Creating Affluence

Affluence.

It’s a beautiful word.

Do you know the root of it?

Here’s how Eric Butterworth puts it in his classic book Spiritual Economics (see those Notes <— seriously, the book is awesome):

“The word affluence is an overworked word in our time, usually implying cars and houses and baubles of all kinds. Its literal meaning is ‘an abundant flow,’ and not things at all. When we are consciously centered in the universal flow, we experience inner direction and the unfoldment of creative activity. Things come too, but prosperity is not just having things. It is the consciousness that attracts things.”

Affluence = an abundant flow.

That’s what we’re looking to create.

First step? Create the CONSCIOUSNESS that invites that abundant flow.

P.S. Butterworth shares some other awesome definitions in Spiritual Economics that are worth noting in our OPTIMIZE dictionary.

Here’s another one: “Prosperity comes from the Latin root which literally translates: ‘according to hope’ or ‘to go forward hopefully.’ Thus it is not so much a condition in life as it is an attitude toward life. The truly prosperous person is what psychologist Rollo May calls ‘the fully functioning person.’”

That’s awesome.

Quick recap: There are two Goddesses.

Sarasvati: The Goddess of Knowledge. + Lakshmi: The Goddess of Wealth.

Now, *most* of us, of course, go straight after Wealth.

But…

That’s not the best way to roll.

The wisest among us chase Knowledge.

Give the Goddess of Knowledge all your attention.

Let the Goddess of Wealth chase you. :)

This is rule #1 of affluence. First, we must serve.

Steve Chandler echoes this wisdom in Wealth Warrior (see Notes) where he tells us: “To understand why you are not making the money you want to make, I first want to see where you are not serving. That will give us our turnaround strategy. Businesses fail because they don’t serve. Individuals too.”

Plus: “SORRY: TEMPORARILY OUT OF SERVICE I won’t produce wealth when I’m out of service. Get it? Out of service. Will not work. Because when I am out of service I am out of service. This I mean to whisper to my mind. Every day.”

So, if you want to create more wealth, start here:

HOW CAN I SERVE MORE PROFOUNDLY?

Aim to astonish.

Best way to do that? By living your dharma. Finding that sweet spot where what we Love + what we’re Great at intersects with what they world Needs and is willing to pay for.

What is it for YOU?

And… How can you dial up your service even more today?

P.S. Remember that Dharma question from the intro: “If you had all the time and all the money in the world, what would you do?”

Note: We’re not talking about all the cars and houses and yachts and vacations.

It’s all about: HOW WOULD YOU SERVE?

How would you come alive as you give your greatest gifts in greatest service to the world?

Reminder: Failures are STEPPING STONES not stumbling blocks.

As experimenter’s going through life, failures are simply feedback. Data we can plug into our system to identify how we can improve. NOT data that demonstrates how we’re incapable of achieving great things.

Walter Russell says the same thing in The Man Who Tapped the Secrets of the Universe: “I have had my share of what one calls defeat, in plenty. I have made and lost fortunes and seen great plans of mine topple through my own errors of judgment or through other causes… But I do not recognize these as defeats. They are but interesting experiences of life. They are valuable stepping stones to success. Defeat is a condition which one must accept in order to give it reality. I refuse to give it reality by accepting it. In my philosophy I have written these words: Defeat I shall not know. It shall not touch me. I will meet it with true thinking. Resisting it will be my strengthening. But if, perchance, the day will give to me the bitter cup, it will sweeten in the drinking.”

Jeff Goins echoes this wisdom as well in The Art of Work, reminding us that pivots are an inherent part of the process. He says: “We often look at successful people, hearing their stories of failure, and think that they succeeded despite the fact that they failed. But that’s not true. Successful people and organizations don’t succeed in spite of failure. They succeed because of it.

