If you ask most people what makes them happy, the answers will vary. However, common answers include health, family, and faith. These answers fail to reflect the material needs and desires that many people stress about. In capitalist societies, the pursuit of wealth often involves real estate and other financial assets that convey to the world that they’ve ‘made it.’
For those who achieve material prosperity, it may seem that their happiness is directly tied to this achievement. However, the relentless pursuit of material items rarely produces the genuine happiness that people crave. Many people who focus on money fail to understand the role of spirituality on satisfaction.
Alternately, for people still searching for financial wealth, perspective has more to do with improving your finances than anything else. Poverty goes beyond money and as more people explore spiritual topics, they are seeing the connection between one’s mindset and both material and spiritual wealth. Keep reading to find out how spirituality and wealth are connected.
The Money-Spirituality Connection
On the surface, it may seem like money and spirituality have nothing in common. The connection between the two has a complicated history, but they are not mutually exclusive.
As much as money is associated with greed and negativity, it is necessary in the modern world and a few of our daily activities can be accomplished without it. Poverty has caused endless suffering and those who have experienced it can attest the importance of money. So how does one reconcile spiritual health with the need for the material?
Money and spirituality are connected in one of the most basic ways: mindset. What you believe about anything—even money—has a direct effect on what shows up in your life. Of course, simply thinking about having money will not make it magically appear. However, taking the time to understand the nuances that go into manifestation and being spiritually sound can have a positive impact.
Spiritual wealth describes a person who is connected to themselves and a higher power. This connection is responsible for guiding decisions and bringing forth ideas that may have not been realized without such a spiritual connection. A person’s day-to-day life is guided by this spiritual connection. This allows them to put things in a proper perspective, including finances. Opportunities are easier to recognize and decisions are easier to make.
True spiritual wealth occurs when people can express gratitude for the lives they have now, rather than expressing frustration over not having the lives they long for. Being grateful puts us in a positive to receive more. Whether it’s being grateful for family, your health, or your job, appreciating the things you have will inevitably shift your mindset and open you up to receiving even more of these good things.
The Definition of Wealth Is Different for Everyone
The first step to achieving wealth is determining what wealth means to you. This starts with understanding where you are currently and how that compares to where you would like to be later.
Achieving any type of wealth means aligning your desires with your values. Finding this balance of spiritual and financial wealth allows you to focus on efforts that matter on a personal level instead of using someone else’s definition of success.
Start by writing down your goals. Be specific about how you want to feel, what activities you would like to engage in, and what spiritual and physical wealth would look like for you. If earning more money is your goal, be specific about how much money and establish a realistic timeframe for earning it.
If your goals are not financial, look at the areas of your life you feel need improvement and spend time meditating on what you can do to make these changes. Visualize your ideal self and take small steps to make it a reality.
Once you have a clear picture of what spiritual wealth means for you, it’s time to objectively look at anything that might be holding you back. When it comes to achieving any kind of goal, one of the biggest blocks is fear. For some, dreams of wealth (tangible or otherwise) have not come to fruition because of self-sabotage or fear of success.
It may seem counterintuitive, but a lack mindset or a feeling that you do not deserve happiness, love, or success can keep these things from happening in your life. Be honest with yourself about the source of fears and continuously work on eliminating mental blocks that keep you stagnant.
It’s All about Connection
Spiritual and financial abundance is tied to how connected we are to ourselves as well as our connection to the Universe (or other higher power). Being in harmony with your innermost desires and understanding yourself on a deeper level strengthens this connection and opens you up to the possibility of achieving your dreams.
Developing a passion for self-reflection and figuring out what makes you happy gives you access to a new form of spiritual abundance. This will not only improve your life, but also can positively impact others’ lives.
Getting in tune with your spiritual self is one the easiest ways to manifest your desires because it forces you to focus on the good. Solving problems on a spiritual level will put you in a position to recognize opportunities and be open to taking actions that will put you closer to your goals.