The Laws of Prosperity

There is a lot of new age talk about using affirmations to create prosperity. I have definitely done my time writing them, repeating them in front of a mirror, breathlessly affirming how peaceful and loving I am while I’m planning the demise of my enemy. That may be a slight exaggeration, but not much of one. Affirmations can be a great tool to train and focus the mind, but can also bypass the important healing of emotional wounds that created the need for affirmations in the first place. One of my teachers, Rev. Janet, used to say, “Affirmations are like pouring whip cream on a pile of garbage—it still stinks under there!” Until I have faced my own dark shadow and embraced those aspects of myself that I have denied, affirmations will not be very effective. However, affirmations in conjunction with honest self reflection can be pretty powerful, have the potential to create a lasting shift in consciousness, and put you in touch with true prosperity.

A cliché about affirmations that I have found to be true by experience is, “Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it.” I have a memory of wanting to buy a used Volkswagen Bug, for less than $600.00, by a certain date. I visualized, meditated, and affirmed, day after day. I found and purchased a VW two days before my deadline, for $550.00. It practically landed in my lap through an acquaintance. Two weeks later it was discovered the VW had been stolen at some point in time, and never registered. When I tried to register it, the police came and took it away. I learned a valuable lesson. I had lost touch with the quality of what I was looking for, namely, reliable, affordable transportation that would provide me with freedom to travel. I became consumed with the details and got in my own way. It is helpful to explore your desires to see what the quality of life is underneath them that you are truly wanting. For example, my desire for a house will provide me with room to have children, and space to teach and practice yoga. Family, connection, spirituality, and service—these represent true prosperity for me.