Prosperity Better Focus than Money

Prosperity or money, which would you choose?

Money, that’s what I want!

The title of the famous song above was written by Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford in 1959, first performed by Barrett Strong (*named misspelled on album to the left, song possibly co-written by Strong, see mention at end of post*). The catchy tune was later performed by The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kingsmen, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Jerry Lee Lewis, Cheap Trick, Johnny Lee Hooker, The Flying Lizards, Bruno Mars, David Gray and a multitude of other bands.

What makes this song so popular with artists that don’t need to play covers? One reason is because the lyrics speak to a great paradox that perplexes people when they think about what they really want. Here are some of the lyrics from the original performer, Barrett Strong:

The best things in life are free

But you can give them to the birds and bees

I need money

That’s what I want

Your love gives me such a thrill

But your love don’t pay my bills

I need money

That’s what I want

Let’s get this straight—the best things in life, even thrilling love, are free—but the singer would rather have money? Some might say the words are meant partly in jest but based on the song's popularity, especially as a cover for other bands, there appears to be genuine intent behind the lyrics. The brash statements fly in the face of philosophical teachings from religions around the world like this below, which is one of my favorites:

• Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. - Lao Tzu (Taoism)

This also gets into the difference between charity and empowerment. Giving a man a fish is like giving him money for one meal. Teaching him to fish is giving him a chance at prosperity and eating well for life.

For some reason, most people are hooked on the thought that they need more money. What’s the cause? Is it a fear of poverty, or keeping up with the Joneses, or buying into a common belief that success equals extravagance? It’s easy to fall into those mindsets; people want money and lots of it in order to feel secure and live a carefree lifestyle with plenty of toys. But do you really think that’s the way it works—that simply having money will solve your problems? Of course it doesn’t work that way.

Simply wanting or needing more money will not help it materialize. It's like putting the cart before the horse. Taking care of the business that is before you in the present time is your work in life, whatever that might be. That business before you now is the metaphorical horse; the rewards that follow are the cart. Those rewards may include satisfaction, higher self-value, recognition from others, increased opportunities and also more money. This is how prosperity works, by doing what you do well and continuing from there.

Let’s step back to money for a moment. Think of the main ways you could acquire large amounts of money:

• receive it as a gift

• get inheritance from a relative’s death

• win a lottery or prize drawing

•  steal it from another (please don’t)

• be awarded money in court

• earn it through your own actions

Notice how the final one on the list, earn it through your own actions, is the one that would bring by far the most personal pride while also creating opportunity for more money in the future. Even though good things can come with money no matter how it’s acquired, earning it would make you the happiest and be in your best interest.

Prosperity is closely related to life purpose. Prosperity comes from doing everything you do as well as you can. It transforms from actions into accomplishment, recognition, expansion, opportunity and also accumulation of wealth. With prosperity, there is an element of:

• goodness, benefits and well-being

•  personal growth

•  improvement and victory

• rewards on many levels

• increased opportunities in the future

If you watch interviews with athletes who win major competitions, they never say “I just focused on having that trophy.” They say they focused on performing well in all aspects of their game. In the same way an award-winning actress doesn’t solely practice giving an award speech someday; she practices reading her lines and playing the role as well as she can. The trophy and award’s speech are akin to money; they are by-products of doing other things well.

This is what prosperity is about, taking positive actions in the here and now. It’s a state of mind and a state of physical being. Prosperity is about your unique work and responsibilities, your destiny, personal growth and expansion.

https://flic.kr/p/2qf1i

There’s no need to focus on money. In fact, it may be a hindrance if you solely think about money and your perceived lack of it. Instead, if you concentrate on prosperity (achievement, growth, benefit) and do your present work well, the money should come as a result.

How can you attract more prosperity? To begin, limit any negatives in your thoughts or speech that have to do with needing money, which is a lack mentality. Have faith that your needs will be met even if it’s not in the way your ego would ask for it, like a million dollars materializing in your lap. Next, think and speak about the role prosperity can play in your life. Here are some thoughts that will spur your creative juices for more prosperity:

Will I recognize the opportunities that come my way?

Will I act upon those opportunities?

How can I do my work better?

What am I grateful for here and now?

Will I remember to limit negatives in thought and speech?

