The Prosperity Mindset

    An American author and speaker by the name of Randy Gage is a specialist on the subject of prosperity and the prosperity mindset. His compelling claim is that prosperity is a state of mind that goes beyond how you see issues relating to wealth and money. In his definition, prosperity is a lifestyle and concerns your health and diet, exercise, friends and associates, beliefs, activities, habits etc etc.

   We all want to prosper, but according to Randy Gage, most of us have thought patterns, or 'mind-viruses' that prevent or obstruct us from doing so. These can manifest in many different ways. For example, there's the 'victim mentality' where we see ourselves as forlorn but heroic individuals struggling against the big corporation, our employer, the politicians etc. Another damaging idea that many people hold is 'the entitlement mentality' where we affirm our right to a free education, healthcare, public services etc without necessarily giving back very much to society. Another idea that is perhaps more controversial is the question of who gets to benefit from our ability to add value and solve problems in society. Randy Gage's libertarian point of view is that we are entitled to receive in proportion to the value we create in society, an idea which is antithetical, for example to socialism where the spoils of enterprise and innovation are forcibly redistributed.

Have you ever felt resentment towards that big, pinstripe suited guy gliding past behind the wheel of his Rolls Royce while you stand at the curb waiting to cross the road in the rain? If the answer is 'Yes' even for a split second, then you are infected with limiting and anti-prosperity memes, or thought patterns. You might not go so far as to run your key down the side of his vehicle when you see it parked, but you are only two or three steps removed from this point of view. You might catch yourself thinking, for example something cynical that suggests the rich guy must have done something dishonest to get where he is today.Behind such thoughts lurk anti-prosperity patterns that can sabotage your ability to create prosperity in your life.

A person's ability to be wealthy, according to the prosperity mindset, depends not on their background, education, work ethic or ability to save but on their values and relationship with principles of prosperity. Thus, a person born into a rich family will not remain so if they acquire anti-prosperity patterns as they grow up. The fact that most children of wealthy people remain wealthy is due to their inheritance of a prosperity mindset and growing up in a an environment where prosperity is a fact of life. For these people, there is often no need to adjust their patterns. But for most of us, there is work to be done in analyzing truthfully and courageously our REAL relationship with prosperity, asking where our ideas came from and whether or not they support us in having a shot of living happy and complete lives.

If you're interested in finding our more about the prosperity mindset, a recommended book is Randy Gage's "Why You're Poor Sick Dumb and Broke and How to get Healthy, Wealthy and Wise."

Disruption

A recent quote from international prosperity coach Randy Gage really caught my attention. It said something like; You are not here to fit in but to disrupt.
The process of disruption begins with a new idea or innovation. It may start at the bottom but builds momentum until whole industries are transformed. Witness how mp3 files changed the music industry, or how online travel agencies and airlines have changed how we buy air tickets and holidays. The list goes on and on.
When we think about it, the whole of evolution is based on disruption. Without it nothing would change and the world would stagnate.
Despite this, almost everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in our traditional education teaches and encourages us to fit in rather than disrupt. "Don't rock the boat". "You need to fit in." "Keep in with the right people." "Don't step out of line" because if you do there will be consequences.
This is the reality. Companies establish consequences for people that dare to step out of line and do things differently. These consequences can be acknowledged or not, hidden or revealed.
The media bombards us with messages that suggest that life is getting tougher, more competitive, less easy to deal with. Less jobs, more suffering. This has been going on as long as I can remember, whether there is an 'economic crisis' or not. Such memes compound the message that we shouldn't take risks, that we should fit in and go with the crowd. People become more scared, more cowed and more likely to conform. They may join in with deriding the ones that take risks, hoping that it will shore up their professional status, which in many cases it does, sadly.
This is a form of corruption. Very insidious and hidden but there nevertheless. Ultimately it does nobody any favours because companies need to change and develop as society naturally changes. When they don't, they tend to disappear.
The lesson rarely gets learned. The fear of being ostrasized from the group remains much more powerful for most that the motivation to go out on a limb and say what needs to be said or take a step in the dark.
But life is for living. In the end there will be little satisfaction in saying: I played it safe, kept my nose clean and didn't rock the boat. It may work in the short term but in the bigger picture it does not contribute to a fulfilling life.
We are here to disrupt, to contribute and make change, to make the world a better place. Playing safe does not do this. So the message here is: join with the disruptors. If you can't be one of them, give them your support and energy because....we are the future!