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Manifest Away
By Ridgely Goldsborough
The sun crept over the horizon and lodged itself above the coastline,
bathing the beach in a comfortable, morning glow. Solitary clouds dotted
the backdrop, lazy lollygaggers moseying across the sky, unhurried, white-haired
philosophers gazing down at the busy-ness below. I raced a pair of dragonflies
down the road, glanced at the workers finishing the roof of another million-dollar
home, noticed the new fishing boat parked in the driveway of one of the
waterfront rentals. Abundance everywhere, abundance of beauty, abundance
of fortune. Another day in paradise.
For me, this poses a disturbingly fascinating question. Why some yes and
some no? Why do the builders of luxury high-rise condos live in dilapidated
trailers? On the other hand, why does material wealth cause such lack
in relationships?
No one can deny our universe’s resilience, its amazing regenerative
powers and continued ability to provide. Flowers grow, vibrant, colorful,
glorious, mere minutes after the tornado blows through or the floodwaters
recede. We live surrounded by an endless fountain of plenty. How does
it all flow?
Can the person that makes $25,000 a month be ten times smarter than a
$2,500 earner, and the financier that brings in $250,000 in the same period
ten-fold wiser yet? That makes no sense. How does a crammed household
full of hand-me-down furniture and kids piled upon kids, share joyous
meals of Mac and Cheese seasoned with laughter, even though the rent deadline
has long since passed? The mind boggles and scrambles.
Let’s look at the environment. The tide ebbs and flows. Winter turns
to spring. Summer crops become fall plantings. The moon comes out at night
and has since time immemorial.
Let’s look at the money thing. Some of us have a bunch, some of
us don’t. Some of us make a lot, some of us barely scrape by. Unless
you live on a mountaintop, a quick spin around the neighborhood reveals
varying bank account sizes without much of an impact on the happiness
quotient. Those who sit in first class more often seem grumpier than the
rest of us in coach.
Go figure.
Without positing a solution, let’s at least state the obvious: Prosperity,
in all its incarnations, comes from the inside.
How it shows up and decorates our world, well, that depends on us. I believe
that we can learn the skill sets to create wealth, though the discipline
must come from inside. Most of us have the muscles to wear a smile, though
the impetus emanates from inside. Trappings bring only fleeting glee,
while lasting joy grows from the heart, a living, breathing, active organism
that can only survive in one place—inside.
How much effort do you put into your inner life, seeding, nurturing, cultivating,
harvesting and celebrating your own bounty? If we judge our tree by the
fruit it bears, then only you decide whether your current harvest matches
your expectations.
If not, you know where to turn.
| Ridgely began scribbling as soon as his fingers
could curl around a pen. So began a love affair, interrupted periodically
by schooling, business and any number of self-initiated distractions
to mask the fear of pursuing his childhood dream to be a writer.
The journey took him through Law School, a number of private companies,
going public, a large merger and back to his desk, a computer with
a keyboard and the daily challenge of following the dream. Along
the way, Ridgely founded and/or acted as publisher for Network Marketing
Lifestyles magazine, Domain Street magazine and the Upline Journal
along with dozens of books, audio and video materials. He writes
several books per year, in addition to The Daily Column. Ridgely
holds an undergraduate degree from The University of Virginia, a
law degree from Whittier College School of Law, is fluent in five
languages and has spoken to audiences throughout Europe, Southeast
Asia, Mexico and North America. www.aviewfromtheridge.com
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