June 29, 2008
Dear Friends,
This coming Friday, July 4th, is Independence Day, the day that we in the United States celebrate our right as a people to create our own futures and pursue our own dreams . . . free from oppressive and dictatorial rule.
But let us remember, too, that when it comes to our relationship with that Universal Intelligence that is commonly called God, every day is Independence Day . . . and should be recognized and celebrated as such.
Each and every day, you have the freedom to choose what you want to have in life, what you want to do in life, and what you want to be in life. And you have the freedom to pursue those goals in any way that you see fit.
God will guide you, yes. God will lead you, direct you, and support you in reaching your chosen destinations in the most beneficial way possible. But unlike a tyrant, God will never force you to do anything that you don't choose to do.
You have the freedom—the independence—to follow divine guidance . . . or not. You can choose to row with the divine flow, and accomplish your goals with effortless ease. Or, you can choose to take a more arduous route, and row against the flow by ignoring or resisting divine direction. It's up to you.
As I mentioned last week, the wonderful thing is this: Every choice you make in life—whether it's guided or unguided, divinely inspired or ego-driven—gives you an opportunity to learn from your experience, grow in wisdom and compassion, and ultimately discover more about your own divinely loving and creative nature.
But again, it's your choice. You can choose to learn and grow from the experiences you create . . . or not.
Here's to the joy that comes from creating our lives and living our lives by choice. May we always be grateful for the freedom we have to do that.
Steven
© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Par For The Course
June 22, 2008
Dear Friends,
The home that Carol and I rent here in Sedona is in the middle of a golf resort. When some friends of ours found out that we were moving into a golfing community (even though we don’t play the game), they gave us a book called “Golf for Enlightenment” by Deepak Chopra.
One of the most interesting points that Dr. Chopra makes in his book is this: No matter how skilled and experienced you are at golf, there will always be days when you are just plain lousy at it. Instead of holding yourself to an impossibly high standard of perfection, a more “enlightened” approach is to recognize that disappointing days are inevitable, and to keep those challenging times in their proper perspective.
So it is with living life in the divine flow. No matter how good you think you are at following divine direction, there will always be days when you will not glide toward your goal with effortless ease. Instead, you will find yourself running into rocks or getting tied up in the reeds.
Why? There are numerous reasons why you might encounter uncomfortably challenging circumstances in your life. Here are just three:
First, you have to remember that many of the situations in life that you consider to be undesirable are only undesirable from your personal point of view. Someone else who has a different history or belief system might take that very same challenge completely and easily in stride. In other words, your situation may not be—in and of itself—particularly challenging. It just looks that way to you.
Second, some of the challenges you face in life are there because—on a subconscious and/or soul level—you have specifically chosen to experience them. At a very deep level you may actually want these particular challenges to be in your life, so you can heal a long neglected emotional wound, or expand a limited way of being that is preventing you from living a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Finally, quite a few of life’s challenges are simply the natural consequence of making too many unguided or misguided choices . . . choices made from fear instead of faith . . . choices that are not divinely guided or inspired, but are, in fact, ego driven—even though those choices might have been made with the best of intentions.
Are you experiencing a trying time in your life right now? Rest assured, I am not going to tell you to think of this painful period as just “a bad round of golf.” No matter what is going on in your life, the discomfort you are experiencing is real, and I certainly don’t want to make light of that, or summarily dismiss it.
However, I do invite you to keep in mind what I often suggest in these weekly messages: Every challenge you experience in your life—no matter what it is, or why it is there—can be a stepping stone to your highest good . . . a divine opportunity to help you move closer to your dream . . . a chance for you to grow in compassion and wisdom . . . an occasion for you to heal what needs healing . . . or all of those things.
Here’s to living life in the divine flow, and remembering that disappointing days and trying times are—when seen in their proper perspective—“par for the course.”
Steven
© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Dear Friends,
The home that Carol and I rent here in Sedona is in the middle of a golf resort. When some friends of ours found out that we were moving into a golfing community (even though we don’t play the game), they gave us a book called “Golf for Enlightenment” by Deepak Chopra.
