Dear Reader, if you are like myself you probably long to read in a column such as this one fabulous notions on how to calculate with absolute accuracy the exact location on the planet of your true soul mate. Perhaps you would like me to whisper in your virtual ear the secret of enlightenment or show you how to juggle all your various karma chameleons until they vanish as the delusions they are. Even just a few words about the nature of reality would probably be welcome. Surely, Martin, you can twirl the Dance of the Seven Veils on the head of a pin while changing a tire and drinking a latte.

When I figure out such matters, I will gladly relate the findings to you, especially that one about the tire and the latte. However, I do know a tool that I believe has helped my life, helped me to live more abundantly and come closer to my mature goals. The use of Affirmations has been an important tool for me, and while their use may or may not lead to the sudden enlightening bolt from the blue (or salvation or nirvana or heaven), they do help me at least to live my life in a positive frame of mind.

The creation of this positive framework is why affirmations are both the key to the treasure and the treasure. When I am in a positive state of mind, I am open and responsive to new experiences, to new ways of thinking and doing things. I am not afraid to be creative; I share and enjoy and enjoy your sharing and joy.

Contrast the preceding with what happens when you are down or in a negative frame of mind. As you talk negatively to yourself, perception narrows and often pessimistic expectations lead to negative experiences by way of the self-fulfilling prophecy. That is you get out of life what you put in. If you constantly expect negative experiences, you will tend to get just that, negativity in your life.

As we have learned from sports figures such as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird and the inspirational lives of such figures as Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, and the current Dalai Lama, attitude may not be everything but it almost is. Negative events happen in every life whether we like it or not (and no one truly knows why), but what is so important is how we respond to such events. We can maintain a positive attitude that will help us move more gracefully through such circumstances.

So, I am not here to preach that saying a few magic words will heal your life. I am saying that talking positively to myself has helped me to lead a life that at least is open to the possibility of prosperity, joy, harmony and love. In that openness the magic can happen. The sun may not shine all the time but it surely cannot shine through a shuttered window to bestow its gift of warmth and light.

There are many sites on the Net that offer affirmations. Here are some links to get you started. Just pick affirmations that seem pertinent to your personality or situation. You can find books in the self-help section of your local bookstore or you can check them out of the library. Here are some books that I have found useful. (To check Barnes and Noble for titles featuring affirmations, just click the "Buy" icon at the top of the page to go to their online bookstore. You may need to use their search function.)

You can also write your own affirmations but please remember always to use positive language. For example, do not write “I am never broke,” as the word “broke” is negative and with the word “not” you already creating a negative situation. Instead, write something like, “My income is constantly increasing.”

There is some disagreement as to the timing of affirmations, but in general be sure to write your affirmations in the present tense. Write as if the situation you wish is already happening. "Doing what I love serves others" is stronger to your consciousness than "Doing what I love WILL serve others." Use of the future tense implies that you are approaching but possibly may never reach your goal.

Using affirmations is easy. Some people find a quiet place and meditate on a few statements. I believe the key is to expose yourself to the positive statement as much as possible. I carry cards with me at all times on which I have written affirmations dealing with areas of life that I feel need some positive energy. I place a few cards near my computer where I see them many times throughout the day. Sometimes I pick one up and concentrate on its significance. Another good way of handling affirmations is to tape a few of them to your lavatory mirror. Every time you wash your hands or look into the mirror you are reminded to consider your positive statements. Even when I work out my health club, I repeat my affirmations to myself while on the treadmill or with each repetition of my strength training.

Here are some affirmations that have helped me keep my windows clear. Perhaps you will find them useful also.

This is such a vast subject, and I have only scratched the surface in this essay. I will be writing some more articles on the general subjects of affirmations, self-talk, prosperity consciousness, etc.

While the individual affirmations sometimes work wonders in my life, I am even more impressed with the positive attitude that seems to derive from constant attention to them and other techniques of positive thinking and meditation. One reaches a state of mind whereby one begins to operate from a sense of trust in the universe. An alignment with the positive forces happens. And, it is not "magical thinking" or engaging in “pollyannaish” behavior. People who practice these techniques do realize that accidents happen, loved ones die, sources of income dry up, wives or husbands suddenly leave.

They do however hold a precious key that enables belief in themselves and a continually growing confidence in maintaining a positive alignment. To possess and to use that simple, but powerful key of affirmation in whatever life circumstances one finds oneself is indeed the treasure itself.