… The world can be cruel. It’s nobody’s responsibility to make your dream come true. Tough times will come, and what determines a person’s success during such trying times is the ability to pivot. Every calling encounters setbacks, and sometimes people don’t want what you have to offer, or maybe they just don’t understand it. Other times, life throws you a curveball or the passion you once had wanes. At times like these, we are inclined to give up, but these are the moments that require our most intentional action.”

What “stumbling blocks” do you need to re-frame as stepping stones?

I is for Intent. UNBENDING INTENT.

You are clear on what goal is worthy of you and you DECIDE to go for it with unbending intent.

We echoed this wisdom in our last Note on Buddhism Day by Day where Daisaku Ikeda tells us that when we’re serious about a goal, we need to make a VOW to be victorious: “In any field of endeavor, making a vow is the foundation for achieving something great. If for whatever reason a person gives up halfway or backslides, his or her commitment hasn’t been based on a vow. Halfhearted desire doesn’t amount to a vow.”

So… What is your intent?

Is it UNBENDING? Or, does it bend and break at the first (or tenth) sign of difficulty?

Of course, there are times to call it a day and move on to the next project but let’s go ALL IN and see what we can create with *that* level of focus.

P.S. Deepak says this in The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire (see Notes): “Intention orchestrates infinite possibilities. You might wonder what kind of intent is ideal. What would you ask if your intention could be fulfilled right now?”

S. It’s for spending and service. We covered Service above. Let’s focus on Spending.

And, let’s focus on CIRCULATING the life energy called money. Remember that affluence = abundant flow. Well, it’s not just an abundant flow IN, it’s an abundant flow back OUT.

We don’t want to be miserly when we spend money.

And, technically, we could just get rid of the word “spend” altogether. “Spending” money implies it was used up. CIRCULATING money is much more accurate as we are exchanging life force for life force and keeping the whole dance going…

In any case, let’s CELEBRATE the opportunity to give back as we pay your bills.

Louise Hay shares this great Idea in You Can Heal Your Life(see Notes): “It is essential that we stop worrying about money and stop resenting our bills. Many people treat bills as punishments to be avoided if possible. A bill is an acknowledgment of our ability to pay. The creditor assumes you are affluent enough and gives you the service or the product first. I bless with love each and every bill that comes into my home. I bless with love and stamp a small kiss on each and every check I write. If you pay with resentment, money has a hard time coming back to you. If you pay with love and joy, you open the free-flowing channel of abundance. Treat money as a friend, not as something you wad up and crush into your pocket.”

A bill is an act of trust on the person/business who gave you service in advance of payment. (Which is pretty awesome when you think about it.)

Next time you write a check to pay a bill, take a moment to actually think about all the (anonymous) people who went into you receiving whatever it is you received.

Electric bill? That didn’t just magically show up in your house. Countless people over generations worked hard to figure out how to safely and efficiently power up your house.

THAT’S AMAZING. And worthy of your gratitude. Write the check. Bless those people.

Water? Garbage? Gas? (Everything else?) All the same thing.

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Let’s gratefully circulate our abundance.

P.S. In the memo line for every check I always (!) put “Thank you!” and a smiley face to remind myself of this practice. :)

W is for wealth consciousness without worries.

That would qualify as “secure” and brings to mind one more definition from Butterworth who tells us: “The word secure comes from two small Latin words: se meaning ‘without’ and cure meaning ‘care’—being without care, freedom from anxiety. Victor Hugo articulates this very special sense in this lovely couplet:

Be like the bird That pausing in her flight While on boughs too slight, Feels them give way Beneath her, and yet sings, Knowing she hath wings.”

Let’s be affluent, prosperous and secure as we go forward with hope, without care and with abundant flow! :)

Z is for zest.

Which is synonymous with enthusiasmwhich comes from the root en + theos. To be ZESTY is to be connected to the Divine within!

And, speaking of blades of grass…

In The War of ArtSteven Pressfield tells us: “Kabbalists believe that above every blade of grass is an angel crying ‘Grow! Grow!’ I’ll go further. I believe that above the entire human race is one super-angel, crying ‘Evolve! Evolve!’”