It’s interesting how many songs exist about money. These are just a few: Money For Nothing (Dire Straits), Money (Pink Floyd), Take the Money and Run (Steve Miller Band), Money, Money (Liza Minelli), Moneytalks (ACDC), For the Love of Money (The O’Jays) and The Big Money (Rush).

How many songs are there about prosperity? Clearly not enough.

*The first singer of the famous song, Money (That’s What I Want), was Barrett Strong. In an ironic twist of fate that resembles self-fulfilling prophesy, Strong’s name was removed from the original song-writing credits denying him a share of royalties from a hit that would have made him wealthy. Read more about it in this NY Times article.

--

Home Page

add me to your Google Plus circles

DMT Ayahuasca Would You Try These Drugs?

Actually you already have trace amounts of DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) in you. It's naturally abundant in plant life and found in many mammals. The Pineal Gland, in the center of your brain, secretes some DMT during REM state of sleep when dreaming occurs. It's also believed to excrete during Near Death Experience, which may account for the visions some people report during NDEs. Modern science is still unsure of its exact purpose, though they relate it to neurotransmitters and hormones like serotonin and melatonin--while mystics and even a few doctors such as Rick Strassman, study it, use it for rituals and refer to it as the Spirit Molecule.

Why do we want to experience altered states? Deep question--won't get answered in a few paragraphs. Some people try drugs out of simple curiosity, common choices like alcohol and marijuana where the prevalence in society makes us feel safer. Other drugs may be relatively known but scare most people away as with methamphetamine and heroin. The horror stories and overdoses aren't worth the risk for the majority of us. Then there are drugs that fall into grey areas, especially psychedelics like LSD or mescaline, where the average person is intimidated but might be coaxed into trying.

DMT (Dimethyltryptamine) and Ayahuasca (an Amazonian brew containing DMT) are among those grey area drugs--many have never even heard of either while others are curious but would probably have major reservations before experimenting. That's understandable since takers often describe life-changing trips. Even among enthusiasts, DMT is a profound mystery. Commonly reported effects include: fast response, buzzing sounds, geometric patterns, visitation by angels-insects-aliens-spirits of the natural world, portals to other dimensions, connection to infinite wisdom and moments of enlightenment. Some Amazonian Indians use the drug through the plant-based brew, Ayahuasca, as a part of ritual designed to bring awareness for personal purpose and to the nature of life itself.

This is why DMT and Ayahuasca may be so intimidating, from the reports of deeply spiritual, life-changing experiences. Do I really want to delve into the purpose of my existence? Do I really want an experience that might change who I believe I am? These are not easy questions for any person to face head on. See the two videos below: the first is a general intro to DMT, and the second is in-depth and really well done documentary on Ayahuasca at 25 minutes by Alexander Ward.

Intro video on DMT:

Very interesting documentary experience with Amazonian Ayahuasca:

Would you try these--have an experience to share? Leave a comment.

--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles

Jim's Life: Kindle Book of the Day

When Jim's soul transfers into the body of a 15-year-old boy, he begins to develop the power to heal. But a murder trial and the sensationalization of his abilities come together to make this new life even more chaotic than the last one. Funny, suspenseful, and heartfelt, this is a novel that will really stick with you. Check it out today!

Name: Jim's Life
Rating: 4.7 stars over 11 reviews
Price: 2.99
Description: A teenage boy on trial can see and heal the human light fields, becoming a miracle healer while the world argues over his case. Sequel to The Little Universe.

Australia 2150 AD

Jim experiences a soul transfer with the body of a 15 year old boy who died in an accident while running from a crime. Jim is revived in the hospital with amnesia and brain damage that affects his pineal gland and vision processing. Too much DMT (Dimethyltriptamine) is produced, a naturally occurring neuro-chemical that causes dreams and hallucinations. His vision is permanently altered so that he can see the light force within people, chakras and auras, as well as his own luminosities. In time he learns to work with these lights and becomes a miracle healer, drawing comparisons to a messiah. All the while he's on trial for a crime he didn't commit.

As his case becomes a source of global interest, two things become clear; a brutal rape occurred and he can now heal others by touch. As the environment reaches a frenzy, everyone wants a part of Jim. Nurses want to sleep with him, endorsements come from every angle, skeptics come to debunk him, patients need his healing touch, and still others want to train him to become the leader he was destined to be.

