Mark Okita, a remarkable Energy Healer from Hawaii, answers questions of our readers.
Q: “I do my daily affirmations, but they don’t work. Do they work for anybody? I am about to give up.”
A: Affirmation is a power of the mind that can shape our experience of reality. It can be used consciously to Liberate us from our inner blockages, revealing the Gifts hidden within and without. Or, it can operate unconsciously and be the source of much suffering. In other words, affirmations can be used to affirm the Truth of Love and Freedom, or it can be the expression of unconscious programming that affirms the lie of limitation and lack.
Often, the unconscious programming is much more powerful than the conscious affirmations because it has been operating out of awareness for so long (for our entire life individually and for the history of humanity collectively). This unconscious programming is also more powerful than conscious thoughts because they are linked to, and fueled by, our deepest emotional wounds.
For example, the affirmation “My business will be successful this year and I will make at least $200,000” seems like a positive affirmation. However, it could be just a mask over a deep fear that the business will fail due to past experiences of failing, as well as even deeper fears about survival. Every time the affirmation is expressed, both the superficial hope that the business will be successful as well as the much stronger fear that it will not be, is activated. Law of Attraction and affirmations work when they change the ENERGY of our internal state. The mere digital words that one says is relatively insignificant. It is possible for the positive affirmation to overcome the subconscious negativity – which is the whole point of affirmations, but we need to be aware of what is happening in unconscious and energetic dimensions. When affirmations do not work, it may be a compelling call and opportunity to heal deep emotional and energetic wounds.
Furthermore – and here is where this subject gets really interesting!, we are constantly and unknowingly doing affirmations for every aspect of our lives. These affirmations have profound effects in unseen ways that sets us up for fear and disappointment. For example, let us say we have a strong intention that tomorrow is a sunny day so that we can enjoy a walk in the park. If this intention is part of an internal unspoken CONDITION for happiness – that unless it is a sunny day we will be disappointed, we will have unwittingly set the stage for disappointment even though the intention was to enjoy the day! Whenever we believe that we will not be happy unless we get the desired outcome, we set ourselves up for disappointment. Why not have the intention to be joyful no matter what happens? Contemplate this deeply. See how heavily we are programed to place conditions and limitations on our innately Loving, Free and Joyful Self.
Blockages to our happiness do not exist in the outside world. They exist as the inner conditions we place on an already Free and Perfect world and self. We are unconsciously, constantly and insistently telling the Universe that we will only be happy within a VERY narrow range of possibilities. We end up living in a tiny bubble of unsatisfied illusory desires (make this to be a quote on a side too) rather than the fullness of LIFE, which illuminates all of existence, including ourselves, with its effulgent Energy and Love. The more conditions we place on the infinite possibilities of Life, the more we LIMIT the possibility of experiencing the joy of a Soul set Free. We think that we are going to find true Love and Joy by defining happiness in narrower and narrower terms, insisting that we will not be happy unless all of the conditions are met, down to the smallest detail – of the ultimate partner, the ideal home, the awesome car, the successful enterprise, the perfect body, what it means to be spiritual or enlightened, etc., but this is a trick of the ego-mind! The more conditions we place on Love, the less likely it is that we will discover a Love that is unbounded and UNCONDITIONAL. These conditions are affirmed every time we feel that we need something else, someone else or something more in order to be happy. The grandeur of the entire Symphony of Life is far more gratifying and Lovely than obsessing on just one instrument upon which we have defined our happiness.
There is a desire woven into the very fabric of every Heart; indeed, it is woven into the fabric of all of Creation. It is the impetus to EVOLVE, to expand in Consciousness and Love. This is a desire for something beyond the veil of our animal instincts for security, comfort and the familiar. This is a desire for an eternal and truly satisfying Love and Power. But for most of us, this True Desire has been assimilated by the ego. We have sheepishly linked the desire for an indestructible Comfort and Joy to the fleeting and insubstantial comforts and pleasures of the world.
It is not that we cannot have both. Having a wonderful partner, great job, nice home and harmonious family is all just fine. It does not preclude Realizing Unconditional Love, Joy and Power. It is a matter of clearly seeing that while having a nice home and family can be very satisfying, it is not any different than what mammals want. Romanticized animal bonds (which are beautiful!) and creature comforts (which are delightful) have little to do with the Higher Spiritual Truth of Unconditional Love and Liberation. What does this have to do with affirmations and Law of Attraction? We can use them to Realize what we TRULY desire rather than using them to serve our ego attachments.
