The sun crept over the horizon and lodged itself above the coastline, bathing the beach in a comfortable, morning glow.

Solitary clouds dotted the backdrop, lazy lollygaggers moseying across the sky, unhurried, white-haired philosophers gazing down at the busy-ness below.

I raced a pair of dragonflies down the road, glanced at the workers finishing the roof of another million-dollar home, noticed the new fishing boat parked in the driveway of one of the waterfront rentals.

Abundance everywhere, abundance of beauty, abundance of fortune. Another day in paradise.

For me, this poses a disturbingly fascinating question. Why some yes and some no?

Why do the builders of luxury high-rise condos live in dilapidated trailers?

On the other hand, why does material wealth cause such lack in relationships?

No one can deny our universe's resilience, its amazing regenerative powers and continued ability to provide. Flowers grow, vibrant, colorful, glorious, mere minutes after the tornado blows through or the floodwaters recede.

We live surrounded by an endless fountain of plenty.

How does it all flow?

Can the person that makes $25,000 a month be ten times smarter than a $2,500 earner, and the financier that brings in $250,000 in the same period ten-fold wiser yet?

That makes no sense.

How does a crammed household full of hand-me-down furniture and kids piled upon kids, share joyous meals of Mac and Cheese seasoned with laughter, even though the rent deadline has long since passed?

The mind boggles and scrambles.

Let's look at the environment.

The tide ebbs and flows.

Winter turns to spring.

Summer crops become fall plantings.

The moon comes out at night and has since time immemorial.

Let's look at the money thing.

Some of us have a bunch, some of us don't.

Some of us make a lot, some of us barely scrape by.

Unless you live on a mountaintop, a quick spin around the neighborhood reveals varying bank account sizes without much of an impact on the happiness quotient.

Those who sit in first class more often seem grumpier than the rest of us in coach.

Go figure.

Without positing a solution, let's at least state the obvious:

Prosperity, in all its incarnations, comes from the inside.

How it shows up and decorates our world, well, that depends on us. I believe that we can learn the skill sets to create wealth, though the discipline must come from inside.

Most of us have the muscles to wear a smile, though the impetus emanates from inside.

Trappings bring only fleeting glee, while lasting joy grows from the heart, a living, breathing, active organism that can only survive in one place-inside.

How much effort do you put into your inner life, seeding, nurturing, cultivating, harvesting and celebrating your own bounty? If we judge our tree by the fruit it bears, then only you decide whether your current harvest matches your expectations.

If not, you know where to turn.

That's A View From The Ridge?

Ridgely would love to hear from you. Email him at ridge@aviewfromtheridge.com and visit his website at http://www.aviewfromtheridge.com to sign up for his FREE weekly column...