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prosperity
December 2007 
Spirituality And Wealth
Posted on Dec 26th, 2007
by 
Eric
Eric
Why are so many spiritually minded folks having money problems? On the one hand, there is great learning in suffering. Spiritually, those in poverty can be refined through suffering. Suffering can create patience and the opportunity to look at growing from the inside, instead of focusing on the outside. Suffering is one of the tools that the universe uses to teach.
Spirituality has little or nothing to do with money. Some of the happiest people I have met around the world had nothing, and were dirt poor. So happiness has little or nothing to do with money fundamentally.
On the other hand, how many billions of people worldwide are living in poverty, usually in lead contaminated homes, (if they have one) drinking contaminated water, no access to healthcare and starving due to lack of food? Many people in the US are starving or nutritionally deficient, and over 40 million have no regular healthcare provider or insurance. Can we call this spiritual growth, to allow this situation? We are not doing anything about it, just due to a lack of something we call money... In my mind, this is not wealth thinking, it is poverty thinking on a national and international scale.
Poverty definitely involves a denial of material things. This can potentially be good for promoting spirituality, as long as one is focused on that. The problem is that poor people focus on just surviving, not on spiritual things.
Anyone can meditate anywhere, even in a cave. No house is needed to pray or meditate in, as Jesus and Buddha both taught and provided an example for us. Jesus in the New Testament said to sell everything, live together in common and give all money to a common treasurer, taking only what is needed. If we want to follow his example, then everyone should sell their homes, quit their jobs today, and start walking around being a spiritual master and meditating and praying a lot. This also sounds a lot like socialism or communism, but that is not where Christians are doing today. Buddhists are taught to follow the middle way, but what is that middle path?
Certainly a few monks in India and even a few saints in the US can live a kind of monastic, totally spiritually focused life, but present day reality and the middle way requires money, a job or income producing vehicle and a place to live. Certainly wives and kids do not like the idea of camping out under the stars with no possessions. Guess what, those possessions cost money.
Spirituality can work hand in hand with lots of money, as long as there is a balance. Money is nothing more than a tool, unless it takes over and becomes a God, but then again, anything can become a God or addiction.
We can and do become addicted to the smallest things or ways of thinking. Being closed minded is an addiction.. Shopping can be an addiction. Being prejudiced against someone is an addiction. Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and food can all be addictions. Some people become addicted to the thought of poverty, since social and religious conditioning often creates the thought that money is evil. Capitalism, socialism, nationalism, communism and all other isms can all be addictions.
Wealth is a concept with many meanings. To Third World populations, anyone living in the US is wealthy. Most of them have no possessions, no house, and make about two dollars a day. By comparison, even someone living in poverty in the US is rich. I point athis to say that being wealthy is just a state of mind.
On the opposite end of things, many wealthy people who are worth millions or even billions of dollars do not believe they are wealthy. These individuals are always talking about not having enough, and wanting more.
Some multi-billionaires still do not have enough. Again, this is a state of mind, not a state of physical possessions. So there is a spiritual component, a mental component and a physical component to work on around wealth. There ae plenty of issues for all of these individuals I just described to work on. That is part of what a wealth consultant does, on top of the actual financial stuff that is required.
Bottom line, wealth can be used selflessly or selfishly. One billionaire just donated most or all of his fortune to the Microsoft Foundation, where it will be used for such things as donating drugs to Aids patients in Africa.
Wealth can also be used as a tool to help people help themselves, such as granting silent seconds for people buying homes, to be repaid after the home is sold. Wealth can be used to buy rental properties and then transform that into an ownership situation, for the benefit of the residents in a win win manner. There are many ways of providing a hand up, through the use of wealth, and not a hand out, which often keeps people dependent and in denial of reality.
Wealth can be used to build new ways of living in harmony with the Earth, with Nature and with other people. Not having the wealth to do these things can enslave people to keep on doing things the way things are done now, with no changes. The result of no change is the definition of being stuck. All life is about change, growth, and learning. If we are not all changing, growing and learning then we are not living our true potential. So why is change feared so much?
Bottom line, being wealthy is not evil or sinful all by itself. Wealth is merely a state of being that can be learned and achieved. Being wealthy works inside of a spiritual lifestyle, if one stays focused on the spiritual part. There need be no conflict with spirituality if one has money. A wealthy person can still do meditation, yoga, drive a vegetable oil powered car, live in a straw bale or Earthship home, etc.
Some people believe wealth is just in having more money and owning bigger toys. In my mind, true wealth is about providing a better world for seven future generations, and creating a sustainable future. Wealth can accelerate that process.
So what is holding you back from being wealthy? What is your definition of wealth? What level of wealth are you at? Do you have enough? Where do you want to be in 1, 5, 10 or 20 years? How can I help you get there? My consultation and assistance is free, so what are you waiting for?
