The Pillars of prosperity

By Jayaram V

This article is incomplete. To read the complete article you may purchase the book Think Success now available in two volumes

In the final analysis, prosperity is not something which you inherit, but something you create and sustain out of your own consciousness, through your effort, determination and will to succeed against odds.

You may think that you have toiled alone to amass your wealth and you may take full credit for your success. But the truth is countless people and forces would have helped you in your journey to be where you are. Even if you inherited your vast fortunes from your parents or someone else, they too would not have been able to do so, without help from others.

Although, outwardly, everyone seems to be acting selfishly and tending one’s own fence, the world is sustained mostly on the principles of generosity, sharing and cooperation. We may draw our own little circles of selfishness upon earth and define our boundaries, but beneath the circles and the walls we build, there is the earth connecting everyone and everything. Above us, there is the sky that has no boundaries, and in between, there is the air, which we all share. Whether we are rich or poor, high or low, collectively, in the game of life, we all play our dutiful roles.

Anyone, who lives in society, owes something to society for one’s survival and success. Nature promotes cooperation, not isolation. Competition is not possible, without understanding, willingness and some degree of cooperation among those who compete. In a competitive situation, we may try to outsmart each other. But without competition, we do not see a good reason to excel. We would not create the standards and the rules that are required to be shared and followed by everyone, who wants to be part of the competition. If you do not recognize this truth, you may not appreciate the role others play in your struggle for survival.

Some people spend their whole lives accumulating wealth, but remain poor in their hearts. They do not enjoy their wealth, gnawed by scarcity thinking, nor do they rise above their petty mentality to feel connected with the rest of the world. For them making money is the goal, not an activity. They remain steeped in their own ignorance and selfishness, disconnected from the source that creates all...