So I recently, well not recently really, if I remember correctly about 3 months ago, I came across a Christian reel where the Pastor, Pastor Tunde Ayeni taught about the test of prosperity and I will do well to post the video at the end of this article, and ever then I have been pondering and thinking about it, so today I decided to share my thought on The test Of Prosperity.
Not many people would have thought that there is a test that comes with prosperity but there is actually and it’s life that asks that question or rather sets the test. So what exactly is the test of prosperity?
The Test of Prosperity
The “Test of Prosperity” refers to the challenges individuals face when navigating wealth, success, or elevated social status, especially when these things come suddenly. While most if not all of us dream of achieving prosperity, only few of us are prepared to handle its psychological, relational, and practical complexities, and here’s why most fail, and how to beat or pass the test of prosperity.
Why People Fail The Test of Prosperity
The Hedonic Treadmill Trap
Individuals mistakenly believe prosperity will bring lasting happiness.
Happiness = Achievements Expectations
As wealth grows, expectations rise proportionally, creating an endless cycle of dissatisfaction. Let’s take a moment to imagine running on a treadmill that speeds up every time you reach a goal.
Example:
- You want a $50k salary → Get it → Feel happy for 3 months → Now you want $80k
- Achieve $80k → Happiness fades → Next goal: $120k → Repeat forever
Your happiness resets like a phone battery stuck at 20% no matter how much you charge it. Now you might say hold on and go ahead to ask me “Are you saying that we should not set out to achieve more? Get more or advance more?” Nope that is VERY MUCH NOT what I’m saying and if you thought that was what I was saying you just committed what is known as The Straw Man Fallacy.
A straw man argument tackles a different topic than the subject being debated, usually a weaker version of the opposition’s point. The reason for this type of misdirection is to make one’s argument appear more powerful than it actually is.
The strawman argument is named for the harmless scarecrow that is lifeless and uninteresting. Instead of arguing about the argument itself, it is a case of attacking the equivalent of a dead bundle of straw, a beatable version of the opposition’s stance.
This is when your opponent exaggerates or incorrectly explains your arguments (i.e., creating a “straw man” or “straw guy”) to make it easier for them to defend or counter.
Continue Reading: Logical Fallacies: Types, Examples, How to Identify and Avoid Them
I am saying there is a trap to this type of thinking and if you don’t escape it you might not really get the point of satisfaction while at the same time you aim for greater improvements, achievements and things. So the right question should be why exactly can it be a trap? And if you asked that, good question.
Why It’s a Trap
Brain Wiring: Our brains evolved to notice changes, not constants. New car smell fades → after that it’s maybe just “a car” in 6 months to some or even worse not that good of car, and they feel it in such a way that they are unhappy and comparing it to other cars on the road.
Comparison Culture: Social media tricks us into chasing others’ goals:
- They have a pool, you then think to think or even worse say to yourself “I must need one too!” Having a pool is nice but it’s not a must that you have one.
- Seeing your friends online going on vacation → you start to envy them, now it’s okay to want to go on a vacation, in fact it’s go, but you get to the point where you start to envy others, or again worse you start to feel this ache in your heart because you can not afford to go on a vacation or that type of vacation, you doing harm to yourself and yes even though you not that prosperous you are already fail the test of prosperity right from where you are, then you probably move to loan and debts just to satisfy that craving, showing you belong in that class, even when you don’t yet.
- False Promise – We think: “If I just get X, I’ll finally be happy.”
Reality: X becomes normal → We chase X+1.
How to Step Off the Treadmill
| Situation | Trap Response | Smart Response |
| Salary increase | Buy luxury car on loan | Keep old car; invest 50% of raise |
| Bonus at work | Upgrade entire wardrobe | Take 1 special trip; save the rest |
| Friend buys a mansion | Feel inferior | Write 3 things you’re grateful for TODAY |
3 Simple Rules:
- The 6-Month Wait: Before big purchases, ask: “Will this still excite me in 6 months?” (Spoiler: 90% won’t)
- Gratitude Math -Each night, write: 3 Wins+1 Small Joy
Example: “Promotion/new job/a new deal big or small + An amazing breakfast + Went for my usual night walk while listening to a christian message/a podcast” - Compare Backwards: Instead of “They have more than me,” think
“I have 10x more than my 18-year-old self.”
