Poverty Consciousness VS. Simplicity Consciousness
I am often accused (by one of my local 'gurus') of "Poverty Consciousness," to which I like to remind them that what I generally have is not poverty consciousness, but rather simplicity consciousness. There's a big difference.
Nowadays, with the Secret video, books on the law of attraction, the divine matrix, etc. etc. there is again a big 'new age' push for prosperity consciousness. With the vast majority of people this idea of prosperity consciousness indeed springs from their inherent poverty consciousness. The feeling that occurs for them is that "I don't have and I want!" So, I begin to visualize all the things I WANT in order to manifest them. It doesn't matter if they need them or not, whether having them will be detrimental to themselves, others or the planet. Screw all that! I WANT IT... I VISUALIZE IT ... I DEMAND IT. This has nothing to do with prosperity, just plain old greed repackaged in a new box - prosperity consciousness.
Simplicity consciousness, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily mean that one doesn't have, or that one denies themselves what they want or, more importantly, need, but that they don't need to grasp for things just to have them. Often, the reality is that the more things that you 'possess' the more things 'possess' you. Recently, my wife and I have toyed with the idea of moving. Part of what this would incorporate would be going through 17 years (how long we've been at our present location) of our 'stuff', the grown-up-and-gone kids' stuff, etc. It's overwhelming and space abhors a vacuum and how much crap a few rooms can accumulate.
What do you need to truly be happy? Very little! Will more things or money make you more happy? There is a wonderful quote from Socrates, "He who is not contented with what he has, will not be contented with what he doesn't have." True prosperity consciousness is very much aligned with simplicity consciousness. Simplicity is not in opposition to prosperity, but it is in opposition to COMplexity... and duplicity. When you want things that you know you do not truly want or need, you create a duality or duplicity in yourself... the old cognitive dissonance. You are thinking one thing ("I want this") and Knowing another which is "I don't need this and it won't really make me happy". At least, hopefully you will realize this.
Generally, real prosperity consciousness is that I have anything I could want, no matter how few things that is, as long as you have what you need. If you don't have what you absolutely need, then perhaps there is some possibility to look at whether there is some poverty consciousness, some sense of lack. But mostly likely, your sense of lack or poverty is just thinking you need something that will fill that sense of emptiness within, that hole where Love goes.
Nowadays, with the Secret video, books on the law of attraction, the divine matrix, etc. etc. there is again a big 'new age' push for prosperity consciousness. With the vast majority of people this idea of prosperity consciousness indeed springs from their inherent poverty consciousness. The feeling that occurs for them is that "I don't have and I want!" So, I begin to visualize all the things I WANT in order to manifest them. It doesn't matter if they need them or not, whether having them will be detrimental to themselves, others or the planet. Screw all that! I WANT IT... I VISUALIZE IT ... I DEMAND IT. This has nothing to do with prosperity, just plain old greed repackaged in a new box - prosperity consciousness.
Simplicity consciousness, on the other hand, doesn't necessarily mean that one doesn't have, or that one denies themselves what they want or, more importantly, need, but that they don't need to grasp for things just to have them. Often, the reality is that the more things that you 'possess' the more things 'possess' you. Recently, my wife and I have toyed with the idea of moving. Part of what this would incorporate would be going through 17 years (how long we've been at our present location) of our 'stuff', the grown-up-and-gone kids' stuff, etc. It's overwhelming and space abhors a vacuum and how much crap a few rooms can accumulate.
What do you need to truly be happy? Very little! Will more things or money make you more happy? There is a wonderful quote from Socrates, "He who is not contented with what he has, will not be contented with what he doesn't have." True prosperity consciousness is very much aligned with simplicity consciousness. Simplicity is not in opposition to prosperity, but it is in opposition to COMplexity... and duplicity. When you want things that you know you do not truly want or need, you create a duality or duplicity in yourself... the old cognitive dissonance. You are thinking one thing ("I want this") and Knowing another which is "I don't need this and it won't really make me happy". At least, hopefully you will realize this.
Generally, real prosperity consciousness is that I have anything I could want, no matter how few things that is, as long as you have what you need. If you don't have what you absolutely need, then perhaps there is some possibility to look at whether there is some poverty consciousness, some sense of lack. But mostly likely, your sense of lack or poverty is just thinking you need something that will fill that sense of emptiness within, that hole where Love goes.