Remember that 95% of the population in the US ends up living on Social Security or being dependent on others. Only 5% of the population ends up being wealthy at retirement age. Which group do you want to be in? What are you doing to get there?
Eric Straatsma
www.aaawealthbuilder.com
Spirituality has little or nothing to do with money. Some of the happiest people I have met around the world had nothing, and were dirt poor. So happiness has little or nothing to do with money fundamentally.
On the other hand, how many billions of people worldwide are living in poverty, usually in lead contaminated homes, (if they have one) drinking contaminated water, no access to healthcare and starving due to lack of food? Many people in the US are starving or nutritionally deficient, and over 40 million have no regular healthcare provider or insurance. Can we call this spiritual growth, to allow this situation? We are not doing anything about it, just due to a lack of something we call money... In my mind, this is not wealth thinking, it is poverty thinking on a national and international scale.
Poverty definitely involves a denial of material things. This can potentially be good for promoting spirituality, as long as one is focused on that. The problem is that poor people focus on just surviving, not on spiritual things.
Anyone can meditate anywhere, even in a cave. No house is needed to pray or meditate in, as Jesus and Buddha both taught and provided an example for us. Jesus in the New Testament said to sell everything, live together in common and give all money to a common treasurer, taking only what is needed. If we want to follow his example, then everyone should sell their homes, quit their jobs today, and start walking around being a spiritual master and meditating and praying a lot. This also sounds a lot like socialism or communism, but that is not where Christians are doing today. Buddhists are taught to follow the middle way, but what is that middle path?
Certainly a few monks in India and even a few saints in the US can live a kind of monastic, totally spiritually focused life, but present day reality and the middle way requires money, a job or income producing vehicle and a place to live. Certainly wives and kids do not like the idea of camping out under the stars with no possessions. Guess what, those possessions cost money.
Spirituality can work hand in hand with lots of money, as long as there is a balance. Money is nothing more than a tool, unless it takes over and becomes a God, but then again, anything can become a God or addiction.
We can and do become addicted to the smallest things or ways of thinking. Being closed minded is an addiction.. Shopping can be an addiction. Being prejudiced against someone is an addiction. Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and food can all be addictions. Some people become addicted to the thought of poverty, since social and religious conditioning often creates the thought that money is evil. Capitalism, socialism, nationalism, communism and all other isms can all be addictions.
Wealth is a concept with many meanings. To Third World populations, anyone living in the US is wealthy. Most of them have no possessions, no house, and make about two dollars a day. By comparison, even someone living in poverty in the US is rich. I point athis to say that being wealthy is just a state of mind.
On the opposite end of things, many wealthy people who are worth millions or even billions of dollars do not believe they are wealthy. These individuals are always talking about not having enough, and wanting more.
Some multi-billionaires still do not have enough. Again, this is a state of mind, not a state of physical possessions. So there is a spiritual component, a mental component and a physical component to work on around wealth. There ae plenty of issues for all of these individuals I just described to work on. That is part of what a wealth consultant does, on top of the actual financial stuff that is required.
Bottom line, wealth can be used selflessly or selfishly. One billionaire just donated most or all of his fortune to the Microsoft Foundation, where it will be used for such things as donating drugs to Aids patients in Africa.
Wealth can also be used as a tool to help people help themselves, such as granting silent seconds for people buying homes, to be repaid after the home is sold. Wealth can be used to buy rental properties and then transform that into an ownership situation, for the benefit of the residents in a win win manner. There are many ways of providing a hand up, through the use of wealth, and not a hand out, which often keeps people dependent and in denial of reality.
Wealth can be used to build new ways of living in harmony with the Earth, with Nature and with other people. Not having the wealth to do these things can enslave people to keep on doing things the way things are done now, with no changes. The result of no change is the definition of being stuck. All life is about change, growth, and learning. If we are not all changing, growing and learning then we are not living our true potential. So why is change feared so much?
Bottom line, being wealthy is not evil or sinful all by itself. Wealth is merely a state of being that can be learned and achieved. Being wealthy works inside of a spiritual lifestyle, if one stays focused on the spiritual part. There need be no conflict with spirituality if one has money. A wealthy person can still do meditation, yoga, drive a vegetable oil powered car, live in a straw bale or Earthship home, etc.
Some people believe wealth is just in having more money and owning bigger toys. In my mind, true wealth is about providing a better world for seven future generations, and creating a sustainable future. Wealth can accelerate that process.
So what is holding you back from being wealthy? What is your definition of wealth? What level of wealth are you at? Do you have enough? Where do you want to be in 1, 5, 10 or 20 years? How can I help you get there? My consultation and assistance is free, so what are you waiting for?
Remember that 95% of the population in the US ends up living on Social Security or being dependent on others. Only 5% of the population ends up being wealthy at retirement age. Which group do you want to be in? What are you doing to get there?
Eric Straatsma
www.aaawealthbuilder.com
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