Step 5: Practicing the Practical

Like everything in life, prosperity has its very practical, grounded, earthbound side. Along with the mental (setting the intention) and the spiritual (meditation, projection), the physical applications are a necessary part of growing and nurturing your prosperity. And what are the physical aspects and applications of prosperity?

We are not creating the wheel again – there are many excellent resources for the work you have to do in this area (see Resources below), but our job is to emphasize and re-emphasize the importance of this step. If you are the master of your finances already and all the above-mentioned tools are in place, congratulations! For the rest of you, this step is not negotiable. Even though it requires some hard thinking and dealing, in areas that may or may not be your forte, truth is freedom, and this step is your ticket to the freedom you need for prosperity to really flow strongly in your life.

In order to define prosperity, you have to know where your accounts stand; you have to know how much debt you have, how many savings, and you have to be able to setup and maintain a budget. These are not supernatural powers that only a few people can master, but they are principles which are sadly ignored in our schooling. We are taught algebra, but not how to balance a checkbook. We are sold everyday on credit, but the fine print is almost illegible, the details of APR’s extremely complex, and most of us aren’t educated on how to deal with credit or debt. We are brought up in an era of planned obsolescence, where everything is replaceable, even our health, and it is easy to sidestep this important responsibility. But all that is so disempowering!

On YOUR path to prosperity, empowerment is an important part of your projection. Darkness attracts darkness and light attracts light. Shine the light on your finances, so that the light of prosperity can flow to you easily, readily and quickly.

Goal Setting

Goal setting should be covered by your intentions, however, sometimes it’s best to go through this whole process and then re-look at the goal because of the new light you have shed upon your finances. Maybe your debt is less than you thought once you tallied it. Maybe you have more resources than you realized. Maybe you’ll need to project for a little more. Truth is empowering, and it enables you to clearly ask the Universe for what you need.

Budgeting

Budgeting can be scary to some people, but it is the only way to really understand where, when, and how much money you earn versus spend. Budgeting is not about doing without, it is about being clear about how much you have, how much you can spend, and what your choices are for the wisest way to spend it. It helps us see where we can change habits for the better, and it opens the door for saving to become a reality, even if we think it is impossible. The example of The Latte Factor amazes people again and again – add up how many times you buy a latte (or a coffee or a breakfast burrito, or whatever your particular treat) in one month and add up the exact cost of it. How many times do you eat out? Do you know exactly how much money you spend on clothes? This exercise is extremely empowering because it is enlightening; it makes clear beyond any doubt what our spending and saving habits are.

Debt

Even the word can be mortifying, because debt really is a very complex business, where only a very few people profit, and the rest try to figure out how to get out of it. Surveys tell us that most Americans don’t even know how much debt they have, that even more would rather lie than admit how much debt they have, and that the majority of people have feelings of hopelessness, shame, fear, and anger associated with their debt.

We attract what we focus on. It is important – all-important – to really take this bull by the horns and master it so that we are focusing on prosperity, not debt. Truth is empowering.

There is no way out of debt without clear knowledge of it. It is important to know exactly what is owed, to whom, what the interest rates are, and the payment schedules. It is vital to create a clear plan of action to pay it back in the quickest time possible, with the least amount of interest, and clearly within your budget.

Then, once you have figured out the how, set it on automatic, and let it take care of itself. Once you have looked at it, addressed it and set it up, use the world of automatic payment systems so that you no longer need the negative baggage or the negative emotions. You are free from needing to even think or focus on it, thereby empowering yourself to focus on prosperity, wealth, and abundance, so that you may attract them instead of debt.

There are some excellent books in our Resource section below. We invite you to check them out and utilize the help and knowledge available to get out of debt completely. 

Account Management

Saving and investing are the standard tools for the foundation of wealth and financial success. There is a discipline in this that is similar to sadhana. You get up every day for sadhana to strengthen your spirituality, and saving and investing are the sadhana which strengthen financial success. You need savings accounts, investment funds, retirement funds, and possibly even educational funds for children, all of which are separate from your every day operational accounts. Financial security gives us peace of mind. It let’s us think of retirement without fear of survival creeping in. It let’s us take the time to do the things we always promised ourselves we’d do when we didn’t have to work any more. Understanding the world of saving and investing is the path to peace of mind, and freedom, and the financially secure tomorrow we want for ourselves.

Tithing and Philanthropy

It’s as simple as this: Every story of financial success also contains the information about how that person gave back through tithing and philanthropy. When they had less money, they gave less, when they had more money, they gave more. Giving back is the completion of the circle of financial life. We receive, we give, we receive more, we give more…whatever your beliefs, spiritual path or religion, start your tithing program today.

Supporting Methodology

Align your physical environment with your prosperous thinking. It’s important to clear away clutter, to clear out the old so the new can come in. Methodology such as Feng Shui can be helpful in creating a focus in your living space for the prosperity you want to achieve. You can do the same for your workspace, and even your desk. Again, by focusing your energy on the prosperity, you are attracting prosperity.

Resources

Here is a brief list of books that can help you in taking on the practical steps for prosperity in your life. There are many more that you can find through your own research, and a great many resources on the Internet.

Yogi Bhajan

• The Executive Mind
• The Business Mind

Suze Orman

• The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom
• The Road to Wealth
• The Courage to be Rich

Robert Kiyosaki & Sharon Lechter

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Thomas Stanley & William Danko

• The Millionaire Next Door

Wallace Wattles

• The Science of Getting Rich

David Bach

• The Automatic Millionaire
• The ‘Finish Rich’ Series

Jean Chatzky

• Pay it Down!
• The Ten Commandments to Financial Happiness

Glinda Bridgforth

• Girl, Get your Credit Straight
• Girl, Make Your Money Grow

Siri Kirpal Kaur Khalsa

• Yoga for Prosperity

Terah Kathryn Collins Khalsa

• The Western Guide to Feng Shui

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Bring your progress to the group

We are growing a Your Path to Prosperity discussion forum. Please bring your experiences, your questions, and your progress to share with others who, like you, are determined to change how prosperity graces their lives.