Many years ago when I was newly divorced and almost unemployable for lack of proven skills, my attitude was very negative. I lived in a state of fear all the time. My bills far exceeded my income, I had not worked for many years and no one wanted to pay me to stay at home and take care of my kids.

I struggled for a direction, but behind my every thought was the belief that I was doomed to fail, that I would not be able to earn enough to feed myself and my three children, much less the cat and the dog.

Even when I asked friends for help and guidance I was deprecating of myself and my abilities. I became envious of people who seemed happy and content and began to question them about how they were achieving that state. One person in particular impressed me with his sunny disposition and positive outlook. One evening I begged him to tell me his secret. He demurred, telling me that I would not believe him.

After much pleading on my part, he shared the name of the book.

It is called "The Nature of Personal Reality", a Seth book, written by Jane Roberts. I did go out and buy it; he was right, it was about two inches thick. The original book, now famous, was an unedited transcription of Jane Roberts' channeling sessions with a personality called Seth. I still have it today and I still treasure it, because it changed my life.

The World We Build For Ourselves

The book introduces the concept that our existence is of our own creation. We create our reality! Minute by minute, our expectations and projections create the world around us.

Sounds pretty far fetched, doesn't it? After all, who would create the traffic jams we endure in our cities, or the floods that ruin our crops, or the hunger that haunts some children?

The book postulates that collectively we create our entire world. Like radar, the ugly petty little thoughts we have bounce out, reflect off similar thoughts, and all come back to haunt us. The positive prosperous thoughts we have bounce out in a similar way, bringing back the good others have to share.

If a nation has ugly petty thoughts, then wars and plagues will strike it. If people can rise about their fear, they can also bring about prosperity and happiness, for others in addition to themselves.

If you expect to prosper and be happy, then that will come to pass.

Change Your World and Your Reality

It's really hard to change your path and to let go of your fear. I began to do a conscious check of my state of mind every day. Often I would find negative thoughts were dominating my day. I struggled with a childhood where the impossibility of my goals was stressed, rather than encouragement of my ambitions.

As time went on, I began to see positive improvements in my life. At the end of two years, I had gone from struggling, to owning my own business and moving ahead in a positive way.

What is your reality right now? For many of us, things are tougher everywhere on the planet than they have been in many years. Is this a call for all of us to move in a new direction? Can we all change our reality and live in a better, kinder world? Is this really an opportunity for a leap forward for mankind?

Finding a New Way of Living

As I look back now, it amazes me that such a simple lesson, that of creating a positive environment for ourselves, is so easily forgotten! Even though I had seen for myself the rewards of thinking in the most positive way, of welcoming change and challenge in my life, I still slipped back periodically into the fearful ways that had made life so difficult.

When another difficult time arose, another successful friend shared another book with me. It was Catherine Ponder's "Prosperity Handbook". Much smaller and easier to read, it has joined "The Nature of Personal Reality" on my book shelf, never to leave.

No Matter How Wonderful the Lesson...

We forget. We practice good deeds and good thoughts, then when good things happen, we forget. Instead of being grateful, we carp for more. Instead of sharing, we take from others. Then our progress evaporates, and we must start all over.

If indeed all mankind can seek prosperity for one another, I believe we can stop wars, famine and all the other negatives we experience in this life. Even overcrowding would improve, because we would not greedily try to stay beyond our typical life time on this planet, making room for new fresh souls to prosper and grow.

Learning the Lesson All Over Again...

My first business lasted twelve years. When a recession caused business to fall off to an alarming degree, once again I felt panic and fear.

It was necessary to take a leap of faith. I decided to stop living with fear, to welcome a little "time off" to regenerate my spirit. I stopped working for a year, reduced my life style and explored our planet with a friend, visiting remote areas of Guatemala and Honduras.

I came back from that year of rest with a positive attitude and lots of new energy. Soon, an opportunity presented itself to start a new business. It was nothing like the business I had been in previously and my ego got in the way. How embarassing if my old associates saw me doing something so menial!

Soon I discovered ways to create more challenge in that business and it too prospered.

Facing Challenges a New Way

Now, once again, the economy has adversely affected my business. BUT, this time, I am welcoming the demise of it, knowing that something even better awaits me.

My entire focus is to keep my mind open, to welcome the new opportunity that is just around the corner. I am operating on FAITH, which does not mean I am being passive. I am busily concentrating on the things I enjoying doing most, for I believe that my next success will come from doing something I truly love.

My Advice to You

Look for the positives. Perhaps a reduced work week is an opportunity to spend time designing a new and amazing product, or to realize a dream of further education, or just to get to know your kids better.

Many Sources for this Inspiration

Every generation seems to "discover" these same truths about prosperity - calling it by different names - currently it is represented by "The Secret", or perhaps the words of "The Tower of Babel". For years, people have found inspiration in the "Prosperity Handbook".

However it comes to you, notice the fact that it continues to come to you, over and over, through many different means.

Maybe it's time to give prosperity as a way of life a try.