Prosperity & peace

I think it is intuitive to link prosperity and peace, after all the more prosperous a place is, more peaceful will be. I wonder if the same is true for people…

In the past few years, news has come up of very prosperous people who would be suffering for some reason or another, even going to the extreme of suicide.

It is true there are not too many news to reach to the conclusion of money does not bring happiness… or peace. However, if you know someone who is really prosperous in terms of wealth, you probably know that person has many problems and has to face many crises. Worry and anxiety is a common trace associated to prosperity.

Maybe we have to look into prosperity beyond money or material wealth. When we look at a very prosperous country, besides their material wealth, there is an immaterial wealth: their culture, their values, their touristic places and many more things.

In the same way, besides wealth, every person has a huge treasure of qualities, inner powers, and talents. When those people join others, that treasure replicates in an infinite way.

In fact, looking back into countries that did not have a material wealth some time ago – like India or China – by investing their energy in their immaterial wealth, they are nowadays considered prosperous countries… So, if a person does not have material wealth, but they are connected to the immaterial one, then they are, without a shadow of doubt, very, very prosperous.

Now, because their focus is on the intangible part, PEACE will be developed since it is there too.

So if you feel you are not experiencing peace, work on acknowledging your own prosperity. Peace will come.

If you are not feeling that prosperous, tour around your inner wealth from time to time, and connect to your inner peace. Prosperity will come.

Other people, other worlds

People have been compared with islands – sometimes because of the isolation, but you can think of people as a self-sufficient world.

Yes, we need other people and only a handful attempts to live isolated have really worked. However one thing is to connect and live with others out of need; another thing is to have so much to share and to be open to what others have to share. It means we are all rich…

I am not talking about physical wealth: some people’s richness comes from their virtues, other people’s wealth is their talents or their lifestyle, but in essence, we are all rich people! That is a big change of perspective.

The other person is as rich as me. That means, they don’t need me and I don’t need them.

We are different worlds and by sharing what we have, and accepting what others share we may build a wonderful relationship.

So, just think: what do I have that can enrich others?

Now, in relation to the people with whom you have a relationship: what do they have that is enriching my life?

No waste, only the best

There is a very interesting way to manage waste:

• Whatever you are going to throw away, check if that is REALLY not useful; if it is useful, just put that away, nicely… (no hoarding)
• Instead of throwing it away, maybe another person can benefit from it and a short time spent by checking in Internet can give you many ideas.
• If it is really rubbish, check how to dispose it properly.

In this way, you are turning waste into best… almost.

Now, let’s check in relation to our thoughts, words and actions:

• Before thinking (yes, it is possible), speaking or acting, will that thought, word or action really important, relevant, funny, thought provoking, inspirational or valuable for the other person. If it is not, keep it away in your inner shelf and think what to do with it (maybe reflect upon it, share it privately with that person, share it with another person who can appreciate it; no inner hoarding).
• Not everyone will appreciate what you have, so save anything for the right person who can turn a little pebble into a diamond.
• If the only thing you have does not look relevant, important, etc. for the other person or the environment you are, maybe you are in the wrong place or with the wrong people. We always have something valuable inside; go look for the right people and right place.

Do this and you will feel what you are, someone so important who always contributes with the best…

Poverty in rich lands

It is impossible to miss the message in Queen’s least watched video (if not, one of the least…): Heaven for everyone. It states: This could be heaven for everyone...

No book can explain why at this time in History, with so much and so many available resources, why do we have poverty?

No matter how many countries seem to fight this sickness in the human spirit, it looks like more poor people emerge all the time. The worse is that many of these people come from very rich countries.

We may take the example of Ethiopia: it was reported very recently the plans for UNICEF to help more than 2 million malnourished children. And yet, in 2015 Ethiopia was been considered an economic miracle.

Experts argue their reasons, but Gandhi in his wisdom has stated once: The Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need but not for every man's greed.

Ok, maybe greed is not the only thing, but it will certainly explain people who live in countries that are rich in resources, and still experience poverty in their lives.

The reason: poverty is more than lack of money – it is a lack imagination and creativity, reducing a human into a mere survivor.

When that is removed, at least in the level of the mind, a human rises and he or she can experience the wealth that is within and that will express itself in the form of physical wealth eventually.