It’s been raining a lot here and I’ve been feeling cranky with a dose of self-pity. Then I see in the news a picture of an old Hollywood film-star who has been living a reclusive life in their $85 million mansion, and they look terrible.

This is an ideal mix to get thinking about prosperity. Having an $85 million mansion and millions of dollars in the bank might be what lots of people want. Having lots of expensive, status-symbol cars might be what people want. It might make them happy. Then they might reach a point after a while that having a massive house or massive car collection and the presumed status doesn’t deliver the happiness. For instance, when people die, how many of them say at the end, “Well, I had a big house”, or “I had a great car collection.” (or the biggest and tidiest lawn, or a Picasso on the wall, or a high status career, or millions in the bank.)

The actor in the news looked terrible, and not at all happy. Prosperity should make you happy, I said to myself.

Then I thought there is actually a first level of prosperity where a person recognises that they can be happy, they can be joyful. Then they can live by being happy, and bringing joy to what they do.

With the weather, and looking at some mess that could do with being tidied up, I reminded myself how I look at this depends on me. I could choose to look through a lens of self-pity, or I could look through a lens of happiness and joy.

One train of thought goes I can only be happy if I have the new car and big house and so on. Another train of thought, I told myself, was that I can be joyful and happy because I have joy and happiness inside my heart. The external stuff around me has nothing to do with this. I like to think of myself as spiritual, whatever that means, and that I have joy and happiness inside me because I have God inside me, who is the source of joy and happiness. As well as being Infinite, and Infinitely abundant, and knowing exactly what I need externally to be happy.

Prosperity is internal in the first instance. When we recognise that, things change. When we recognise we have joy and love and happiness inside us, that alters how we think about ourselves, and alters how we see others and the world around us. It changes our behaviours and what we say and do. If we realise that love and strength is deep inside us, it alters what we think we can do, and then what we do.

Imagine two versions of yourself going about the day. One version of you thinks the place I live in is horrible, life is boring and hard, I’m fed up, and nothing I do matters. I don’t think much to myself. How would you live that day? What would you think? What would you say? What would you do? How would your day go?

Imagine another version of you that believes that joy and love and happiness is inside you, and that you have the strength inside yourself, because God is in you if you like, to keep doing and trying, and to keep on. How would you live that day? What would you think? What would you say? What would you do? How would your day go on this timeline?

What energy would you be radiating out into the world, out into the Universe from your chakras and aura? How would you impact on the world around you, and what if you did that every day, what would be the effect on your life? Would you be happy?

The Universe responds to what we think feel, and do, and it get reflected in the external around us.

At a basic level, as well as recognising the good stuff inside myself, I find that enough sleep, a decent diet, and enough exercise does wonders for my wellbeing and energy, and really helps me to be positive and effective. So my image of prosperity doesn’t include all-night, champagne soaked parties like some playboy. I do like a cup of tea however, a bit of yoga, and walking in Nature and the occasional trip to the beach.

The actor in the news looked like he needed some basics to improve his wellbeing. Sometimes when we get so low it isn’t easy to do it for ourselves, what really helps at that point is some kindness, love and support from others and maybe a hug, and some telling that they are OK and loved.

PS Prosperity is a choice everyday, and I do have to make the effort to remind myself that joy, love, happiness and strength is inside me. Life isn’t some fake effortless Instagram life.

For a meditation on prosperity, click here.

For informtion about the book A Spiritual Approach to Prosperity, click here.

If you would like to buy it, click here.