Creating the Prosperity Mindset

By Randy Gage

The note was scrawled across the back of a flyer for the chaplain program. It was written by a parishioner, right after a Sunday service I had given at my own church. “I hadn’t realized until you pointed it out that it’s the rich people who are the spiritual ones,” he wrote. “I guess those slave holders were on the right track. The only thing wrong was the prosperity consciousness of those slaves!”

No doubt the writer was being quite sarcastic, and thought his comments would expose the absurdity of my teaching, and support his beliefs. (Which it’s safe to assume, are that it is somehow spiritual to be poor, and that rich people are exploiting the poor.)

It’s fascinating that he would pick such an analogy, because I DO believe that in many cases, rich people are operating at a higher consciousness than poor people. That’s why they are rich! I also believe people who allow others to steal their freedom have serious issues of prosperity consciousness. Since he didn’t sign his note, he won’t discover that instead of seeing irony in his comments—I see an element of truth. Imagine the amazement and shock he might feel. Perhaps you are feeling the same way now.

The fact that rich people have amassed wealth indicates that they are living by at least some of the spiritual laws that govern prosperity. Of course, this does not mean that all rich people are spiritual and all poor people are not. Prosperity is a synergy of a number of factors, including a strong spiritual connection, optimum health, great relation ships, rewarding vocation, and, yes, the material aspects.

So, rich people who are sick, bitter and lonely are certainly not prosperous. By the same token, however, if you are healthy, spiritually grounded, have a great marriage, but struggle to pay your credit cards each month—you are certainly not prosperous either. In the book “As a Man Think eth,” James Allen relates how usual it is for people to say, “Many men are slaves because one is an oppressor; let us hate the oppressor.” He then goes on to note the increasing tendency of people to say, “One man is an oppress or because they are slaves; let us despise the slaves.” The real truth is that both the slaves and the oppressor are co-creators in ignorance, lack, and limitation. While it seems that they are victimizing each other—in reality, they are each victimizing themselves.

Prosperity and human dignity are both based upon value received. An oppressor can not sustain prosperity because he is exacting more than he returns, and will ultimately bankrupt his own consciousness. A slave gives not enough value to himself, and like wise ends up in a state of spiritual bankruptcy. As the Course in Miracles teaches, they are no victims, only volunteers.

A person will remain weak, dependent and miserable by refusing to raise his or her consciousness. A person can reject servitude, conquer limitations, and achieve greatness by raising his or her consciousness. To quote again from Allen’s book :

“A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must be strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admires in another. None but himself can alter his condition.”

It’s tough to develop the strength to be prosperous, if you’re being continually programmed that it’s spiritual to be poor. Especially if you’re not even aware you’re being programmed and it’s on a subconscious level.

To experience true spiritual prosperity, you have to be manifesting prosperity in ALL areas of your life. Yet if you’re doing ok in most areas, but you don’t have much money it’s easy to fall into the trap our note writer did. You want to believe that somehow your reward is coming later, heaven perhaps, and that you will in some way be compensated for living your current life of limitation. After all, who among us wants to believe that we are suffering needlessly, or have riches at our fingertips, but refuse to partake in them?

Now to be fair to our letter writer—he certainly isn’t alone. This kind of thinking is quite pervasive today. So why would I write a book with a message, sure to threaten so many people? Because I fear what will happen to them when they are not threatened.

I take the privilege and the responsibility of my platform seriously. In fact, I consider it sacred. I speak the messages I perceive people need to hear, not necessarily the ones they want to hear. It pains me to see anyone anywhere experiencing poverty and lack in their life. When you think about it, the idea of me giving a Sunday church service is kind of funny. I was raised atheist, and entered a church only twice in my first 30 years on the planet. (Once by accident, and once for a wedding.) When I found my way to the church I would eventually call home, I was unemployed, had no car, was $55,000 in debt, and selling my furniture to eat. My health was shot ; my relationships were an absolute mess; and I couldn’t have been more unhappy. By the time the furniture was gone, and I was eating macaroni and cheese three times a day, I discovered a very fascinating thing...

I came to understand that success and prosperity had almost nothing to do with opportunities, chance, luck—or even training, education, or skill. It had everything to do with consciousness, beliefs, and even subconscious programming that you aren’t aware of. Poverty is not an absence of money and things—it is a mindset. Prosperity is not an abundance of money and things—it’s also a mindset. When I began studying the laws that govern prosperity, I embraced the principles out of desperation . . .

I applied those principles, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who has had a greater degree of turnaround. I am truly blessed, manifesting abundance in all areas of my life, in ever increasing ways.

This only happened because I was willing to confront my weaknesses, discover and eliminate the insidious “lack” programming I had, and replace it with positive programming. To this day, I am ever vigilant, mindful of what I allow myself to watch and listen to, and the people I associate with.

I had to get out of my comfort zone, brave fears, and face up to my beliefs. Once you have done this, you feel called to help others challenge the self-limiting beliefs that are holding them back from their greatness. That was the motivation I felt that morning, as I spoke at church, and the motivation that has me writing this book for you now. Money is part of the magic in life. It is an enabling force that allows you to be the real you. It allows you to go where you wish to go, do what you wish to do, and become whom you desire to become. Money is God in action! Poverty causes people to lie, cheat, steal, and even kill. There is NOTHING spiritual about poverty. Yes, poverty really does suck.

Some of the people in my audiences are shocked when I make the statement that it is a sin to be poor. Of course, Charles Fillmore shocked the religious community of his day, when he made that proclamation almost 100 years ago. It still has the power to stun people today.

Yet if you learn the actual translation of sin, it means to “miss the mark.” The Course in Miracles defines sin as a lack of love. I believe both characterizations are accurate. When you are providing true value to the universe—you are rewarded with riches. That’s the way the universe works. All the time, with no exception.

When I speak to an audience, or write a book like this, I want people to understand a very simple, but very important thing. They can’t help anyone unless they have first helped themselves. Or as Reverend Ike would say, the best thing you can do for poor people is not be one of them!

It doesn’t serve God or you, if you are broke, sick, unhappy, or in dysfunctional relationships. You have to believe you are worthy of prosperity in ALL of its forms. Then as you walk the path of spiritual consciousness, you will find that you begin to manifest it more every day.

And that is what drives me to do what I do. So if I shock you, offend you, or threaten you with what I write lease evaluate why that might be. And know that I am coming from a place of love, and wanting the highest good for you. I want you to be healthy, happy and rich!

Excerpted from “Prosperity Mind! How to Harness the Power of Thought”, by Randy Gage. For more resources visit www.mindpowernews.com/ProsperityUniverse.htm

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