. (But I am working on it.)
I agree that prosperity should not be defined by our bank account but measured more by how close we are to living the way we were meant to live.

Teachers have long insisted that better pay = better teaching. Impoverished school districts and poor teachers worldwide are too often results of skewed priorities.

Good instructors leave the teaching world because they’re not facing a lifetime of financial reward for excellence. They’re receptive to better pay but the public fails to provide it. The significance of teachers leaving the educational world is parlayed into the business world rather than into developing minds. Imagine the potential of teaching with highly motivated motivators, ample supplies of tools/supplies, and open-ended possibilities.

Yocheved Golani

I’ve read several comments and my thought is similar to some that mention that the woman has “lack” thinking. I think she might not value her efforts to the level they can be appreciated. It doesn’t make sense to deprive yourself comfort in order to “help” others, although it doesn’t mention her depriving herself but from the comment that she didn’t want to take a bigger salary because she thinks it would make it difficult to get donations, gives me that impression.

It is up to each person to decide if they are prosperous. Whatever he/she decides is the truth. Any judgment I make about someone else’s situation is my own stuff. Prosperity just like everything else is a state of being.

I doubt Mother Teresa ever thought about this…she just did what she felt lead to do. The money came to support her efforts through people who had their own reasons or judgments about it. AND that is their stuff. If we all listened intently to our inner guidance and acted accordingly, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation…would we? Suggesting Mother Teresa couldn’t have done what she did unless supported by others seems very lack based.

Now, I am going to turn off this computer and listen to myself!

Hi Randy:
I’d rather pay Jack Welch, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Marriott, or some other billionaire a million dollars a month to run the relief effort. Because ultimately more people would get help, and a whole lot faster.
great point!!!unfortaneouly, we live in a society that talks a great game like bankers and Wall Street who gave themselves billions in bonuses while they bankrupted the banks like Goldman Sach,Wells Fargo,And Citibank.
We have legalized corruption in this country in the name of less goverment, personal responsability and free markets.

Hello Randy,

I think Mother Teresa was powerful enough to attract all the money she wanted. She could have asked any airlines company to travel for free they would happily accept. She would have asked anyone for help and they would help. She had a powerful “hypnotic” influence based on religion. So she made you happily contribute to her accomplishments.

Now, was she prosprous? I don’t know because I don’t believe in helping the poor by being one of them. Which model did Mother Teresa give us? You have to ignore yourself and focus only on other people’s sufferings and help them in order to be a good person (to go to heaven in fact).

I prefer Bill Gate’s model. Make as much money as you can and then give as much as you can.

Thanks

Alex
From Paris, France

Someone likely mentioned it already, but there’s the adage about giving someone a fish and they eat for a day, but teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime. The lady who helps impoverished women…her position and influence would be so much stronger if she took a money for herself. The women she reaches out to would see her example of overcoming adversity to reach deserved financial success, and be empowered to do so much more themselves than stand in line for a handout.

I get that the lady in the example wants to keep her pay and expenses low, as to convey that she is a good steward of the money that is being given to her and that she is not wasting it on ‘unnecessary’ things.

And I believe that she is prosperous in that she is rewarded in many other ways that add value to her life.

But she may have a limiting belief that there’s only so much money in the world, so she must be poor, so that her supporters can give more and so the impoverished can have more.

It’s a very interesting topic and I look forward to seeing what more people share. David

Yes Randy, very interesting what you said about the necessity of leaders having a prosperity mindset in order to do things the best way possible, especially spiritual leaders.

Здравствуйте Рэнди Гейдж. Мое сообщение выглядит необычным на фоне английских. Оно написано на русском языке (Russian). Моя цель состоит только в том, чтобы Вы прочли мои слова. У меня есть некое письмо, которое я отправлял Вам примерно 2 месяца назад. Я посылал его на адрес дирекции: A Division of Gage Research & Development Institute. Но в таком большом мире потеряться такой маленькой вещи очень легко. Вероятность того, что оно дойдет до адресата, очень мала. Не хочу выглядеть глупым. Просто Вы должны его прочитать. Оно из Беларуси. Извините что отнял у Вас время и вставил этот комментарий, не имеющий никакого отношения к данному обсуждению. Это все что я хотел сказать. Спасибо.

