Six Lessons in Prosperity
By Sara Crawford
Learning about Unity prosperity teachings has been a transformative experience for me, not only about money but about the boundless substance of life itself. I know now that prosperity is not just a destination but a way of being—a shift in consciousness that ripples out to touch every corner of my life and yours. Here are six key lessons:
1. Open to New Possibilities
In a recent prosperity class, an exercise called The Money Game cracked open my imagination. Each day, we were given an imaginary sum of money—$1,000, then $2,000 the next day, then $3,000 the following day, and so on. Our task was to decide how we’d distribute it. At first, I played it safe: paying off debts, donating to my favorite charities, buying gifts for loved ones. But as the sums grew, I ran out of familiar choices. I found myself researching new organizations to support or looking up the cost of things I would never have considered—like season tickets to touring Broadway shows.
The lesson wasn’t about money but about possibility. By daring to dream bigger, I began to feel that maybe I could step into a life where such abundance was a reality. The Bible reminds us, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Matthew 7:7). The act of asking—of allowing ourselves to consider what’s possible—is the first step toward receiving.
2. Pay Attention to Thoughts
Next, I had to notice my thoughts and gently shift them. I had negative thoughts about people with a lot of money—judgmental thoughts about what I perceived to be their greed. Was I subconsciously signaling to the Universe that I didn’t want to become prosperous because I didn’t want to be one of those people?
To make the shift, I sought out stories of philanthropists who used their wealth to uplift others—people like Oprah Winfrey or Warren Buffett, whose generosity has touched countless lives. By celebrating their abundance, I opened my heart to the possibility that prosperity could flow through me, too, for the good of all.
There may still be thoughts of lack or times when I don’t believe in myself. But whenever I struggle, I can always close my eyes, take a deep breath, come back to the awareness of limitless substance, and choose a different thought.
3. Give Consistently to Create Flow
I was convinced I couldn’t afford to give money regularly, but I’d always given when I could—tossing a few dollars into the church offering plate or donating to a cause that moved me. But it was sporadic, often tinged with a sense of scarcity. Challenged to give with consistency, to trust in the flow of divine supply, I decided to sponsor a child in Bolivia, committing to a monthly gift. When her letters arrived, filled with gratitude and stories of how my support helped her and her family, my heart swelled. And with it came an unexpected blessing: I started receiving too. A check in the mail from a years-old overpayment. A surprise gift from a friend. Giving isn’t a transaction; it’s a sacred dance of trust in infinite supply.
4. Believe in Divine Potential
I’ve been a novelist for almost 20 years with varying levels of success, and I’ve been trying to get my most recent novel published.
In one class, our teacher had us write down what we really wanted. I wrote “a bestselling novel.” Then immediately I thought, I can’t share this. That sounds crazy. I forced myself not only to share what I had written but my thoughts about not wanting to share it. One of my classmates said, “If you were a writer who didn’t want to write a bestselling novel, that would be crazy.”
Hearing this caused a profound shift in my thoughts. Was it possible I had never had great success because I didn’t believe in myself? I started looking at the success I had achieved with my writing—the emails from readers telling me how much my books meant to them, the positive reviews of my independently published novels, and the audiobook with a narrator who perfectly brought my story to life. By focusing on past successes, I kept moving forward toward a new goal.
5. Rise Above Circumstances
Like many, I’ve been swayed by headlines about economic uncertainty or blindsided by unexpected expenses. It’s easy to feel like a victim when life throws a curveball. But thanks to Unity teachings and the classic book Spiritual Economics by Eric Butterworth, I began to see that outside circumstances do not control my good. Butterworth wrote, “Your personal welfare begins with your consciousness. It is not what happens on Wall Street. It is not the ‘state of the economy.’ It has its inception in the state of your mind.”
Butterworth also pointed me to a verse I now carry in my heart: “Do not judge by appearance, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). The appearance may be that I have credit card debt, but I also have access to limitless divine substance, the spiritual essence out of which all things are made. If I focus on substance as opposed to debt, the debt becomes easier to handle.
Using prosperity affirmations also helps remind me of the truth.
6. Abundance Is a Journey
These lessons—opening to possibility, shifting my thoughts, giving consistently, believing in myself, and rising above circumstances—have transformed how I see prosperity. There are days when I doubt my worth or worry about the future. There may still be thoughts of lack or times when I don’t believe in myself. But whenever I struggle, I can always close my eyes, take a deep breath, come back to the awareness of limitless substance, and choose a different thought.
By embracing these principles, I’ve unlocked a life of boundless potential, and I know that anyone who chooses to shift their thoughts and trust in abundance can experience the same transformation.
About the Author
Sara Crawford is a digital content specialist at Unity World Headquarters. She is also a playwright and the author of Time After Time as well as The Muse Chronicles trilogy. For more information, please see saracrawford.net.