Happiness = What You Have ÷ What You Want
- Increase the numerator (by appreciating what you have).
- Decrease the denominator (manage what you want and live below your means).
Take to heart that the treadmill only stops when you choose to stop running.
Identity Erosion
Especially newly prosperous people often abandon routines that built their success, then go ahead to surround themselves with yes-men, and then worse lose touch with core values and always welling their integrity, and sometimes self esteem and dignity for more. One question you ask yourself is “Who am I now/if my needs are met, who am I without the struggle?”
Take for instant the phone upgrade paradox.
The “Phone Upgrade” Paradox
Imagine buying a fancy new phone but deleting all your photos, contacts, and apps. You have shiny hardware but lost what made it yours.
Identity erosion works the same way:
- Old You = Operating System (values, habits, relationships).
- Prosperity = New Hardware (money, status, stuff).
The trap is that people ditch their “OS” to match the new “hardware,” becoming a blank device with no personal data, no core values.
3 Warning Signs You’re Losing Yourself
| Sign | Example | Result |
| Routine Abandonment | Stop exercising because “I’m too busy being rich” | Health declines, guilt increases |
| Yes-Man Syndrome | Friends only laugh at your jokes, never disagree | Lose ability to self-reflect |
| Value Drift | Cut corners in business “to keep up” | Wake up feeling like a fraud, that’s if you have not completely lost your conscience |
How to Stay Grounded: The 3-Anchors Method
- Schedule “Old You” Time: Like before Wealth, you usually go for saturday morning jog → After Wealth, still jog, but maybe in fancier shoes. You should do this because routines anchors you, your brain to identity
- Keep a “Truth Squad”: Good and close friend who knew you pre-prosperity, or before your new level of success, because they get to remind you that buying a yacht won’t make you happier.
The Identity Equation
Stable Self = (Values + Routines)×Community
- Lose 1 component your Identity weakens
- Lose all 3 and you likely become a “rich stranger” to yourself
Prosperity multiplies who you already are. If you weren’t kind, disciplined, or purposeful before wealth, money will just magnify those gaps.
Fix your “OS” first – the “hardware” upgrade will be meaningless otherwise.
Financial Illiteracy
A Stanford study found 70% of lottery winners go bankrupt within 5 years due to:
- No budgeting systems.
- Impulse purchases (for one, luxury cars bought on credit).
- Poor investment diversification.
Think of money as a language – financial illiteracy is like trying to navigate Paris without speaking French. You’ll make costly mistakes without understanding the rules, you need to learn the language and help yourself.
The 3-Numbers Rule:
- KNOW THIS: Monthly Income−Essential Bills = Play Money
- AUTOMATE THIS: 20% of monthly income to savings before spending
- AVOID THIS: Any debt with interest >7%
78% of financially illiterate people live paycheck-to-paycheck regardless of income (Federal Reserve). Literacy isn’t about how much you make , but it’s about what you keep.
Relationship Sabotage
Prosperity amplifies existing relationship flaws, wealth acts like a magnifying glass on relationships:
- Friends/family develop entitlement (“You owe me”).
- Romantic partners may exhibit gold-digger behavior.
- Social circles become transactional.
Why this Happens
Trust Erosion
Before you and your friends split pizza costs, but now you tend to ask yourself “Are they with me for me or my money?” maybe because they expect you to pay most of the time because you can not comfortably do.
Scorekeeping Syndrome
Your friends start to tally your spending and say to you and say something like “You bought a Tesla but won’t lend me $500?”
Role Reversal
Family and friends start to treat you like an ATM “You’re rich now, so you should pay for the outing.”
Real-Life Examples
| Situation | Sabotage Move | Healthy Response |
| Friend asks for a loan | “Just credit me!” (no terms) | “Let’s draft a repayment plan together” |
| Partner feels insecure | “You’re changing!” (accusation) | “How can we grow together?” |
Key Stat: 63% of lottery winners report damaged relationships within 5 years (National Endowment for Financial Education).
Prosperity doesn’t ruin relationships – it reveals them, so nurture bonds that warm you like a campfire, not those that burn you like a wildfire.
How People Fail The Test Prosperity by Treating Others Poorly
Prosperity is not just a test of wealth; it’s very much a mirror for character.
