January 30, 2010
Most of us have heard the phrase, ‘All good things come to he who waits.’ Does that include prosperity? Is prosperity a good thing? I like to think prosperity is a good thing. What is the definition of prosperity then? I did a thesaurus search using the term ‘prosperity’ and found the following words as acceptable noun substitutes: wealth, affluence,opulence, riches, success and richness. I believe everyone would agree that those synonyms of prosperity are ‘good things.’ Most of us would want wealth, affluence, success, etc.
I did further research on my ‘entry phrase’ for this blog, I found the following:
‘Ah, all things come to those who wait,’
(I say these words to make me glad),
But something answers soft and sad,
‘They come, but often come too late.’
This poem is attributable to Violet Fane (1835-1905).
Further research suggested the literal meaning of that phrase is ‘in praise of patience.’
So, ‘good things’ imply that patience is a virtue – patience makes us wait for the good things – we must tolerate delay – we must develop self-control – don’t take unnecessary risks – don’t be satisfied with instant gratification – patience is really required for happiness in our lives.
But, is that really true? For some of us (the vast 97%), I think so. We sit in our comfort zones waiting for the good things to come to us. We are patient because we don’t want to ‘rock the boat.’ We don’t want to take the risk – don’t want to fail. But, there is another phrase that most of us have heard also – also addressing ‘good things’ – it goes like this, ‘All good things must come to an end.’
Wow! If I wait for the good things to come to me – I am properly patient– and they often come too late – and those good things must come to an end – that can’t be fair. Patience is a virtue and I should be rewarded. Patience is good for some things – healing old wounds for example. But, to achieve what you want in life, patience is not always your first choice – you have to do something, and you have to do something now – not wait for it to come to you.
I think prosperity means more than just riches and success. I think it is astate of mind that exudes confidence, self-assurance, self-belief, faith, certainty, conviction, independence and self-sufficiency. A by-product is riches if you choose to exhibit your success in that manner. But, to me, the true achievement of prosperity is the change in your subconscious mindset to make you reach beyond your grasp and do the things you must do to become independent.
Choices have consequences. Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin