Prosperous Living Through Spiritual Awakening

Over the past several decades, research into near-death experiences has produced a phenomenal body of evidence supporting the reality and absolute importance of our spiritual existence. A near-death experience occurs when a person is pronounced clinically dead or comes close to death through some traumatic event. They are then resuscitated, either by medical means or unaided, and are able to report details of their out-of-body excursions. Because of improved resuscitation techniques, near-death experiences are becoming so commonplace that medical professionals are being trained to deal with patients who report them.

At first glance, it may seem that this field of research has little if anything to do with the subject of prosperous living. However, nearly all people who recall events during a near-death episode report a level of satisfaction and fulfillment so astounding they cannot put it into words. They find themselves having to speak in similes, metaphors and parables in their attempts to describe what they see, hear and feel during their near-death experiences.

From these studies emerge two critical points that are deeply relevant to our understanding of the spiritual basis of prosperity. First, it is clear by the sincere expressions of joy and universal love these people try to relate, that, contrary to what most of the human population believes, material things are not needed to produce the kind of deep fulfillment and gratification for which we yearn. Near-death experiencers find themselves in a position of having absolutely nothing, not even a physical body, and yet they consistently report unbounded joy, aliveness, serenity and a deep feeling of fulfillment beyond any they can adequately describe. As one experiencer put it:

There's no way I could possibly ever bring to words how actually good it is. I mean, it's the most of anything, whether it be peace, love, kindness, it's the most of everything that you can probably ever have.

The second critical piece of information is the inference that this dimension of the soul not only exists in each of us right now, it is the eternal, indestructible foundation of our being. Soul evolution is a mistaken idea. We are not now something less than we will be in the future. We do not develop into a higher state of being; we evolve a system of consciousness that supports what we already are at our spiritual level.

Research into the near-death experience strongly suggests that when individuals, by an experience of momentary, physical "death," are forced out of their current identity and its attendant life-view, they discover that their real self-their native soul-already exists in a state far superior to anything they had imagined. Their previous self-image and life-view simply masked their genuine, core identity.

These are normal, everyday people from every walk of life, many with little or no previous interest in anything resembling spiritual development. They are people like you and me that are quite familiar with the entire range of fears, insecurities and anxieties that have become so typical of the human experience. They are consistent in their reports that this core identity does not become happy and peaceful by acquiring things. According to these people, the core identity already exists in a perpetual state of unimaginable happiness and serenity.

Almost to the person, near-death experiencers report that during their episodes, they feel more alive than ever, their senses more acute, their minds sharper and more perceptive than anything they recall. This enhanced "aliveness" transforms, in a positive way, their values and their attitudes about the meaning of life in a physical body by stimulating in them a more universal view of their life's purpose. We speak of the Christ nature-that individualized expression of God in us-in theoretical terms, as a potential we will someday realize. To the near-death experiencer, there is nothing theoretical or potential about it. As one woman said:

Up until the moment of my 'death,' everything I had believed about myself was false. That me that I was when I was outside of my body, that was me, that was the real me.

And where did this real me come from? Apparently it was there all along, buried like a treasure in a field of false perceptions.

Near-death experiences indicate that beneath the mask of personality, beneath the sense-based self-image from which most people live out their entire lives, there exists a highly evolved person already functioning as the prosperous being that you and I are striving to become. We all have a "real me," and if we are to consider the subject of prosperity in its fullest scope, then we must factor this eternal aspect into our thinking.

The life review is a fascinating and frequently reported component of the near-death experience. The individual is given the opportunity to review, in amazing detail, the consequences of choices they have made throughout their entire life. This review is conducted from the elevated perspective of their spiritual identity, unencumbered by all fear of death or limitation of any kind. They see in an instant how they have lived their life. Now they are being asked, How will you live your life now that you know you are an eternal, limitless being?

In one sense, my intention with this book is to facilitate a similar life review. What will happen to your attitudes, interests, dreams and quest for a more prosperous life when you begin living from the point of view of your eternal nature? From the perspective of the artistic expressionist, prosperity and its normal acquisitional associations take on an entirely different meaning. Living the prosperous life starts by letting go of that which blocks the expression of your native soul. It involves creating an environment of consciousness conducive to bringing forth your fully-functioning, fully-intact native soul, your completed self.

Does this mean you have to divest yourself of the various roles you play or dispose of your goals or give away the material things you possess? No, not at all. In addition to their newly discovered interests in loving and learning more, many near-death experiencers come back to their lives with renewed enthusiasm and interest in their careers, relationships and homes, as well as an increased appreciation for the simpler pleasures of life. As long as we occupy a physical body, we will set goals that involve the acquisition of material goods. We must, however, do so with the understanding that the sense of identity and personal power we were once trying to derive from our external accomplishments can only be unfolded from the deeper reality of our being.

