My  friend Chris and I loved an old cartoon in which Ziggy declared, “My idea of prosperity is a checking account with commas.” We promptly adopted that as our prosperity symbol.

Feeling prosperous is a highly individual thing and each of us has a different notion of what constitutes prosperity. For many people, alas, prosperity means having more than whatever they currently have.

It’s much healthier to find small reminders that we are creating abundance in our own lives. Here are a few of my personal favorites.

* You use up your deposit slips faster than you use your check blanks. (This may not count if you bank online.)

* You don’t have any bills because you pay them as soon as they arrive and don’t let them accumulate.

* You’re always looking for ways to maximize and utilize what you’ve already got rather than noticing what you don’t have.

* You notice and acknowledge your surplus. As Sondra Ray points out if you have even a few coins in your purse, you have a surplus, yet almost nobody gives themselves credit for that.

As Ray also reminds us, whatever you focus on expands. Focus on scarcity and guess what you get more of.

* You say thank you a lot. Gratitude is not only a sign of prosperity—it’s the way to attract even more.

* You refine your taste by noticing the things you find beautiful and by uncluttering your life to get rid of things that are taking up space but don’t bring you joy. You’re not afraid to create a vacuum.

* You can appreciate the prosperity of others without being envious.

* You keep creating  projects that are both fun and profitable. Here are a few suggestions to add to your portfolio of Money for Fun Ideas.

Start a new collection. Whether it’s Mickey Mouse, antique advertising art or memorabilia from the Nineties, putting together a collection makes everyday life a treasure hunt. And, of course, there’s the possibility that you’re creating a new profit center.

One collector of old books on coins and paper money picked up a stack of books for 50¢ apiece in a bookshop. He later sold one of them for $300 and another for $400. This is the kind of  hobby that pays.

When you collect, you also start building expertise which can lead to other opportunities.

Create a project for which you’ll need a passport. Thinking globally can stretch your imagination and help you discard limiting ideas. If you don’t have a current passport, apply for one now so you are ready to go.

Involve your friends. Invite your entrepreneurial friends to help you with a boring job such as putting out a large mailing. Offer to cook dinner in exchange for an evening’s help. Look how much work got done at quilting bees. Same idea here.

Master the $100 Hour. Begin by making a pact with yourself that you will set aside time daily, if possible, for the purpose of finding an idea that will bring you $100. You’ll find  numerous suggestions for doing just that in the chapter on Getting Ideas in Making a Living Without a Job.