The New Age idea that “mastery” is getting whatever we want through the Law of Attraction is a total reversal of the Truth. (make this one a quote too) Spiritual mastery is not an ego in charge. Having good luck does not make one a spiritual master. Taking credit for God’s blessings by claiming one created it through the mind’s attachments reeks of egoic pride. If spiritual mastery means getting whatever we want, then The Buddha would have remained a prince and became an even more powerful king and Jesus would have lived a comfortable family life as a carpenter and would have avoided crucifixion at all costs. However, this does not mean that we need to be crucified or leave the comforts of home to align ourselves in this way. Spiritual Mastery is a SURRENDERING of egoic conditions, allowing an alignment with Universal Love under ALL circumstances. Hence, when affirmations and Law of Attraction do not work, it may be a sign of a “mature Soul” – a Soul on the verge of beginning to Awaken. It may be an invitation from the Divine to take the next step; to surrender our most cherished desires to a Higher Love and Intelligence. This is not a surrender in defeat but surrendering to a True Love and Authentic Power.
In the end, though, there is an ironic twist and cosmic joke: The inner state of ease and Wholeness that results from Realizing Unconditional Love, or at least letting go of needing the world and other people to be a certain way, IS the internal energy signature that “attracts” outer events and other people’s responses in a positive way. In other words, we will get what we truly desire externally, when we realize the Truth within.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” – Jesus of Nazareth
“Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have.”
“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” – Gautama Buddha
So how do we use affirmations in a way that is truly Loving and Liberating?
Here are some overall guidelines:
1) They are statements of universal truths.
2) Success is defined in terms of an inner state or realization, not an outer event. 3) They elicit feelings of inspiration, comfort, joy, Love and Freedom . . . or may even be challenging if they affirm a Higher Truth to which we aspire.
4) They cannot be easily coopted by the ego and turned into a fear, judgment or attachment.
5) Easy to remember.
6) They are done CONSISTENTLY AND PERSISTENTLY, especially, but not limited to, when we are in distress.
7) To that end, post signs throughout our living space as reminders. Move them around periodically because they will become invisible when the mind becomes accustomed to them.
(Try it out and you’ll see how you will not even see them after several days in the same location.)
I have offered many examples of inspired affirmations in previous editions of My Indigo Sun in the Signs of Love and Freedom section. You may refer back to those Signs and see if there are any that resonate with you.
Here are some more affirmations for you:
May I Realize the Ultimate Love so that I may attract that same Love in another and share a Life rooted in Divine Love
I have the courage to let go of all of my conditions for happiness so that I may finally experience Unconditional Happiness
I don’t need anything else. I am open to receiving the fullness of Love which is Here Now
God Loves Me and is well-pleased with who I really AM
I fully accept whatever I am feeling
The Universe is evolving me to the next level of Love and Liberation and I Trust that EVERYTHING that happens is for my highest good
May the outcome be the highest blessing for everyone involved (in response to being involved in a dispute or concerning situation)
May I be a conduit for the Divine so that God’s Power flows through me as my Wisdom, Strength and Love
I am willing to surrender all of my fears and attachments to Divine Love
May the simple act of reading this article open all of us to Divine Love, resulting in the Highest Blessings possible for all.
Mark Okita
Mark Okita is a born energy healer and his diverse life experiences have further expanded and refined those gifts. He trained for many years in the martial arts with an emphasis on meditation and cultivation of internal energy. Mark loves nature and has had wilderness experiences in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand and Peru.
His work experience has included working in the HIV/AIDS social services and medical fields. He has undergone extensive training in various forms of body and energy healing as well as training and retreats pertaining to awakening human consciousness, including a self-directed 8-year retreat. This has culminated in a surrendering of his ego to the Divine so that all of his healing gifts and diverse life experiences are now in service of a more Pure, Intelligent and Loving Energy. Mark has been a healer on a professional level since 1993 and has been doing specifically Energy Work for the past 20 years. His specialty now is distance healing and telephone sessions. For more information visit www.markokita.com