As a balloon filled with helium naturally rises when released, so your true state of being rises to its natural condition of happiness when you release the weight of the false belief that something external must be added to complete you. You are, in fact, to express more of your completeness, bringing it to bear on the achievement of the external goal, if the goal is to have any meaning at all. If you do not become more of who you naturally are in the process of attaining your goals, what's the point in amassing more material things?

A widow approached the prophet Elisha with the problem that she had bills she could not pay and debtors who were threatening to take her two children into slavery. Elisha asked the woman what she had in her house, and she said she had nothing except a single jar of oil. He instructed her to go out and borrow from her neighbors as many empty vessels as she could. He told her to take the empty vessels into her house, shut herself and her children inside, and then begin pouring the oil into the vessels. When one was full, another was to be brought until she ran out of empty vessels. She followed these instructions, pouring oil until the last vessel was filled. When she reported to Elisha what had happened, he told her to go and sell the oil, pay her debts, and live off the remaining money.

Using this powerful illustration from the Old Testament, let's take a closer look at each of these steps.

1. Identify the inner quality or state of being you wish to experience.
In the story, the woman's most obvious need was money. If she had enough of this universal tool, she would not have had to approach Elisha with her problem in the first place. While conclusionistic thinking would stop here, the evolutionistic thinker would recognize that money is but the external symbol of a deeper reality. The woman obviously does not have access to money, but she does have access to the spiritual element that is the foundation of the expression of money. How do we discover this spiritual element? We do it by simply asking, "How would this woman feel if her problem was resolved?" Of course she would feel relief, joy and enthusiasm for her ability, now that her problem is solved, to focus on other important areas in her life. A single word that describes all of these feelings is freedom: freedom from lack, freedom from fear and worry, freedom from the hardship of possibly losing her children.
When you think of your own challenge, you reach the spiritual element, the state of being you desire, by asking yourself the same question: How would I feel if this problem was resolved?"
Here are a few more examples of possible answers to this question:

A man might say, "I want this promotion because I feel so powerless on the job. Everyone's always telling me what to do, and I think I know more about the company than they do." This man believes a promotion will instill in him a feeling of power.

A woman says, "I want to win the lottery so I can do whatever I want." She believes that winning the lottery will instill in her a feeling of freedom.
Another man says, "I'd like to make enough money so I won't have to worry about anything." He believes that making money will instill in him feelings of security and freedom.

A young woman might say, "I want to get married and have a family because that would be so fulfilling." She be-lieves that getting married and having a family will instill in her feelings of completeness.

Another woman says, "I want a good relationship because I want the feeling that someone really loves me." She be-lieves that having a good relationship will instill in her the feelings of security, love and perhaps self-acceptance.

The feeling you want to achieve is your real objective. Clearly and carefully define the feeling or feelings you wish to expe-rience and then write them down. When you're satisfied that you have accomplished this, go on to the next step.

2. Realize this quality is already an integral element of your spiritual nature.
Note that Elisha asked the woman what she had in her house. He wasn't asking her what she thought she needed; he was asking her what she already possessed. The woman, doing a quick conclusionistic inventory of her rather meager arsenal of external assets, explained that she had nothing except a jar of oil. To her, the jar of oil represented lack. To Elisha, the jar of oil represented the potential for a solution to the woman's problem.

In this case, the jar of oil represents the woman's ability to experience freedom. Again, if you asked her how she would feel if her problem were solved, you can imagine her face lighting with a smile as she exclaimed, "Oh, I would feel absolutely free!" The feeling that lights her face indicates that it is already within her "house;" the feeling already exists within her native soul. In that moment of imagining her solution as a reality, the fuse of freedom is ignited. Conversely, at this point the light in the conclusionistic thinker's face will dim, for they know that such a state of having is simply not possible to achieve with their limited arsenal of assets. The evolutionistic thinker knows, however, that the process does not stop here.

3. Begin to evolve this quality from within yourself until it becomes a state of being.
When Elisha instructed the woman to go out and borrow as many empty vessels as she could find and not too few, he was preparing her to expand upon her seemingly insignificant glimpse of freedom. Imagine a single jar of oil surrounded by a room full of empty vessels. Already your mind shifts from the apparent lack, the single vessel of oil, to the potential for more. The instruction to shut herself in her house is an indication that you are to go within yourself, shut out all thought of the appearance of lack, and begin pouring your oil into the empty vessels. That is, begin to magnify the feeling of freedom. Make it real. Imagine how you'll look and feel with your solution. Do not try to figure out how this feeling will solve your problem. Do not try to figure out all the things that you think must happen in order to bring about your solution. Focus on releasing all negative energy and allow yourself to feel the feeling you desire. Feel powerful. Feel secure. Feel peaceful. Feel love. Feel complete self-acceptance. Fill all the empty vessels in your consciousness. Practice feeling it in quiet times and practice it throughout your busy day. Work with it until it becomes a dominant element in your consciousness and you can call it up at will. When you become aware of lesser feelings, release them quickly. Release this false belief that says the feeling you desire is dependent on events going a certain way. You are the one who makes the choice about how you feel. Practice harboring only those feelings you desire to experience. This is the evolutionistic approach.

