Prosperity is a verb

We define worth. Not the other way around.

Why are so many amazing people languishing, frustrated, or simply burnt out? Why are we working to work, and little else? If we’re secretly asking what the point is, perhaps the better question is, “When did we forget?”?

Have we forgotten the true definitions of value and worth? Have we been so busy with the hustle and grind we misplaced the equation?

What is valuable (by definition) has great worth. Something genuinely valuable can’t be worthless. Or vice versa.

Can we agree on that? Just for a moment? (~You don’t have to stay with me. Just consider the possibility.)

If so, what if the end result we think we’re working for is nothing more than an outcome? Not good. Not bad. Not light or heavy. Just a logical eventuality.

What if what we really seek is our own transformation? And not simply the consequence of this evolution, unto itself? Knowing we made a correct choice. Knowing we’re moving in the right direction. Knowing, based on the accumulated evidence of our decisions, what and why we’re worth what we’re worth. Knowing we are more than the sum of who we were yesterday.

At that point, the conclusion has no more power over us. It is relegated to just another in a series of selections. Rather than the fruits of our efforts holding all the cards, we hold all the cards. At that point we’re what’s desirable. In every respect. The end we hope for invariably becomes a side dish. Or dessert. Or gravy. The object becomes what it should have been all along: something our worth chooses, not something that chooses our worth.

When we shift to what’s really important, we can suddenly see clearly exactly where we’re grounded, secure, and in control. And if we’re not, we can see what we need to get there.

Kind of takes the pressure off a little, doesn’t it? Better yet, it’s not too good to be true. It actually is the truth.

Then we can see that anything truly beneficial will always, given proper time and attention, bring more prosperity with it. Thus, the end result will be more of what we desire. Each and every time.

It’s not possible to end up with anything else.

I know this is a lot to swallow. So, stop. And really think about this.

Because it’s the reason any aspect of your life is stuck. That’s worth a minute to ponder. Don’t you think?

A good job and solid credit will buy an ideal home at a reasonable rate. Is the home itself favorable? Without the good job and solid credit one cannot afford it. It becomes a liability. Clearly, the good job and solid credit is far more valuable than the home itself. And yet, to obtain the good job and solid credit one must be consistent and competent enough in their work to keep that job, and consistently pay their bills on time. Based on this logic, we can see, even more profitable than the job and the credit themselves, are the developing the skills, consistency, and discipline, required to secure these things.

Agreed?

Then how did we forget? How did we become so focused on the objective we forgot about what it takes to not only get there, but keep us there? Is it possible we’ve focused so much on selling we’ve bought into our own advertising?

Opinions drive opinions. Even ridiculous ones. The market follows. The market determines what is rare, useful, helpful, and valuable. Even when we secretly know it’s untrue and damaging. That’s the norm, right? To fixate on wants, without much thought of getting there. Lost in the hustle and grind…

How can this insecurity of thought result in any desired end? Hard as it can be, we must remember it’s worthless.

Don’t want to feel insecure or out of control? Remember what you can control, and choose to strengthen those areas. The key is throwing out the advertising campaigns, and embracing your inner realist.

If we, as intelligent people fall prey to this, along with everyone else, then who’s left to remind us? Education and intelligence are merely safeguards against undesirable ends. But if we’re so busy grinding we don’t remember to use them, neither can serve us. For our own well-being, let’s make a point to consistently remember. It’s a confusing time. Hectic. Full of fear. We must remind others, so they can remind us. No one’s memory is that good.

It’s not what we’re paid that makes us worthwhile. It’s the quality of service, and effective focus on those we serve, that makes us worth what we’re paid. Our value comes from what we produce, our quality of service, and the integrity we bring with each choice we make. When we offer better quality we can charge more because we offer more. Wise and informed customers will pay more. Sales are expensive. Long-term, happy customers are always more profitable than new sales. They also refer new business. Likewise, we can actually choose our employers (and clients) because we really do bring more to the table. We don’t have to put up with the whims of the cheap or the egotistical. In all ways, we work more efficiently, live more abundantly, and love more securely. This is actually what we all want, right?

Real control. Real security. Real freedom. Not just empty platitudes.

Are we still on the same page?

Perhaps, if we start reminding ourselves, and one another, that prosperity, value, and worth are really verbs, we’ll have an easier time remembering.

It’s so easy to forget, yet crucial to remember. In confused times as these, we need all the reminders we can get.