Saturday, November 24, 2007

When The Flow Seems Slow

November 25, 2007

Dear Friends,

Most of the time, I can sense the divine flow in my life quite easily. I notice a steady stream of signs and synchronicities—as well as intuitive nudges—that are all pointing me in one particular direction. And when I head in that direction, I feel like I am in a quickly moving current that is helping me get where I want to go with effortless ease.

Often, I experience unexpected twists and turns along the way. But those surprising detours will quickly transform into stepping stones to a higher good, so I can easily see the divine flow at work in those circumstances, as well.

Whether the flow takes a direct route, or a more circuitous one, some kind of divine movement in my life is usually fairly obvious. And I can generally discern what I am being divinely directed to do to cooperate with that movement.

But not always.

Occasionally, I experience periods in my life where it feels like the flow is hardly moving at all, leaving me in still waters for days on end with no clear guidance or direction. I do not see any signs, or experience any meaningful coincidences. Doors are not opening. And I simply don’t know what my next right step is.

Those are the occasions that test my patience the most. Like most people, I always feel like there is something I should be doing to bring me one step closer to my chosen destinations in life. And doing nothing feels uncomfortable. But one of the first lessons I ever learned about living life in the divine flow is this one: Doing nothing is doing something . . . and quite often that is exactly what is called for.

Sometimes, your job is just to wait patiently while the divine flow works its magic. Yes, you may be waiting quite a while. But it won’t be forever. Eventually, clear guidance will come. Your next divinely directed step will appear. And helpful doors will open. And when that happens, there is a good chance that you will be able to see the perfect timing in it all.

If you feel like you are truly open and receptive to divine direction, and yet the flow in your life seems to have slowed down dramatically, I suggest that you simply enjoy the break. Take care of all the little details in life that are calling for your attention. Enjoy the time that you have been given to partake of life’s many simple pleasures. And take advantage of this rare opportunity to just “be.”

Don’t worry about speeding up the flow. The current will pick up soon enough.

Steven

© 2007 by Steven Lane Taylor

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Giving Thanks For Everything

November 18, 2007

Dear Friends,

Two weeks ago I wrote about gratitude, and how important it is to be grateful for all of the things in your life that you normally take for granted, such as food, family, and friends. Those are a few of the things that you do appreciate, but typically forget to be consciously thankful for.

Well, here’s a challenge for you: Can you also be thankful for the things in your life that you do not appreciate? Can you be thankful for the people in your life that you hold resentments against? Can you be thankful for the circumstances in your life that have brought you discomfort . . . or even pain?

Yes, you can . . . if you see those challenges as opportunities to discover what your blocks to loving are. Yes, you can . . . if you see those challenges as opportunities to heal wounds you may have forgotten you have. Yes, you can . . . if you see those challenges as opportunities to remember how precious life is, and to renew your appreciation for it.

When you look at the challenges in your life as opportunities to mature emotionally and spiritually, everything that occurs in your life can be viewed as a blessing. And blessings are something you are thankful for, right?

So this coming Thanksgiving—and throughout the year—be thankful not only for the “good” in your life, but also for what you judge to be “not so good.”

Be thankful for the entire experience of life, including the opportunities it gives you to grow in wisdom and compassion.

Be thankful for the entire experience of life, including the opportunities it gives you to grow in your ability to love others—and to love yourself—unconditionally.

Be thankful for the entire experience of life, including the opportunities it gives you to remember that life itself is a sacred gift . . . a gift that is meant to be enjoyed to its fullest, and never taken for granted.

Giving thanks today and every day,

Steven

© 2007 by Steven Lane Taylor

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Relying On Wisdom

November 11, 2007

Dear Friends,

As a writer, I always appreciate clever wordplays and creative phrases. I also enjoy the way real words can be made into acronyms, such as:

EGO = Edging God Out
FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real

I recently received an email from Christy in Peoria, Illinois, who came up with an appropriate acronym for a word that I frequently use in my book. That word is “row.” And Christy’s acronym is:

ROW = Relying On Wisdom

If you are familiar with my work at all, you know that I consider “rowing” a very important aspect of living life in the divine flow. Rowing represents the action step in the manifestation process . . . but not just any action. As I use the term, rowing refers to taking divinely inspired action—the only kind of action that will lead you to your chosen destination with effortless ease.

When you “row” you are basing your action on divine counsel, or—as Christy put it—relying on wisdom. That means, however, that you must be willing to take some time to get in touch with that wisdom, and distinguish it from any fear-based, ego-driven thoughts. You must take some time to get quiet, go within, and access the intuitive guidance of your spirit. And you must take some time to thoughtfully consider the insightful guidance that flows forth from the spirit of others.

To rely on wisdom—to ROW—requires you to pause after each and every “stroke of your oars” to attune yourself to the flow, and make sure that you are still going in the same direction that the divine current is flowing.

Said another way, you must pause after each and every step you take to make sure that your next step is another divinely directed step . . . the kind of step that gives you a feeling of peace and ease, instead of making you feel tense and anxious . . . the kind of step that is usually confirmed by the sudden appearance of related signs and synchronicities.

Do you have a desire that you would like to fulfill effortlessly? Do you have goal that you would like to accomplish with divine ease and grace? Then remember to ROW (Rely on Wisdom) instead of acting out of FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) or making choices based on EGO (Edging God Out).

In short, remember to put your trust in GOD (the Guidance Of the Divine)!

STEVEN (Streaming Toward Everything Very Easily Now)

Okay . . . maybe that’s a bit of a stretch.

© 2007 by Steven Lane Taylor

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Gratitude And The Divine Flow

November 4, 2007

Dear Friends,

Exactly one year ago today (November 2nd as I write this), Carol and I arrived at our new home in Sedona, Arizona. Sedona, as most of you know, is one of the prettiest places on the planet . . . considered by many to be their personal paradise.

Shortly after moving here, one of our dearest friends wrote to us and asked, “Do you pinch yourselves every day to make sure that you are not just dreaming that you live in Sedona?”

Well, the answer is “yes.” We do have to pinch ourselves every day. But it’s not to assure ourselves that we are not dreaming. It’s the opposite of that. We have to pinch ourselves every day to remind ourselves to be grateful for where we are living, and not take it for granted.

I am constantly amazed by how easy it is to take almost anything for granted—even this heavenly haven called Sedona. It takes very little for me to become distracted by the day-to-day details of living and working, and completely forget to appreciate the beauty that is all around me: the magnificent red rock formations, the brilliant orange sunsets, and the profusion of wildlife right in our own backyard.

I bring this up, because one of the keys to living life in the divine flow is to have an attitude of gratitude. And why is gratitude so important? Because when you are grateful, you feel good. And when you feel good, you are more open and receptive to divine guidance, and able to experience the flow’s miracles more freely and more frequently.

The challenge is maintaining that attitude of gratitude for all of those things that you usually take for granted, such as your health, your home, and your helpful relationships. To live life in the divine flow it is important to be continually grateful for all of the blessings you have in your life—not just the extraordinary ones, such as receiving unexpected income, or miraculously avoiding an accident.

Take a moment right now to look around you. What are you taking for granted? And what, instead, should you be consciously grateful for? Pinch yourself, and begin to consciously count your blessings. You may be surprised by how quickly the divine flow gives you even more to be grateful for!

Steven

© 2007 by Steven Lane Taylor