The definition of prosperity from the Google dictionary is “the state of prosperity.” The synonyms listed with the definition include profitability, opulence, wealth, opulence, luxury, the good life, milk and honey, (good) fortune, ease, abundance, comfort, security, well-being, for example, “she deserves all prosperity which he now enjoys. “
While definitions and many in society use “prosperity” as a reference to wealth and financial gain. There is a related school of thought that broadens the prosperity framework to not just be “prosperous” financially, but to include a way of being, called “prosperity thinking or mindset.” It’s about the ability to see your entire life through a prosperous lens in your thinking. This is significant because research has shown that the vast majority of human thoughts are negative, which is the opposite of prosperity thinking. There is a variety of research showing that negative thinking is more natural for humans, which would mean prosperity / positive thinking and thinking is not natural for humans.
– 80% of human thoughts per day are negative (2)
– our attitudes are more influenced by bad news than good news (3)
– in the English dictionary, 62% are negative emotional words vs. only 32% positive words (4)
– 75-98% of mental and physical illnesses come from our thought life! (1)
In my years of studying, learning, and working in personal growth and development, psychology, counseling, and coaching, there are a few concepts that stand out to help you shift your thinking toward a more prosperous mind. The value of this is not only positive for your mood and inner well-being, but it affects you physically and spreads to the rest of your life (actions and attraction). Some may find that the topic of positive psychology feels “fluffy,” “optimistic thinking,” or unrealistic, yet when people find themselves surrounded by negativity, depressed, stuck, and constantly battling “funks,” these practices Simple can change your life.
While they are simple, on the one hand, these are multifaceted “practices” to develop and master in your life. There are books that delve into the subject, but by way of introduction, here are three components that I have found to be key to developing and growing your prosperous mind.
1. Growth or fixed thinking. To have a prosperous mind, you must have GROWING THINKING vs. FIXED THINKING. This concept is most commonly taught in academia and education, yet it is the foundation of learning and a central way of thinking, learning, and growing that applies throughout our lives. Mindsetworks is a site that explains the origin of this concept. Stanford professor Dr. Carol Dweck studied thousands of children and coined the term “fixed” and “growth” mindset to describe the underlying beliefs that people have about learning and intelligence. When students were encouraged to think about growth (“learning is my goal”, “effort makes me stronger”), their scores and results improved. In contrast, those who have a fixed mind, focus on their limitations and may even fall victim to the skills and talents that they believe they have or do not have without any control to improve. This is a great YouTube to explain how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75GFzikmRY0
2. Abundance vs. Shortage. For a prosperity mindset, look at what IS POSSIBLE vs. what IS NOT POSSIBLE. Abundance says there is enough and there is much, trust that all that is has perfection. It creates satisfaction and trust of acceptance to see the value and benefit of what it is. Scarcity focuses on what we do not have and what there is not enough. It creates fear of lack and generates panic to drink or get because there will not be enough or I may not have enough. Due to our negative natural human wiring, it is natural to view the world and life from a sacristy perspective. For example, two children share and think, if I don’t get the toy I want now, I might not get it. As an adult, if you don’t get the job you apply for, the shortage worries me, I won’t get a job or I did it wrong. The difference is an abundance mindset, which has similarities or overlaps with the growth mindset that sees it differently. Abundance knows that at some point I will have time with the toy. Abundance knows that if I keep trying I will get the right job at the right time. For me, abundance vs. scarcity is about trust vs. fear.
3. Detachment vs. attached. Lastly, detachment is the ability to let something go and if it is meant to be, it will come back. Attachment is a way of seeing, thinking, and doing something. Usually the attachment is attached my way. I have a preconceived idea of how it has to go and look and if it doesn’t, I see it as a failure. Detachment sets goals and has visions, but is open to how things might evolve or unfold. That doesn’t mean going off course or taking ten directions, it just means being flexible to possibilities and opportunities as they present themselves and being open enough to acknowledge them even if they weren’t what you expected. For example, you really want a job at Apple, but you can’t get it. You are given the opportunity to volunteer in high school and help out with the tech club, which would be an opportunity to do something related to your goal and create connections that would help you achieve your goal in the future. Even better opportunities than we can imagine often present themselves. It’s about your attitude.
Prosperity thinking = Growth mindset + Prosperity perspective + Detachment (what can I learn and how can I grow + what is possible and what can I do + open to what happens with no rules, limits or demands on how that evolves).
A good way to test your thinking is to write down your goals and then 5 thoughts about your goals. Put them through the filter and make sure they have a growth mindset, a prosperity perspective, and give up their attachments. If thoughts are more fixed, sparse, and attached, make a T-chart and write the positive outlook on the other side. You can begin to train your thinking and change the way you believe, think, and respond to the world. The benefits will not only bring more joy and energy into your life, but the impact you have on others will also be noticeable and significant.
____
1. There is brain research on how our thinking affects our behavior, in fact, Dr. Leaf, a leader in human brain research, says, “You are what you think: 75-98% of mental illness and physics come from our thinking life! “https://drleaf.com/blog/you-are-what-you-think-75-98-of-mental-and-physical-illness-come-from-our-thought -life /
2. “In 2005, the National Science Foundation published an article on research on human thoughts per day. The average person has between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. Of these, 80% are negative and 95% are exactly the same. same repetitive thoughts as the day before and about 80% are negative. ” By faith, hope and psychology “80 of the thoughts are negative … 95 are repetitive”
3. and 4. “Paul Rozin and Edward Royzman showed in their research that the negative perspective is more contagious than the positive perspective. A study by John Cacioppo and his colleagues showed that our attitudes are more influenced by bad news than good news. “Other researchers analyzed language to study negativity bias. For example, there are more negative emotional words (62 percent) than positive words (32 percent) in the English dictionary.” (Psychology Today, “Are we programmed to be positive or negative?”)