There are three common approaches to money and prosperty:

Materialist Viewpoint. We believe that the physical, material world is what is real and important, and that our satisfaction and fulfillment comes from what is around us. Our focus is completely external. Money is the key to getting what we want in the physical realm.

In order to find success and happiness, we try to make a lot of money so we can have the things we want and affect the world in the way we desire. This view is probably held by a majority of people in the world today.

Certainly most of the people in the Western industralized world and perhaps unfortunately, an increasing number of people in developing countries hold this perception.

Eastern Viewpoint. The Eastern transcendent traditions teach us that the material world is merely illusion. The goal is to 'wake up' and move beyond the limitation of physical form. Either way, the physical realm is viewed as a prison, a limitation, something to move beyond.

According to this philosophy, fulfillment comes from the spiritual plane. Prosperity is a richness of spiritual experience. The focus is completely internal. Prosperity comes from simplifying our needs and looking toward our spiritual connection for gratification.

New Age Viewpoint. In this we recognize that the external world is the reflection of our inner world, that the physical realm mirrors our consciousness. 'Our life reflects our thought' is the popular saying. If we begin to take responsibility for changing our thoughts, our experience of reality will change accordingly.

For this viewpoint, we live in a spiritual universe of infinite abundance. We are limited only by our own thoughts and beliefs about reality. Money  is a reflection of our consciousness, and our experience with money is our own creation. Any problems we have with money or prosperity are a reflection of our negative thoughts and our beliefs in limitation. Unlimited wealth is available if we become willing to acquire it and change our thinking accordingly. We can use techniques such as positive affirmations and various forms of meditations or prayers to help us change our thoughts so that we can open up to the infinite plenty that is our spiritual birthright.

This approach attempts to bridge the internal and the external. The strategy for creating prosperity is, 'change your thinking and open up to the infinite abundance of spirit, and you can have as much as you want.'