The “Roots vs. Fruits” Analogy
Imagine a tree that grows taller but stops nourishing its roots, eventually, it collapses.
- Roots = Relationships, humility, empathy, and core values.
- Fruits = Wealth, status, power.
One sign that you are failing the test is prioritising fruits over roots and collapsing is very much likely inevitable.
3 Ways People Self-Sabotage
| Mistake | Example | Consequence |
| The Arrogance Trap | “I’m self-made; others are lazy” | Loses allies; no support in crises |
| Transactional Relationships | “Friends must ‘earn’ my time” | Attracts sycophants and users, and you repels authenticity, and true friendship |
| Exploiting Leverage | Underpaying staff to maximize profits | High turnover, but your reputation or the company’s reputation will likely be damaged, eventually |
One very obvious one you have likely seen both in a movie and in real life is that some men after wealth start to see their wife as unattractive and start to feel they can do better, and even go out to“do better.”These type of people have failed the test of prosperity.
Your Net Worth is NOT equal Self-Worth, and treating people as “beneath you” creates a space where you are unlikely to have good and true friends with core value, and even worse creates enemies, where your enemies grows with ego, and out for you to prove a point, and this can be the difference between success and failure in your next endeavor.
A very simple and short case study of this can be something as:
- Failure: A CEO brags about “single-handedly” growing the company, giving no credit to anyone but himself, and eventually because of underappreciation key employees leave.
- Success: A founder credits their team in every interview and this boosts and increases their energy and morale to give their best and more talent flocks to them.
Prosperity amplifies who you already are, but this does not mean you are doomed, you can learn and learn Do Better, Be Better, like I always tell my friends, plus:
- Kind + Rich = Respected leader
- Cruel + Rich = Isolated target
Treat people like they’ll write your biography someday because they will.
How to Pass The Test of Prosperity
Implement the 72-Hour Rule
Wealth is a magnifying glass for character flaws.
Before major financial decisions:
- Wait 72 hours.
- Consult 3 trusted advisors.
- Sleep on it (neuroimaging shows prefrontal cortex activity drops during excitement).
Build a Prosperity Infrastructure
| Component | Implementation Example |
| Financial | Automated 20% savings before spending |
| Relational | Quarterly “truth-teller” meetings with mentors |
| Psychological | Daily gratitude journaling |
Everyone wants a happy and fulfilled life.
You will have a comfortable job, a happy family, financial stability, and a wonderful social life.
In this endless pursuit of happiness, how often do you take a moment to be grateful for what you already have in this moment?
Gratitude can be a powerful emotion. We can find the joy we are looking for everywhere else by sending and receiving simple “thank you” messages.
In its most basic form, gratitude is a state of thankfulness or being grateful.
Do you mean to say “Thank you,” or are you just saying it politely? Neuroscientists found that people who feel gratitude when they say it will be happier and healthier. It’s not a new-age fad to express gratitude. It’s an aspect of human nature that reaps real benefits for those who genuinely mean it.
Giving thanks to others, Mother Nature, and the Almighty can help us feel happier. It can have a healing effect (Russell & Fosha 2008). There are many benefits to gratitude. Let us explore them and learn how to use gratitude to make life more enjoyable.
Continue Reading: How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain
Master the Art of Stealth Wealth
Replace status symbols with:
- Education (courses, reading books, masterminds).
- Experiences over possessions.
- Become an anonymous philanthropy in some things if not in all.
Practice Reverse Budgeting
- Allocate 50% to essentials.
- Invest 30% before discretionary spending.
- Use 20% for lifestyle in that order.
Redefine “Enough”
Calculate your Prosperity Threshold:
Enough = Basic Needs+Meaningful Experiences+20%Safety Margin
Read Also: Overcoming The Power Of Greed: The Psychology of Greed
Read Also: How To Build A Strong Character
Conclusion
True prosperity isn’t about more wealth accumulation; it’s about freedom multiplication. Those who pass the test use resources to:
- Buy time (delegation/automation).
- Enhance health (preventative care).
- Create legacy (mentorship/philanthropy).
A prosperous life isn’t found in bank statements, but in maintained relationships, continued growth, and the wisdom to know when to say “This is sufficient.”