Great point Randy! When I read posts that require solid thought (which by the way are the only type of posts I read) I tend to play act myself into the role. While the lady in yesterdays story and Mother Theresa were very successful with their efforts they chose the life style that best fit their comfort level within the boundaries of their work.

I too would frown upon a pastor driving a lambo because it is out of my perceived boundaries of his/ her work. But if I was looking for someone who needed to implement a world wide movement (like Haiti) I would look for every shred of evidence for the success of that person, from the clothes worn to the home in which they live, to the results of their past efforts…my perceived boundaries.

So, are we talking about perception, value, or boundaries?

Joe

Truth is absolute and objective.
The perfect life style is:
Never initiate force or threat of force toward anyone.
Never accept force or threat of force from anyone.
This may sound easy, and it is.
This solves all problems between people(s)
I honestly do not have an opinion on what would make another person is happy or sad. I do wish them well on what ever they do rich or poorly.
The 2 absolute rules above will provide you with a totally free will.
However be warned, it is unlikely you (or I) will find a like minded friend. Maybe I should move to Vermont the”live free or die state”.

Hire me as that church minister for $150k and I’ll buy my own Ferrari.

In Catherine Ponder’s book, “The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity”, she says that “One of the desires of prosperity minded people is to be self supporting and financially independent. Poverty is a universal fear of mankind, and many people today are experiencing financial lack, despite the unprecedented prosperity of our times”

She goes on to say, “The term ‘Financial Independence’ does not necessarily mean the same thing to everyone. Basically, to be financially independent means to be financially free…As you progress financially, your ideas of financial independence expand so that you wish to have greater and greater financial freedom.”

Whatever this desire is for each of us, we should express it. Catherin Ponder says, ‘man is then able to experience the satisfaction and fulfillment that God wants him to have.” I think a person needs to know what their definition of financial freedom means to them.

I think we don’t have to accept things the way they are if we are not satisfied. We can also keep expanding our definition of financial freedom & dream bigger.

the law of the universe has always been fair exchange; and when it occurs amazing things happen. When it is achieved both parties are happy with the outcomes and benefits.

never try to give something for nothing and never try to receive something for nothing. Cause eventually someone will feel resentful about been shortchanged.

a great example is charitable donations. no one ever gives truly out of just wanting to give. there is always some benefit they are receiving back i.e. a feeling of significance at helping someone else, the feeling of recognition from the community, advertising for their business/company and so on.

This is a timely topic because I’ve also been wondering about prosperity.

I propose three levels of prosperity:

1) Personal happiness.

Personal happiness is the motivation for everything that people do.

Someone who has achieved complete serenity, has something that is priceless. Since such happiness occurs within one’s self, it is independent of any external collection of things or awards. If Mother Theresa, for example, felt happiness as a result of her work, then she had greater prosperity than a billionaire who was upset over owning a smaller yacht than the one in the next bay.

2) Personal service.

Many people achieve happiness through their service to others. This gives them a sense of significance and connection with humanity.

3) Personal wealth.

Many people seek prosperity by collecting wealth, which they use to buy things. Certainly, this creates an external manifestation of success, which can lead to personal happiness.

It’s unfortunate that some very rich people have damaged the reputation of prosperity. They did this in two ways:

a) By depriving others of prosperity through ruthless expansion of their personal empires, which destroyed careers, businesses, and savings.

b) By spending “huge” amounts of money for luxuries, when the money could have been used to help others lift themselves out of poverty.

I realize that prosperity, luxury, and happiness are very personal matters. Each of us will define them in our own terms.

Ditto all of that Randy.

“Yes Mother Theresa lived a simple life. And it took a lot of money from rich people like me to support that simple life.”

I disagree with you Randy. It takes somebody with a prosperity mind like Mother Theresa to realize that people like you who have wealth feel joyful and prosperous by giving charity. Charity makes the giver feel good-dont’ forget that. She wisely accepted the charity and because SHE HERSELF didn’t have a need for it put the money where she felt it belonged…..

About the minister in your church: Not everyone defines prosperity as money and not all spiritual leaders want to earn $150,000 a year… Some people live in shacks and they glow with peace and joy. They just dont’ understand that they are missing anything. Their spiritual connection and prosperity doesn’t involve a ferari…… It’s all a mindset.

On the other side of the coin, I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of the Haiti situation…. There is sadly so much lack going on there and it does take a successful prosperous minded person to do it right……

All that having been said, I am still at the point where I will not feel like I have devloped the right mindset until I see my net worth go waaaaay up!!!!! (hey, just being honest!!)

Robert Kiosaykis book “Rich Brother Rich Sister”. The story of him and his Buddhist Monk sisters journey to riches, one material, one spiritual. In the end she becomes open to him teaching and guiding her to invest. And he has learned to slow down and be more loving. Balance is the key.

When the poor dropped 2 measley mites into the treasury and the rich droppped a lot, Jesus did not say “Oh look at how much the rich are giving to my house and do like them”, but he did say that what the widow gave was her ALL, and that was worth much more than the millions the rich were giving out of their small parts of their wealth :-)

1 Tim 6 –> Men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs; but you, man of God, flee from all this. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness…Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Jesus said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and God will take care of all your needs.

If you want to pursue riches, feel free to destroy your own soul, but don’t do it while attacking those who gave their all to help the poor. When the day comes that you have nothing left to take with you for eternity, you are left empty of your fancy cars, houses, money , etc. With nothing you came into the world, with nothing you are going to go out of it.

There was once an evangelist named Jim Baker that fell for the same garbage. After he lost it all, he wrote a great book: “I was wrong”. Pick up and read it before it’s too late for your soul. We were warned about wolves in sheep’s clothing from the beginning and many will start a “new” movement for prosperity Gospel, but it is not The Christian Faith, no matter how much the devil’s minions try to manipulate even Scripture to attack Jesus himself (Matthew 4)

I think that money can do great things, but it depends of the person who use them, because, in my opinion, you have to take lessons to know how to use them. And the lessons are in the books written by the persons you admire the most.

I noticed a lot of talking on religion and money. I also noticed that many lazy are hiding behind religion … I personally do not see the connection between religion and money. You can be bad with or without money, you can be faithful with money and without, each with its values and education that he has received in his youth!

With respect for human potential, Calin Donca

“Righty OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”…..RANDY G.

Money is simply a resource and the amount of money one has in their possession simply determines how much they can do or have in this life.

Having possession of a whole lot of money allows any person to reveal more of who they really are.

If they are a person who wishes to do good…they will do more good things.

If they are a person who wishes to do bad…they will do more bad things.

Whether or not a person is of the Christian faith, the story of ‘The Ten Talents’ in the Bible is a lesson that we can all learn from…

I truly do not believe that money is evil, nor that having money can suddenly change a person’s true character.

Very interesting topic and discussion.

Dana Joy

If there is a truth for all of us that is universal it is likely found inside each of us without comparing ‘it’ to our neighbors. Being the best person in every area I am willing to develop is difficult and nearly impossible if I ‘use’ my interpretation of what anyone else is doing, has done or says they have accomplished. Dana’s suggestion to review the parable of the talents is a great place to begin.

Using scripture or any set of principles to argue for being less than you should be or could be is just another version of a rich guy who stubbornly is attached to his treasure as some measure of who he is. There is always more to go. The truth believed is a lie. The truth must be experienced… and takes a kind of practice and failure to discover for yourself.

I really appreciate Randy in having this conversation play.

Hey Everyone,

Randy has a new video on the “Prosperity Point of Reference”:
http://www.youtube.com/randygage

Happy Sunday!

wow Randy you’r great. and also i think it’s better to make people awake and aware not to help them by alittle or even alot of money.any way the duration of mother Teresa and her works and way of her living is finished in my opinion we have to follow a modern leader to catch success then go to significance…

“Money is divine because money is God’s good in expression.” C. Ponder

“In God we trust.” God is the source of our supply.

Catherine Ponder says “There is nothing wrong with money, or in our wanting money. It is a God-given medium of exchange and there is nothing wrong with that. The moment we let go those false ideas that someone taught us years ago- that money is evil- we will find that money circulates in our financial affairs much more easily and more satisfyingly.”

