Friends and family are the backbone of human existence – giving a sense of community, strength, love and tremendous joy. Yet, for many cultivating these relationships comes as an afterthought to everything we are doing to create wealth or “make it” in our respective industry or fields.

In our heads we say things such as, “We’ll eat dinner together tomorrow” or “I’ll call them later” and other phrases like this that sabotage our relationships… which is ironic really since the reason a majority of people work, or run a business is to financially support the relationships that are being destroyed because of the lack of strategic planning in the relationship department.

So, what drives us to distraction from friends, family members and self? Quite simply, it’s our need to feel important…to feel significant. It’s our fixation on filling this need through a job, business, career move or project that results in people looking up one day and realizing that children are grown, friends have died, a marriage is crumbling… and the list goes on and on.

All of this and more can be avoided if you remember one thing… that prosperity starts at home.

Creating a Home Based Prosperity Plan

I want to let you in on a little secret… home is more than a place to kick your feet up and watch TV at the end of a long day. It should be an incubator for success –the place where ideas, dreams and hopes are nurtured and encouraged, a place where you and those closest to you … feel important.

The key is to find out what makes you feel important in the first place and then to apply that knowledge to your relationships. The next thing you may want to do is discover what makes your friends and family feel important so that you can be a catalyst for them living fuller lives.

Discover What Makes you Feel Important

When was the last time that you felt absolutely, unmistakably phenomenal? Out of this world fantastic? What were you doing? The emphasis is on the word YOU. It’s not that other people don’t matter but it is critical that you recognize your part during the most meaningful times in your life so that you can begin to understand what makes you feel important.

I want you to find a peaceful place where you can reflect back on the different things that you have done. Maybe all you need to do is close your eyes. Take a couple of deep breaths and review the best and most challenging times of your life. What do you see?

When I do this, two things pop up quickly: my high school graduation with thousands of friends and family in attendance and taking dance classes. When I reflect a little longer I see myself hopping on a plane to travel cross country to attend a convention. This is followed by – looking great when I step out of my home and writing a check for my children’s dance class. My list continues; however, I think you get the point. What about you?

Once you have identified some of the best moments in your life take some time to discover what you were doing in each of these situations that generates the most excitement. For example:

• My high school graduation = sharing what I learned and thought about with others in a one to many relationship.

• Dance performances = the anticipation of the event and the hard work it took to get ready for the performance

• Hopping on a plane for a convention = being surrounded by positive people doing something with their lives

• Walking out of the home looking fabulous = not having to worry how I look no matter where I go let’s me enjoy life more.

• Writing a check for my kids dance class = financially self-sufficient. It’s important that I have the money to do what I want for myself, creating memories as a family and giving my children the opportunities they need to grow into healthy, happy adults. Taking the time to identify why you felt important during the best and most challenging times of your life will give you a framework around which you can build a prosperous life starting at home. Not to mention, it will help give you some insight as to why you do the things you do elsewhere on a day-to-day basis.

Feel Important at Home

Now that you have an idea of what makes you tick it is time to apply those things that make you feel important to the most important relationships that you currently have. Take a sheet of paper and fold it in half. On the top of the left-hand side of the paper write down the words “I Feel Important When I…” and underneath this title write at least five things that make you feel important. On the right side of the paper write “With Friends and Family”. Brainstorm different things that you can do with friends and family that incorporates one or more of the things that makes you feel important.

Help Your Friends and Family Feel Important

You can invite your friends and family to go through the same exercises you went through. Think about having a family night where everyone gets together and discusses what makes them feel important. All you need is paper, writing utensils and food. Make this evening a fun and safe experience where everyone is honored and heard.

Put it On the Calendar

Now that you know what makes you and the people in your life feel important take the time to plan and schedule them into your life. Ideally, you will have at least one Prosperity Starts at Home activity each day. It doesn’t matter if you are hiking through the Himilayas, roasting marshmallows in your back yard, or calling a friend. It’s just important that you remember that prosperity starts at home.