Prosperity can mean material wealth as well as non-material benefits. When all of my interests prosper, life is expansive, balanced, and satisfying.

What does it mean to prosper?

The year of 2010 was difficult as I made the decision to become sober amidst a real estate career and market weighted down by economic recession.

My income was less than any prior year in my real estate career while the hours of work seemed exponentially greater. In one case, my client lost their home to foreclosure within minutes of the bank approval to withdraw the property from the Public Trustee’s foreclosure sale. 

Taking a break from what felt like a never ending uphill climb to get transactions under contract & closed, I wandered through a used book store in Old Town Fort Collins. As often happens, books that I need to read catch my eye, and that day was no exception. 

I randomly picked up a book, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, and thumbed through it. Who knows how I landed on page 108 out of 248 pages to find this quote:

By day & by night I am being prospered in all of my interests.

Joseph Murphy

Sometimes I read a passage, and while there may be some lack of clarity relative to its meaning, there is a connection on some deeper level.  

I have pondered this quote almost daily since it found me in the used book store. 

What Does It Mean to Prosper in all of Our Interests?

We may think of prosperity as material wealth & money in the bank.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines wealth as “abundance of valuable material possessions or resources” including “all property that has a money value or an exchangeable value.” 

Dig further and you’ll eventually find a definition that describes wealth as “…a great amount of money, property, possessions or ideas…” 

At the end of the year, as we assess the 52 weeks that have passed, we often commit to goals for the next 12 months. Often, the first business goal we write for the New Year has to do with income. “I will earn $(fill in the blank) amount of money by December 31.”

We may not even consider goals involving prosperity in other aspects of our life.

The Wheel of Life

A tool called the Wheel of Life is a circle divided into pie shaped categories that reflect our intentions for our work & career as well as our family, spiritual beliefs, mental and physical health, emotional well-being, and personal growth.

What does it look like to prosper in ALL of these interests?

I have to remind myself often to look at how my interests are being prospered especially in non-material ways. I envy those who consistently wake up on the right side of the bed & live their days feeling consistently positive and gratefully fulfilled.

When gratitude and a positive outlook feel less accessible, it helps me to look back and see how far I’ve come.

Assessing My Personal Prosperity

I’ve been sober since June 9, 2010. This decision has brought me prosperity in the areas of mental and physical health, and emotional well being. My thinking has greater clarity. I make healthier food choices, and I’ve developed a commitment to consistent walking.

Sobriety also opened the door to my ongoing inquiry about self worth, including a fuller awareness of what lights me up, and what makes me tick.

In the realm of family, my seven healthy grandchildren bring me joy as I learn to look at life through their eyes. Each one has their own unique and fascinating personality. They have unknowingly gifted me with their stories and their challenges, and taught me about living in the present moment.

Over a 20 year career, it has become increasingly clear that my real estate work has provided not only ample income but also long term friendships with clients and colleagues. This is career prosperity, which emerges from helping my clients prosper with their real estate dreams and goals.

For years following my completion of a degree in art, my creative interests were dormant or given very low priority. I was focused on my real estate business to the extent that my wheel of life had a major flat tire in the area of personal growth.

Sobriety helped me reconnect not only with my creative gifts but also guide others to explore their connection to creativity as well. I feel that my personal growth has expanded like ripples across water.

Spiritually, I prosper in moments when mountain views & desert expanses bring me to a place of wonder, awe & presence. There have been times when I experienced the depths of death and grief, and discover what I can only call Grace.

Re-focus to Prosper

Through it all, there are dark moments when prosperity of any kind seems out of reach. Joseph Murphy’s quote guides me to a reset so I can see how my interests prosper.

Since the day in 2010 when I discovered the Mr. Murphy’s quote, it has become a mantra of sorts, and the final comment in every journal entry.

As Wayne Dyer says: “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

Life can be a journey of expanding and prospering interests, depending on the way you look at it.

Prosperity Prompts to Ponder

Beyond money & material wealth, in what areas would you like to prosper?

As you look in the rear view mirror, how have your interests prospered especially during the pandemic?

What are the silver linings in the most difficult moments and chapters of your life that allowed you to prosper?

By staying focused on what I intend to create, by believing that the universe is all-providing, and by knowing that I’m worthy of the unlimited beneficence of the Source of being, I just keep attracting prosperity to me.

Wayne Dyer

_{The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of The We Spot, its employees, sponsors, or affiliates.}