How People Are Rethinking Prosperity

Despite lingering unemployment and a still sluggish economy, many Americans are finding reasons to be thankful this time of year. In fact, for some, unexpected layoffs, financial setbacks, or simply a desire to spend more time with family have served as a reality check, a wake-up call for consumers to rethink their idea of wealth and prosperity.

"People are focusing more on life satisfaction than satisfaction by consumption," says Ethan Willis, co-author of Prosper: Create the Life You Really Want and co-founder of Prospect Inc., a one-to-one distance learning company that focuses on topics like real estate, entrepreneurship, and personal development. "One of the big shifts is that people are questioning, 'Is the time that I'm spending bringing me greater satisfaction in my life versus something that is just on autopilot?'"

More money doesn't necessarily lead to greater happiness, says Willis, so many consumers are getting off the "hedonic treadmill" and looking for ways to realign with family and the values that matter to them. He calls this finding one's "Polaris Point," a personal philosophy or set of values that guides decision-making...con't

This article was so on point about self-prosperity that I couldn't pass by it without buying into it. There are no accidents in life. Every iota that happens in life happens for our betterment. If we seize these moments and milk them for the good, our eyes will open and we will witness the mystical wonderments that take place during times like these.

We have two choices every second of our lives. We can either set our gaze on the negative that come to us moment by moment, and go down through the valleys and shadows of hopelessness or we can set our gaze upon all things good. Things that bring goose bumps and a smile to our faces. Things that bring awe and amazements. Things that make you look up towards heaven and say, "thank you so much for my life".