More quotes from Catherine Ponder’s book, “The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity”:

To attract money we need to appreciate money, don’t say “oh, its just money.”

“If you think of yourself as prosperous but of others as in financial lack, you are unconsciously inviting the same thing to happen to you.”

“On the other hand, to envy another’s money indicates a belief of lack of sufficient supply for everyone.”

“Lets give up our mixed attitudes about money which can only bring mixed results.”

“Just as you should not turn up your nose at money, neither should you make a god of it”

Affirm often: “I use the positive power of God’s rich substance in wisdom, love and good judgment in all my financial affairs and I am prospered in all my ways.”

Quote from Emerson:
“Man was born to be rich, or inevitably to grow rich, through the use of his faculties.”

Hi Randy,

I’m totally over people with the lack mentality and their pathetic attempts to justify their own lack of ambition, drive and achievement as somehow noble. This is a classic example. I’m in the process of removing the serial negative nay sayers from my life because they continue to drag me down. So what if I have 6 cars and how does that affect them exactly??

I cannot understand why being miserable actually makes people happy and the more the merrier. They can sit around and mope about their shitty lives and feel good that the other guy is worse off but they can do that somewhere else. True prosperity is about having the resources to enjoy life.

How you choose to spend these resources is a personal question for everyone. Giving a few hundred thousand to charity certainly appears to make more sense that marching in a rally half way around the world.

Right on, Randy. It’s pretty sad when people think they need to be destitute in order to feel like they are doing God’s work. We are SO much more capable of doing bigger and better things when we are prosperous ourselves!

“Moving from success to significance” – now that’s a compelling thought – looking forward to your upcoming posts.

Best,
Scott

Hey Randy,

Good to hear you publicly questioning what I am sure has been a long held belief.

April is right, prosperity is about being. The idea that money produces prosperity, like so many strongly held human beliefs is simply an illusion. Many of us choose to feel prosperous given the presence of money, but remember it is just a feeling and we choose our feelings, all of them.

Just like a new haircut (well maybe not for you :-) ), the impact of money can quickly fade. Given a new luxury car some of us may choose to feel prosperous, successful; but two weeks later are we still choosing that feeling or have we moved onto the next thrill? The luxury car is after all just a box on wheels like all other cars.

Everything is a choice and when we finally give up the thrill of seeking feelings we can focus on true prosperity, that of being. If any are unsure what that looks like witness the animal kingdom; unburdened by continual thinking animals are in a permanent state of being and prosperity. I have also yet to meet any animal that chases after or tries to manifest money.

Paul

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[...] a spirited and insightful discussion it’s been!  Kudos to you guys for participating fully.  Last post we talked about the situation in Haiti after the earthquake and I threw out the sacrilegious idea [...]

Well, Randy, I can’t judge some very poor people, beacause they don’t want to become more rich, but from my point of view, prosperity means to feel, that a business of your life (or dream) needs you and you can take a great reward.
Thius womam is successful, if she feel herself very important in the life of these mothers… but I don’t think this is true prosperity, but she is definitely happy.

[...] Defining True Prosperity :: Randy Gage [...]

great post randy :)

prosperity has nothing to do with the amount of money… or love… or happiness you have or want.It has to do with your believe whether there is infinite amount for all. And that it will flow in abundance to anyone who is receptive… Mother Theresa was obviously very receptive and used her skills to let it flow to her and her causes. And she didnt need much money for herself to feel prosperous.

The word money is like religion and politics when present as a topic for discussion. Money is something everyone wants and needs. The problem is how one deals with satisfying want verses need. To be prosperous is a state of mind that reflects having all the financial resources and means needed to erase poverty mentality thinking that is associated with lack.

I’ve been away and catching up on email and Randy! As usual Randy you are right on the knocker – absolutely true re Haiti – and Mother Theresa. My major problem right now is how to get my negative husband to look at the positive side of life.
In catch up mode – loved your comments re Jim Rohn – my pride of place in our lounge room is a photo of him and me – signed by the great man! Took a while to get it all done!