Living abundantly is something I believe everyone aspires to. Yet, very few people truly live an abundant life. Rising poverty, divorce and unemployment rates speaks of more and more people not living a prosperous and abundant life.

Part of the problem is most people are turning their attention to the wrong thing. After seeing movies and reading books like The Secret, there is this misconception about manifesting prosperity. Firstly, prosperity is and never was about money; and so many are focused on the money. Money is a means to the end, not the end itself. In the book Spiritual Economics, author Eric Butterworth defines prosperity as “to go forward hopefully.” Prosperity is not just having money or material things, but prosperity is a way of living and thinking.

The other part of the problem is not knowing what you truly desire and continuously focusing on what you absolutely do not want. As you know, where your attention goes, that is where your energy flows. Yes, it is helpful to know what you do not want in order to solidify what you do want. But do not camp out where you do not want to remain. When you have figured out what you do want, there are keys you can use to create a life of abundance and prosperity. These keys spell out the acronym DARE.

Decide
The first key is to make the decision. So often you have the ideas floating around in your head to be, do, and have something; yet you don’t make the decision to be, do or have it. When you make the decision to be, do, or have something, you unlock the door to universal partnership – opportunities come along that weren’t there before, resources are placed in your path, and you manifest from a more conscious guidance.

Ask
The second key is to ask for what you wish to be, do or have. This is a neglected step. I think we just assume that if it’s floating around in our heads then that’s enough. Asking is declaring with inspired intention. When you ask for what it is you wish to be, do or have, you are also in a state of allowing. You are allowing your Divine partnership to create the next steps for you. You do not have to figure out how to make it happen. In fact, my advice is to stay out of the “how” as it only creates blocks of fear, worry and doubt. When you ask, you can then let go. You will be guided as to your next inspired action steps to take.

Receive
The final key is to receive. This may seem obvious but we often block the flow with not believing we will receive what we want to be, do or have. So when it does show up – in one form or another – we do not accept it. We will rationalize it away, and then sulk into a state of disappointment and disbelief.

Expect
Live in a place of grateful expectancy. This means believe and know that what you want to be, do or have is on the way to you and you feel gratitude for it. Staring too long at the reality of your life will not help you in expecting; in fact, it will cause more worry and doubt. When you can live in that place of gratitude for what you have decided and asked for, then your energy will resonate with your feelings.

The key to manifesting prosperity and living an abundant life is truly within your reach if you would only decide, ask and receive. For more guidance on manifesting prosperity and creating an abundant life, check out my Prosperity Awareness Mini Ecourse at http://www.manifestingprosperityhub.com. It will help you become a manifesting machine!

Author's Bio: 

As a Spiritual Animator, Author and Advocate, Carolyn Townes has been teaching, coaching and facilitating workshops for over a decade in the areas of women’s wellness. Her company, Spirit Women Institute, is dedicated to equipping, empowering and encouraging women to lead lives of inner peace, passion and prosperity. Trained and certified in grief counseling, death education, hospice care, and bereavement services, Carolyn has journeyed with women and men going through difficult life transitions through her workshops, one-on-one counseling, group coaching, and courses in grief, healing and life transition, such as dealing with anger, change, and forgiveness issues.

Carolyn delivers inspiring and power-packed seminars, workshops, and classes propelling audiences and clients to lead a more passionate and purposeful life. As a keeper and teller of stories and parables, Carolyn is known for injecting passionate and humorous stories and tangible processes into her coaching, classes and facilitation, she gives people the tools they need to jumpstart their lives. As one of her participants shared, “A lot of souls will be saved through your wisdom and compassion. Your dedication has definitely inspired me.”

Carolyn hangs out at http://spirit-women.org; blogs at http://spiritwomen.blogspot.com; and spends time at http://www.manifestingprosperityhub.com.