4. Know this state of being will draw to you the external symbol or symbols that best represent it.
Being equals having. As you become in consciousness the person you really are your whole life will begin to reflect it. In the story, the woman's problem was solved with what initially appeared to be an inadequate solution. Through faith (gather-ing empty vessels), turning within (shutting herself in her house), and magnifying the feeling of freedom she desired (pouring the oil), her solution evolved.
If the parents of the 42-year-old woman would stop feeding into her game by drawing upon their own inner peace and strength, do you think she would continue it? Their external experience would improve because they would take charge of their feelings. If the man who feels powerless on the job will allow himself to experience his own inner power, he will gradually begin to make new choices that will set up a whole new set of circumstances for him. Acting on this feeling may take him to the top of the corporate ladder, or it may take him in a completely new direction. He may even stay in his present position because he can now see it from a point of power rather than from a place of weakness. If the woman who wants to win the lottery allows herself to experience feelings of absolute freedom right in the midst of her current life she too will begin to make a whole new set of choices that will have the effect of opening new doors.

As the strength of your new feelings grows, you will notice subtle and not-so-subtle changes. Your attitude will change. Your expectation of improved conditions will increase. You build new confidence. External conditions affect you less, or you more quickly catch yourself if you slip into worry. You discover that you are making new choices and executing decisions that are based on this emerging state of being. You become more aware of self-defeating thought patterns and actions, and you understand the value of letting them go. In short, you see how your new state of being impacts for the better both your lifestyle and your external conditions. Like warm rays from the morning sun washing over the shadowed landscape, your life will take on a new shimmer from the dawning light of your native soul.

Do not be discouraged when things appear to go wrong or when you feel you are losing ground. Remind yourself that when things appear to be falling apart on one front, it is usually because they are falling together on another. You are not designed to be a victim of circumstance. You are designed to set causes in motion that spread out through your life in waves of new, more desirable circumstances. This is an ability that is forever within your reach. Being equals having!

A Little Book Filled with Big Messages
Massachusetts
This is one of the best books I have ever read on how to really get to know your true self. It lives up to its title of being a "practical guide" by explaining why you never really solve your problems by looking outside yourself for the solutions, while at the same time providing you with specific instructions on how to put the principles described in the book into action. It is a small book that is well written and yet so packed with information that I found it best to read it in small sections and to really let each chapter sink in before continuing on with the next.
If you have a nagging sense that you are not really living the life that you were meant to live, I think this book could really help you get to where you really want to be in your life.

Deep and Thoughtful
California
If you are having some questions about the direction of your life and how to think out your situation I would recommend this book. There are several religious references but don't let that get in the way of the message. I am non-religious and found it to be quite helpful.

Beautiful!
Egypt
For a self-help (audio) book, 'beautiful' is not always used to describe such. But I can't resist myself from writing this review because "A Practical Guide to Prosperous Living" is simply beautiful. The lessons are not preachy, instead, the book flows like an advice from a 'father' or 'grandfather', a figure whom I can respect and believe easily. This book is loaded with stories and advice one can use to prosper.

Informative and Life Changing
New Jersey
This title is read calmly and clearly. The author approaches the topic of self-improvement with the grace and confidence of a master. If you have absorbed other self-improvement titles and have gotten varied results, this title will explain why, and guide you towards your true goal. It contains several references to biblical stories, but only to help illustrate its points. Well, worth the listen and motivating in its efforts.

Michigan
"I continue to receive strong spiritual sustenance from your two books: A Practical Guide to Meditation and Prayer & A Practical Guide to Prosperous Living. I have been a tither for several years and the knowledge in your books is just what I need to hear at this time. Equally wonderful is the way that the universe works. Please accept the enclosed tithe in grateful acknowledgement of the knowledge, guidance, and spiritual support your work has provided me."

Ohio
"I led a Prosperity Workshop at the church I am pioneering, this past October. To help the workshop participants stay focused on their goals in the weeks afterward, I decided to follow the workshop with a prosperity class. Our text for the class was your book, A Practical Guide to Prosperous Living. What a gem! It is, in my opinion, the best book on prosperity principles I have ever read. Why? Because it faced the issues in consciousness that show up whenever we commit to doing something in a proactive way to change our lives. Particularly valuable for me was your insight on tithing (or any spiritual or practical discipline). I don't think I've ever heard it said before that the purpose of any act of discipline is to bring to conscious awareness our inner resistance to it. Only after being aware of our resistance can we release it. It's profound, Doug. And it's an insight I am using to grow personally."