How do you visualize prosperity? How do you picture abundance? That’s the question I struggled with several years ago as I was exploring how to apply vizualization to my financial situation.

The trouble I was running into was that the traditional images for prosperity – the fancy house, the expensive watch, even big gobs of money – didn’t mean much to me. There was no emotional charge. I am, for better or worse, one of the least materially motivated people I know.

So while a fancy house, etc. would be nice, it didn’t resonate as something I aspire to. So how was I supposed to visualize prosperity and abundance??

As I explored that dilemma, an image popped into my head that describes a way of looking at prosperity that I resonate deeply with.

It’s not about accumulating and consuming. It’s about opening to, retaining, and spreading wealth.

Several years ago I spent a lot of time in Oaxaca, Mexico. While there, I got to be friends with some Zapotec potters who made amazing pots with no wheel, turning the pot on a piece of gourd and shaping it by hand.

It occurred to me that a pot was exactly the image I was searching for. There is a wide mouth to gather wealth, and there is a large space to retain it for my own use (living costs / fun / investment / enjoyment /etc.) Finally, there are holes in the pot that let it flow out and make an impact on the world.

Some of that impact is directly about being a catalyst for positive change, and some of it is about contributing to the content of other people’s pots.

That last piece is what really makes it meaningful for me. Not because I have some guilt about having money unless I give back, but because that’s what really turns me on.

I once had the good fortune to interview Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks and the man who was behind the development of Starbucks’ employee-centric culture (and author of the book, It’s Not About the Coffee). Talking about feeling like he has helped someone, he said:

“…you could have just handed me a check for ten million bucks. It just goes through my body. The feeling is unbelievable.”

The energy behind it was so genuine, you knew it was true. His comment has always stuck with me, because that’s where the juice is for me as well. That’s what lights me up. That’s what motivates and inspires me. Feeling like I’m helping and making a difference and making the world a better place. That is, in fact, much of the motivation behind The Ripple Revolution.

So while there’s room for the traditional material picture of prosperity and abundance in the belly of the pot, for me it doesn’t feel like real abundance without the holes to let the flow continue.

One last note. In my world, prosperity and abundance aren’t exclusively related to money. That’s certainly one facet (and an important one!), but there are also other forms, like love abundance, time abundance, spiritual abundance, joy abundance, health abundance, connection abundance, etc.

Take a look at your own pot o’ prosperity and abundance. Are you opening to the flow? Where is the pot full? Where is it low? Are you passing the flow along?

Does this image work for you? How do you picture prosperity and abundance? Would love to hear your thoughts!

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