A story of spirituality, the courts of justice and the power of love.

Reviews: "Okay, so I loved 'The Little Universe' and really thought it couldn't be topped, but Jason Matthews has managed to do it with 'Jim's Life.' Though a continuation of the first book, it would make a good stand alone read. Set aside your busy-ness because you won't want to put this one down. I'd describe it as enlightenment-meets-materialism, with humor and an open heart."

Get your copy of Jim's Life.
--
Home Page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles

Enter Contest to Win 5-Star Ebook of The Little Universe

The Little Universe is happy to provide 10 ebooks to Biblio Connection Giveaways, happening now until June 24th, 2012.

Click here to enter your chance at winning the 5-star ebook.

Comments from reviewers:

...I did not leave my chair for 2 days until I finished this book...

...Even after finishing the book, I'm still losing sleep because I can't stop thinking about it...

...the fact that the experiment was simultaneously so big and so small, helps to the give the story its joyous, unpredictable air, and makes it such a fun read...

See all of the Amazon reviews.
--
Click here for the home page of Jason Matthews, spiritual fiction author.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Moment of Creation in The Little Universe

That was when I realized I was nervous. Something changed in that moment of time as I stood in a dark room looking at black monitors and wearing sunglasses while a nuclear event was taking place yards away. Those jokes from Adams about a mishap destroying the planet must have gotten to me. Or it could have been the thought of Rose’s spirit in the room that made the skin on my arms break out in goose bumps.

Even behind the silly shades, I could see the anticipation and anxiety written in the lines of his face. This event defined a decade of work, from Rose’s theorizing, to planning, to convincing Maxwell and Adams it could be done. Then after her death, the thousands of hours of bringing all the pieces together.

I wiped the sweat from my palms onto my pants. Adams gripped the back of his swivel chair as he stood behind it, pressing his thumbs into the fabric. His stare remained locked on the blank monitors. I felt the tension getting worse, and I wanted to say something witty to break the silence but nothing came to mind. Instead, a calm peace spread over us from the dark screens. I could hear my breathing and feel my heartbeat over the sounds of anything else. The silence made me think something wasn’t working. I looked at the control panel and noticed Jim’s green light was glowing as brightly as I had ever seen it, as if at any moment he would explode from thinking. I figured there must be a glitch, and I expected Adams to take off his glasses in frustration and start complaining to Rose about what went wrong.

Then suddenly, a tiny spot of light began to show on the main monitor.

As soon as I could focus on it, it flashed into a brilliant explosion across all the monitors. Then it was dark again. Jim’s light dimmed to a dull green glow. I looked to Adams for an explanation. He started laughing out loud, staring at the screens. The flash had blinded me after it dissipated. Eventually I saw tiny dots of light remained. Those spots of white emerged from the center of the main monitor and began spreading out and getting larger.

“Yes!” Adams cried.

“Yes, what?” I asked.

“Everything okay, Jim?” he asked, taking off his glasses.

“I think so,” Jim said. “I think it’s working.”

The screens remained primarily dark, but small areas of glowing light were visible.

“There!” Adams said. “Let’s get a closer shot from Monitor One.”

As the camera zoomed in, I could make out what looked like glowing gas. The light was bright yet transparent. It floated outward and settled into swirls with other bits and pieces. My hand made swirling motions, mimicking the action on the monitors.

I turned to Adams. “What is that stuff?”

“Matter,” Adams said, smiling broadly. “Pure matter.”

It didn’t look like matter. It looked like a bundle of glowing gas. As the shot went closer in toward the light, I could see big blobs and little blobs, each pulsing with tiny specks of light.

“Chemical analysis of the matter, Jim?” Adams asked, nervously spinning the chair in front of him.

“Hydrogen. Entirely hydrogen.”

“Perfect!” Adams said, rubbing his hands together.

“It’s just gas,” I said. “You took hydrogen from one source and merely placed it into another.”

We watched the images of the glowing gas blobs become larger. They spread out and intermingled with other blobs of light. It was mildly intriguing. We stood motionless for several minutes just watching.

Then Adams broke the trance. “See, Jon. These lights number in the millions. Most are locked in orbits with others.”

