How do we apply affirmations?
The typical understanding of the word 'affirmation' and the way it is mostly applied in today's popular spiritual teachings is to use the power of thought to create the reality we might want.

The philosophy of Openhand is to live in the truth of what is, rather than to create illusionary realities of our own - the bubble will always burst at some point. However, does this imply that affirmations don't work at all?

Far from it, many people report success and so there appears to be a conflict going on. Where does this conflict lie?...

To me, the conflict lies in our understanding of the word 'affirmation' itself. If you check out the meaning in 'dictionary.com' you get the following:

"the confirmation that something exists or is true"

So if you take this literal meaning it places a whole new slant on the process of affirmation.

In my truth, it means that we bring into being what we ALREADY know to be true. So it is the act of acceptance of reality.

However, accepting reality is not always as simple as it may seem. I experience that in the ebb and flow of the universe, guiding consciousness configures the possibility of 'right action' - events that should unfold like stepping stones in front of us.

However 'right action' does not always happen - our collective 'ideal reality' gets distorted by our desires as we express them through thought.

So as people are busily efforting to manifest a reality they want, they are inadvertantly disrupting the harmony for all of us - the orchestra doesn't sound too good with everyone trying to be a soloist!

In my experience therefore, because of all the efforting that goes on, unadulterated 'right action' seldom happens as it is meant to.

However that does not prevent the universe continually reshaping to provide us other opportunities to harmonise with the grand plan - it is doing it in EVERY moment and it's awesome organising capability is beyond human imagination.

Therefore in my view, we should NEVER give up flowing with what we perceive to be 'right action' in the moment.

So how can we assist the process of continually shaping universal right action?

Ghandi is quoted as saying:

"Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well. Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed.

If we first purify our thoughts of our own limited and egotisical desires, then we can harmonise with the universe of greater good and assist in the process of right action by focussing our thoughts, words and deeds.

In this way, we are CONFIRMING what higher guidance knows to be best for us all rather than AFFIRMING an individualist and grossly limited perspective.

So in essence, in each moment, seek to read what the energy of the universe is inviting you to do, then harmonise every thought, word and deed around that truth expelling all doubt and disbelief in the tremendous organising capability of the universe.

We then become a glorious channel for right action - an abundance far greater than we could have dreamed of.

Perhaps then, we should be talking about CONFIRMATION not AFFIRMATION?