The New American Prosperity

Redefining Success as

Smart and Happy versus Rich and Famous

* These slides highlight some of the 39 essays that comprise the book.

The Trouble with Bubbles

In recent years, Americans and Europeans have

rediscovered that inflated expectations of quick

and easy financial gain often become bubbles

that precede a burst of disappointment.

Essay #1 There is an opportunity to redefine success away

from the superficial notion of “Rich and Famous”…

I have two very dear friends in Nigeria: Peter

and Adankwo. They are the parents of six

beautiful children. Peter was my driver and

my life saver. At the end of one of my visits, I

gave him $300 extra for his especially diligent

services. I wondered what he might do with

this windfall. The following year, he told me he

had purchased some pineapple for a family

celebration, new shoes for his children, and

that he had wisely invested in a plastic bag

manufacturing device as the key element of a

home-based business. That’s smart & happy.

Adankwo

and Her Sister

at Work…

Essay #3

One afternoon in the winter of 2009 as America’s financial crisis continued, I sat in my

office in a melancholy mood. Then, I noticed a small flock of winter wrens perched in

the tree right outside my window. They fluffed up their feathers to stay warm. As I

studied them, they studied me, each of us wondering what the others were thinking and

if anyone knew of any nutty snacks that might be available for our sustenance on such

a cold and dreary day. The simplicity of their existence inspired me to look for those

glimmers of happiness that regularly peek through the cracks in my own existence.

Essay #4

As individuals within communities

and nations, we are more and more

interdependent. We know we must

find universal solutions to our global

problems.

Down with “Red vs. Blue” States.

Up with the Red, White, and Blue United States!

Essay #5

Polarization…

absolutely dilutes

the power and effectiveness

of our nation.

The City of Happiness Is in the State of Mind

Essay #20

Essay #14

Home Sweet Home

We moved to

Arizona in 1996.

Some friends told

us that our home

was “meant to flip.”

We decided to just

love it and live in it.

Own Your Prosperity

What do you want… more than anything else in the

world?

Why do you want it?

Essay #10

Fear, Obstacles

The Foreword to The New American

Prosperity is by best-selling author,

Steve Chandler. He sets the stage.

His own book is a landmark…

FEARLESS: Creating the Courage

to Change the Things You Can.

Economic Turnaround - No!

“It’s not a turnaround, it’s a whole new economy.”

1. Evaluate spending more carefully and save more.

2. See houses as homes first and as investments second.

3. Learn to value stability first and mobility second.

4. Consider the integrity & sustainability of everything.

5. Acknowledge global interdependencies.

6. Sharpen competitiveness through education & innovation.

7. Appreciate the resurgence of traditional values.

We must and we will…

The New American Prosperity

Essay #9

Find the Balance

“One day, as you reflect back on life, your memory of roses in the twilight

may outshine that of brass rings in the spotlight.”

Stop

to

smell

the

roses.

Grab the brass rings.

Essay #25

It’s Your Grand Prix Race Car

You possess the equivalent of a multi-

million-dollar grand prix racing machine

that is designed to carry you along the

highway of life for years and years. If

you don’t neglect or abuse it, it will

provide you with a smooth and often

exhilarating ride.

He probably worked harder and loved you far more

…than you knew.

Essay #13

Cut Dad some slack.

Essay #16

Aging is not for the timid!

Essay #19

Needy or Not?

If we speak of our needs and expectations, we are always in a state of

neediness that requires reading each other’s minds. Neediness leaves us

feeling “the victim.” If we speak of agreements and commitments, it’s

about what needs to be done and our determination to do it. It’s about the

ownership spirit and taking responsibility.

Essay #38

Yes, Oliver, you can change.

Read Oliver’s Parable

about getting up on the

right side or the wrong

side of the bed.

“Once you choose to

go right or go left, just

remember it is you who

creates the world you’ll

experience that day.”

Essay #29

Take Your Best Shot!

When you have your priorities straight and truly

understand the consequences of the tasks that

lie before you, motivation increases and your

tolerance for distractions decreases so that you

push aside the less important stuff to get on with

what matters most.

Essay #39

Let your prosperity

turn to generosity

toward others.

The truest acts of

generosity are these:

to give enough of your

substance that it is a

sacrifice…or to give

enough of yourself

that you forget it is a

sacrifice. It becomes a

blessing instead.

Generosity is about

the love that we share,

which is the greatest

treasure of all. It is

the only treasure that

grows as we give it

away.

Thee lift me and I’ll

lift thee and we’ll

ascend together!

The Answers… 1. Move beyond fear.

2. Re-examine goals in light of Smart & Happy.

3. Find opportunities for peaceful reflection…the wonder.

4. Strengthen your faith.

5. Embrace the full possibility of transformation…let go.

6. Slow down, prioritize, and commit to healthful living.

7. Discover that “the City of Happiness is in the State of Mind.”

8. Create your world by determining what’s next for you.

9. Prepare to “take your best shot.”

10. Commit to prosperity turned to generosity.

All I need are

some nutty seeds

or crunchy bugs to

be happy. Are you

happy? It’s about

keeping life simple.

Essays #8 and #23

“Give me a lever long

enough and a place to

stand, and I could lift

the world.” Archimedes

Read the parable of

young Archimedes and

discover 25 Leverage

Keys to lift your world.

Our Busy World. There is a barrage

of television commercials and internet

inducements. We are all exposed to a

wide diversity of popular ideologies,

political agendas, economic pressures,

and cultural viewpoints. In the end, we

must each decide what to believe. We

must choose the actions that will shape

our destinies. As we act, we expect

outcomes that will lead to happiness

and success.

The Grand Decision. The biggest

decision we make is whether to go with

the flow of the society around us or to

look to some higher purpose to guide

us. We have the opportunity to include

God in the conversation and to trust in

His plan. As we believe in God, we

must also determine that we actually

believe God.

A Divine Design. As we discover the

truths of our existence, we recognize

the reality of a divine design that

influences our lives. Faith enters in and

our sense of purpose grows stronger.

Other Books by

Darby Checketts

These slides are an introduction to selected essays from

the total of 39 essays that comprise the book:

The New American Prosperity by Darby Checketts

The book is available directly at www.ResilientBooks.com

and at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble,

and through your local bookseller.

Slides: Copyright © 2012 by Darby Checketts