Not that long ago it seemed rational to have material wealth as a measure of prosperity. People who promoted  methods for manifesting prosperity, such as the Law of Attraction,  used images of material wealth as the goal. The ultimate was a large home filled with the latest gadgets touted as necessary for one’s comfort.

Lots of people bought into this dream, often making purchases far beyond their financial means. The economy seemed to flourish as consumers, on whom our economy depends, acted as if they were rich when they weren’t.

When the economy tanked, people were left with lots of stuff coupled with burdensome debt. Many lost their jobs and had no cushion to fall back on.

Now, there is an effort to pull us out of the recession by stimulating consumer spending, as if our acquisition of material goods is what we all need to bring our economy back to health. At the same time, there is lots of talk about creating jobs, even though the majority of the manufacturing jobs that might produce the goods used by consumers have been shipped to other countries. None of this makes sense to me.

What does make sense is the new push for frugality and savings that many people are buying into. It no longer seems like “scarcity thinking” to live below one’s means while creating a financial safety net.

The Time Has Come. . .
It’s time to create a new definition of prosperity, one based not on individual material wealth, but on the health and well-being of society and how all of us interact with each other. A definition of prosperity would include a measure of peace of mind, the kind that comes from living within your means and having a financial cushion.

Prosperity is not about how much you can spend or generating a huge income, but about how you can live your life supporting your deep inner values and increasing the amount of love and happiness in your life.

This kind of definition could contribute to lessening the amount of anger, disagreement, and violence that appear daily through our news stories. Perhaps we could take money out of our politics and replace endless disagreements with honest cooperation and respect for each other.

It has to start with loving and respecting ourselves. Take a long hard look at what you are craving now and ask if what you seek is truly in tune with who you are and what matters to you. Do you want to spend your days in an anxious state pushing for more, or are you willing to take a chance and let go and allow good to come to you?

If you are, then your focus can be on love, giving, sharing, and caring. You can love and care for yourself and others and work for the establishment of a healthy society.

There are many people for whom a high-powered life is comfortable and natural. They thrive by building big businesses and working at a fast and furious pace, and they often have a gift for sales and marketing. We need these people to grease the wheels of capitalism.

Lucky

But if that’s not who you are, then respect yourself and find a personal definition of prosperity that fits who you are and how you want to spend your time.

If this all sounds very philosophical it’s because I’m in that kind of mood. My beloved dog Lucky’s life ended this week, and that kind of event tends to put things in perspective. It brings love and caring to the forefront and diminishes the importance of material success.

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Think Like a Black Belt by Jim Bouchard

Jim Bourchard is a no-nonsense kind of guy who teaches martial arts and lives the philosophy. In his book, Think Like a Black Belt, he shares — in his inimitable no-nonsense way — how to incorporate martial arts principles into daily living in order to insure success.

I’ve never met Jim in person, but we have shared many hours by phone. I have the greatest respect for Jim, his approach to living, and his genuine desire to help people connect to their true inner power.

Learn more about Jim and his book at http://ThinkLikeABlackBeltBlog.com