As I looked more closely at the tiny areas of light, I suddenly realized they looked like galaxies.

A shiver traveled down my spine. A tiny universe had been created before my eyes. Within minutes, dozens of different masses sparkled against the darkness on the screens. Each mass hovered about on its own, tracked by a different camera within the cavity of the building and displayed on a monitor. Our dimly lit lab room was filled with light from these newborn galaxies.

Adams laughed again. “Jim, zoom Camera Two in closer.”

Monitor Two revealed a cluster of stars, tons of them surrounded by extraordinary colors and formations. It was like a fountain of magic dust, reminding me of the pictures in the hallway I passed by each day.

“What’s happening here?” I asked. “This doesn’t look like gas anymore.”

“It’s a nebula!” Adams cried out, raising his arms to the ceiling in victory. “We have a nebula! Slow down the rate, Jim. Take it down to a crawl.”

The twisting and moving slowed down, halting the lights. The monitors displayed dozens of galaxies frozen in time. Adams, mystified by his creation, stared at the screens. Each one showcased a galaxy of brilliant lights and amazing colors. He laughed in delight.

“We did it,” he said, shaking me. “We really did it.”

I looked around at the monitors into a vast horizon of heavens, feeling like I was on a space station in the center of the universe.

“I still don’t understand,” I said. “How did this come from a little atomic matter?”

Adams sat in his chair, calmed himself, and stared at the monitors in a dreamy way as if the full understanding of the invention had just come to him.

“When you analyze extremely small things, like quarks and elements of atoms... and when you compare them to extremely large things, like stars and galaxies... they’re oddly similar. Physical size may be one of the great mysteries of life.”

Then it became clear to me. I found myself saying out loud, “We have a model of a universe. Not just a plastic model, but a living, breathing, real universe right in front of us.”

All that time in the making, I never really understood the significance of what he was attempting until that moment.

“What’s more,” Adams added, “we’ve just witnessed The Big Bang.”

“Creation has happened! It’s been a long road, but we arrived today. Rose, you were right as usual. Portal from ct over zero at parsec y! If I die tomorrow, I’ll be happy. Doubtful to sleep tonight, the rush of it all is still in me. Watching light come out of nothing... watching the birth of stars! It was everything I had hoped for and more.”

- from p. 23 of Webster’s journal.

Share a thought or comment?

--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Pineal Gland and DMT, Spirit Molecule in Jim's Life

The Pineal Gland, also called the third eye, is about the size of a pea and exists near the very center of the human brain. Due to its central brain location directly behind the eyes, one may safely assume it's a highly important gland. The pineal regulates many complex chemicals including melatonin, serotonin and DMT (dimethyltryptamine), which is a neuro-chemical that modern science still knows very little about. Ancient cultures such as the Egyptians refer to the pineal as the spirit gland and Rene Descartes called in the seat of the soul. Today many refer to the drug DMT as the spirit molecule, reporting life-changing hallucinations under its effects.
These concepts captured my interest when writing Jim's Life, a novel based on a teenage boy who has a traumatic injury that forever alters his natural production of DMT to elevated levels that allow him to see what others can't: the auras and chakras of the human body.
The YouTube video below was uploaded by astralwalk and is a nice introduction to these concepts.

What are your thoughts?
--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

Empathy, Sam Richard's Radical Experiment, Genius Way to Understand Arab Resentment of Americans

My brother asked me to watch this video. Glad he did. It's a good reminder for putting yourself in the shoes of other people, or at least trying to. If you don't understand why so many people around the world hate Americans, try putting yourself in their shoes. It's all about empathy, compassion, mercy, forgiveness.

 "While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him." - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Thoughts or comments?

--
Click here for the home page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles.

+Jason Matthews

Charleen's iPhone Picture of the Sun at Carlsbad

My good friend, Charleen Buriello, took this amazing photo while walking near the beach in Carlsbad, California. She said the sun just looked different, sort of "hexagonal," and so she snapped this image with her iPhone. She also felt something, like a powerful presence about the whole situation.
Later when she looked at the photo, she noticed... it just looked incredible. The sun and the smaller well-defined white light to the right, the circular and transparent image behind that light. It all kind of gave her goose bumps in a good way.
I really love this photo and could stare at it for a long time. Plus it's a lot safer than staring at the sun.
What do you think? Other energies at play here or just some lighting effects on an iPhone?

