You and I are prosperity, so we don't need to work for money or go to a job to make it. The Federal Reserve and governments make money at the mint, not us. Nine out of ten people whose purpose in business is to make money, lose money. U.S. money still has In God We Trust printed on it, both paper bills and coins. Read this every time you use this form of money to remind yourself of where your prosperity, power, and security come from.

Working for God makes us rich spiritually and materially and also happy, because we are human beings, souls with feeling bodies, not cold, inert machines. Soul satisfaction is generated in the process of contribution, in helping others to be happy, healthy, and prosperous. When money and power are our motivators, then we will exploit people in order to benefit ourselves instead of working for their welfare. The secret of a successful business and a happy life is in service - in giving of our talents, abilities, and whatever else we have produced that will help others and contribute to their well-being.

Giving is our nature as children of God, for God is the ultimate giver, the master of contribution. As above, so below tells us who we are and how we function. Because our eternal nature is godlike, we are also contributors, givers. Everyone has something to give in exchange for what each wants to receive. By the law of nature called circulation, as we give what others need and desire, we will also receive what we need and desire. But if we are not offering our goods and services - not exchanging what others desire for what we desire - how can there be an exchange of money or goods or services?

We must give to receive and receive to give - this is how the system works. Once we understand how the cycle of prosperity operates, we simply get busy engaging in our life's work. First we need to know and believe that we are enough. This is a constant. All souls are enough, and each of us possesses enough to start the process of generating prosperity, the flow of opulence. When we do this, besides what we gain materially, we experience satisfaction, fulfillment, and joy. What is prosperity other than the faith and impetus to go forward with our plans with enthusiasm?

Unfortunately, many people make money their source and prosperity, and when they believe they do not have enough money to do what they want, they give up. Nothing is worse than not following our heart or doing our life's work, because our enthusiasm and joy in living diminishes. What every person needs to know is that she has enough to go forward with her plans. And starting and continuing, even if this means taking the tiniest baby steps, guarantee that she will arrive at her desired destination while having a lovely time all the way.

Money is a tool we use. Money does not create our prosperity; we do, through our soul power, the power to cocreate, the power behind our desires and natural genius to manifest what we need and want. It's never really about the paper, gold, silver, and promissory notes - since what is needed and wanted is not these, as you cannot eat or drink them - it's about what we can exchange the money for. Money in reserve is for obtaining future pleasures and needs. But sometimes people lose their savings and investments, or these are devalued. By understanding this from a spiritual perspective, we can see that, when money or someone we were depending upon for the future fails us, it's an opportunity to remember, and turn back to, the Higher Power, our eternal Source and supply. When people lose their investments or savings or whatever they were depending on to provide for their future needs and pleasures, does this mean they will starve or not be able to live a happy and satisfying life? No! Usually it means that the person has more to give and, instead of giving, was simply trying to survive and enjoy life.

We are prosperity, as I said before, and we need to remember this. You and I and every other soul are the life force that animates dull matter. We create it and activate it so that it functions. In the same way that God is the ultimate prosperity - possessing everything that exists anywhere - and the Supreme Creator, we too are creators who are always manifesting things through our thoughts, words, feelings and deeds, in a way that does not depend on the current form of money. If the current money system does not serve us, we can bypass it and create another form of exchange. Or we can go direct and simply trade products and services; better yet, we can operate on the human level of giving and receiving as loving members of one family helping each other.

Working for money makes money our boss, whereas working for love makes love our boss. Thinking that you are working to make money is not correct. Money is supposed to be working for us so we can use it in our service to God and others. Only the federal government is in the business of printing money, and only moneychangers (the bankers) are in the business of using money as a product. Saying that we are going to work to make money is not the best way to think about our work. We are children of God engaged in the family business - helping others to be happy, healthy, and prosperous. There is nothing right or wrong with having money; money is neither good nor bad, it just is. Money does not create or solve our problems; we do.

The secret of a successful business is to help others get what they want and solve their problems. When getting money is the purpose of our work, we constantly feel stress and remain worried about the lack of money. On the other hand, if large sums of money come to us, then we may worry about preventing their loss. Had I not learned how to manifest what I wanted when I didn't have much money, I would have thought money was the source of my prosperity. Using the principle of investment, I invested my time and resources in educating myself spiritually and developing my talents and skills. At first I thought I wanted money because I thought money would give me freedom. Soon I realized I was already free to do what I wanted. Whenever I desired to attain something, I used the steps of manifestation, and it came to me - sometimes instantly and effortlessly, sometimes as a result of my spending money, sometimes in the form of a gift, and sometimes as a prize for winning a contest. The more I engaged in doing my life's work of helping others with my knowledge and talents, the more fortunate I became and the more I prospered. Once you start, doors open that had been closed before.