So Many Questions
Written By Staff Contributer: Theresa Chaze
Why isn’t everyone wealthy? With all the prayers and possibilities of life, why are there still people living on the streets in hunger and poverty? Most religions say have faith and all will be provided. So why do prayers go unanswered? Is it because they lack enthusiasm or focus. Or is it something more? What is it that holds back prosperity? Is it karma? Is it lack of effort? Is it emotional or spiritual blockages? How can we break the damn so that all the blessings of the universe shower down on us? There are no easy answers. No quick fixes that will cure all the economic ills.
First we must answer what is prosperity? Is it things? Is it wisdom? Is it the capacity to learn and love beyond the individual? Could it be all that or none? To some having all the latest toys and gadgets means they are wealthy. To others, being able to serve society selflessly makes them the most prosperous person in the world. Yet others believe it is power and control over others. The definitions of prosperity are as individual as the reasons why people don’t achieve what they reach for. Many people don’t have a clear concept of their personal definition of wealth. But how can you reach a goal if you don’t know what it is. Others are too specific and exclude possibilities. Being determined to win the lottery on Tuesday with set numbers prevents you from winning on Wednesday with the numbers the universe chooses for you. The answers lie within the individual; only by clarifying what is important can a person determine their own idea of success. What gives you satisfaction and peace? If it was suddenly gone, what would you miss the most? What aspect of your life are you the most proud of? Which of your achievements would you like to boast about to the Divine? Four simple questions, yet they reveal a great deal about the individual.
For some, who have everything they could possible want and more, it is in their best interest not to have wide spread prosperity. To them money is power and prestige. It gives them status and control over others. If everyone had the latest yacht and a fleet of cars, they would no longer be special. If everyone had a safe home and enough to eat, they couldn’t inflate their egos and buy away sins with their acts of charity. They could no longer manipulate others by controlling the job markets and the cost of living. If everyone had access to modern health care and a good education, the masses would be more independent and ask the hard questions, demanding answers of those who have hidden truths and facts. The “have’s” would no longer be able to instill fear of the unknown, because everyone would have access to the same information.
If wide spread prosperity covered the world to every corner, peace would become the norm instead of the exception because the all the jealousy, fear and misunderstandings that poverty creates would be eliminated. Wide spread hunger breeds hostility and murders hope. It instills resentments and opens the individuals to bigotry as they try to place blame for their circumstances on others. Without poverty, ignorance and all the ills of the world, governments couldn’t control their populations by creating the us vs. them mentality. Political and religious leaders would become powerless as the masses would be satisfied in their lives. Dictators would fall and bigots would stand alone if everyone had enough to eat, safe homes to raise their children, and a secure future.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who are in continual want and need. They are the victims of the universe. Nothing is every their fault. They have abdicated control of their lives by refusing to take responsibility for their actions or the decisions they have made. Instead of preparing for life, they have dropped out of school, took mind altering drugs, had children they didn‘t have the resources to care for–only three examples of a long list of destructive behaviors that will have life long consequences, yet all were the individual‘s decision. Yet there are still others, who have come out of terrible childhoods, but instead of using the experiences to make them strong they continue their victim-hood.
The parents and families we are born with are the staging ground for the challenges life will present us. It is not done by accident. What the individual does with the lessons are completely up to the her or him. Being molested as a child, one can either become a molester or grow through the experience to become a stronger individual, who understands the boundaries of free will. The child of an alcoholic can drink their lives away or they break the chain by refusing to give into the self -destructive behavior. Each person must decide if they want to follow the path of self-discipline or self destruction. An individual can sing “poor me” all their life or they can proudly proclaim “I can survive“.
How much does karma effect a persons life? Is it a punishment or a blessings for past behavior? Is it a string of continuing challenges that individuals must face. Before a child can be promoted to second grade, they must first past the requirements of first grade. If the child refuses to learn, they will stay in first grade until he or she does. Karma is not punishment or reward, but a lesson plan for souls. Prosperity is just one learning tool in the karmic school. In the grand scheme, it is neither positive or negative, but neutral as is all energy. Use it to do harm and it will be used it against you, however if it used with unconditional love and an honest attempt at positive personal growth then it will be a blessing.
Then why are good people are financially challenged. When a person incarnates they have a set lesson plan of specific goals they would like to meet. Working through a negative prosperity mind set or the feeling of not being worthy of blessing is common. On the opposite end, the miss use of the power created by wealth is also very widespread. Either situation could lead to a prosperity challenged life. Others chose a path of wealth or poverty to help teach others to grow past their karmic block. The old man sleeping on the park bench could be your day’s challenge to generosity. The stray cat hiding in your shed could be your current teacher of opening your heart with unconditional love. Rarely in life are things actually as they seem on the surface. Every moment is a multi-dimensional learning experience. What you do with it, will determine what comes next.
So how do you break the damn so all the prosperity blessings flow into your life? First define what is you are actually want. Is it things, power, the ability to help others or to be financially free to make decisions in life without regard to money. The best way is to put your energy into what you want to create, not feed what you are trying to avoid. If it’s a new car, visualize already owning it, but not now you got it. As for power, if it’s be used over others, you should really rethink the goal. If it’s power over your own behavior can be achieved with meditation, asking advice of others and restructuring you thinking patterns. With common problems such as substance or sexual abuse, there are support groups and individual therapy available. To help others and to be financially free, it’s a matter of perspective.
Helping others more often than not involves time commitments as well as financial. By giving of yourself means more than writing a check; sometimes sharing your wisdom and the love in your heart is more valuable. Except when people are hungry and don’t have a place to live. So how do you do it? Feed all the hungry and give shelter to the homeless? You simply do the best you can and no more. By taking care of your corner of the world, the rest takes care of itself. As with financial freedom you put your energy into be grateful the bills are paid, there is food in the house and you have a safe home to live in. By feeding the positive and taking responsibility for yourself, you create the means which blessings can be sent and received.
The key is facing the fear of lack and seeing it as already done, not focusing on the of the stack of unpaid bills or the empty shelves. To see it as already done and release the mind set of not deserving opens the flood gates to allow your needs to be met. That doesn’t mean you can sit in the corner and do nothing. You have to play an active role in your life and take responsibility for your decisions. Get the training or looking for a job, being grateful for the blessing that come you way and sharing them with others is how you can step in the flow of blessings. Prosperity is freely available throughout life; it is only blocked by our own beliefs and actions. Be open to receiving help from others and in turn helping others, that the Divine guides to you, keeps the energy moving. Every time you refuse a gift given in love or to ask for the help you need, you damn up the prosperity river not only for yourself but everyone else. By putting your attention on healing your own misconceptions about prosperity, you not only help yourself, but everyone else who seeks to heal. You can’t not change others behavior; it is not your job. But you can change how your react to them. Whether it be a government, religious organization or other individuals, if you refuse to get caught up in their negativity, you prevent it from spreading. There is no us or them; it is all we. By seeing what is behind the manipulations, you take back your power as an individual and therefore free yourself from the victim mentality. No one individual can save the world alone, but if everyone does their best in their own lives, world healing is possible. There is an old saying: Some people curse the darkness; others light a candle. Every flame that is lit makes the world a little brighter for everyone. To help another is to help yourself find your own path to your best and highest good..