Meaning of Life - Connectedness of All Things, made famous by Led Zeppelin and Quantum Physics

Who am I? What am I? What is this life all about anyway? These are some of the oldest questions and surely to be the most enduring. And hey, I don't claim to have the answers but I believe perhaps the answers are more simple than they might appear. I was listening to the radio the other day and one of my favorite bands summed it up nicely.
Led Zeppelin is credited with the most famous rock song of all time, Stairway to Heaven. Ever wonder, "Why this song, why not another, what makes it so popular?" Perhaps because among the final lines this gem of universal wisdom is found:
And if you listen very hard
The truth will come to you at last
When all are one and one is all
Seems like Zeppelin is talking about the meaning of life being the realization that we are all connected. It's easy to sing about this stuff, but where's the evidence?
Modern science is finding some. From Dr. Lee Warren's Connectedness and Gary Zukah's book, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, the field of atomic physics called quantum mechanics states: "…all things in our universe (including us) that appear to exist independently are actually parts of an all-compassing organic pattern, and that no parts of that pattern are ever really separate from it or from each other." Furthermore, experiments proved that when twin subatomic particles were emitted from an excited atom and traveled in opposite directions from each other, any change in one particle was instantaneously reflected in the other particle. In fact, when studying quantum physics it appears that light particles have consciousness. And if light itself has consciousness, than wouldn't everything possibly?

Okay interesting, but what does that mean? Does it really indicate a bizarre connectedness within the very atomic particles that appear to be separate entities? Perhaps.
If these ideas are interesting to you, then I believe you'd like these novels too. The Little Universe and Jim's Life are new age, metaphysical and deeply spiritual novels that are full of surprising twists and fun for readers from almost any background. They inspire you to think about this very subject, the concept that we are all connected, a concept which might be the fundamental lesson of this existence (our lifetimes) as to answering these questions: Who am I? What am I? What is this life all about anyway?
This youtube video is along the same thread. It's called Symphony of Science - 'We Are All Connected' (with scientists Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson and Bill Nye)

--

Home Page of author Jason Matthews.

add me to your Google Plus circles

Meditation made easy, tips for simple relaxation

This would be ideal if everybody could meditate like the master in this picture. The truth is not everyone (me included) can easily relax in the lotus postion. However, everyone can meditate. The main thing is simple yet focused relaxation. If you can just take some calming breaths, you're halway there. 3 deep inhalations going well into the lungs and 3 complete exhalations will slow down your heart rate and pulse, calm the mind and bring about instant relaxation. It really is that simple to start. Once you've mastered that, you can move onto higher levels and techniques.

My most frequent form of meditation is reminding myself to take some conscious breaths whenever I feel the stress of life coming on. This can be with eyes wide open and in the middle of other stuff, like when driving my car or at my work desk or even during household chores. I just slow down, breathe deeply and let go of burdensome thoughts. Try this yourself and see if it helps. And if you want to go for any deeper meditations, try some of these tips:

-Sit in a chair, on a pillow or even lie down (but don't fall asleep). Keep your back and neck fairly in alignment. Close your eyes. Relax, focus on deep breathing and let go of thoughts. Allow the breath to go all the way in like it's going beyond your lungs and into your belly. Then release the breath entirely. Even breaths coming in, even breaths going out.

-Try a mantra. Either a simple phrase like I am light or I am relaxed to keep your mind from thinking dozens of thoughts. It's much better to think of one thing than dozens of things. The object is to let go of the "monkey mind." Or your mantra can be something that has no meaning, no association for your mind to grasp to, like "keenum." If you allow yourself to think of keenum or some such non-word, it will be more likely to calm down and think of nothing. The whole idea is to train your mind to relax, take a break, something it's not used to doing (even for blondes).

-Set a timer, a quiet timer to let you know when 10 minutes have passed. If you feel good about it, increase your time with practice.

-Take notice of any impulses, thoughts or information you tend to receive during this time. Some amazing insights often are "revealed" to us during these states of relaxation. The more you do it, the more you might discover. Where do these thoughts come from? Hmmm... good question.

Enjoy and be at peace.