One of the most interesting points that Dr. Chopra makes in his book is this: No matter how skilled and experienced you are at golf, there will always be days when you are just plain lousy at it. Instead of holding yourself to an impossibly high standard of perfection, a more “enlightened” approach is to recognize that disappointing days are inevitable, and to keep those challenging times in their proper perspective.
So it is with living life in the divine flow. No matter how good you think you are at following divine direction, there will always be days when you will not glide toward your goal with effortless ease. Instead, you will find yourself running into rocks or getting tied up in the reeds.
Why? There are numerous reasons why you might encounter uncomfortably challenging circumstances in your life. Here are just three:
First, you have to remember that many of the situations in life that you consider to be undesirable are only undesirable from your personal point of view. Someone else who has a different history or belief system might take that very same challenge completely and easily in stride. In other words, your situation may not be—in and of itself—particularly challenging. It just looks that way to you.
Second, some of the challenges you face in life are there because—on a subconscious and/or soul level—you have specifically chosen to experience them. At a very deep level you may actually want these particular challenges to be in your life, so you can heal a long neglected emotional wound, or expand a limited way of being that is preventing you from living a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Finally, quite a few of life’s challenges are simply the natural consequence of making too many unguided or misguided choices . . . choices made from fear instead of faith . . . choices that are not divinely guided or inspired, but are, in fact, ego driven—even though those choices might have been made with the best of intentions.
Are you experiencing a trying time in your life right now? Rest assured, I am not going to tell you to think of this painful period as just “a bad round of golf.” No matter what is going on in your life, the discomfort you are experiencing is real, and I certainly don’t want to make light of that, or summarily dismiss it.
However, I do invite you to keep in mind what I often suggest in these weekly messages: Every challenge you experience in your life—no matter what it is, or why it is there—can be a stepping stone to your highest good . . . a divine opportunity to help you move closer to your dream . . . a chance for you to grow in compassion and wisdom . . . an occasion for you to heal what needs healing . . . or all of those things.
Here’s to living life in the divine flow, and remembering that disappointing days and trying times are—when seen in their proper perspective—“par for the course.”
Steven
© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Friday, June 13, 2008
Dealing With Loss
June 15, 2008
Dear Friends,
I frequently mention in these weekly messages that one of the keys to living life in the divine flow (and fulfilling your heart’s desires effortlessly) is maintaining a positive attitude. But I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for that positive attitude to be genuine.
In recent weeks, thousands of people across the U.S. and in China have lost cherished loved ones and treasured possessions because of devastating floods, horrendous tornados, and destructive earthquakes. The grief, sadness, and sorrow that these tragic events elicit is completely understandable. And these feelings must be allowed to run their natural course before there can be an authentic return to a more optimistic outlook.
Living life in the divine flow is not about stuffing your feelings to maintain an "appearance" of positivity. There is such a thing as legitimate suffering in life. It is not the kind of suffering that you bring upon yourself through needless worry or thoughtless actions. It is the kind of suffering that occurs most often with the sudden and unexpected loss of something, or someone, that you deeply love.
If you are dealing with a loss in your life right now, it is okay to go ahead and let yourself feel your feelings about it. In fact, it is necessary. Give yourself permission to experience all of your feelings freely and fully. Allow them to come, and go . . . and come again . . . and go again. It is the only way that they will eventually dissipate.
If, instead, you attempt to suppress those feelings, they will continue to exist at a subconscious level. And, in the end, that will just delay your ability to heal and feel joy again. And by "joy" I mean that underlying sense of appreciation for the total experience of life . . . a joy that embraces all of life’s twists and turns . . . a joy that may be best described as "bittersweet."
To each of you who have recently lost a loved one, a beloved pet, or anything else that occupies an important place in your heart, please know that kindred spirits the world over are supporting you in the restoration of your sense of wholeness, and the recovery of your sense of peace.
Blessings to you all.
Steven
© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Dear Friends,
I frequently mention in these weekly messages that one of the keys to living life in the divine flow (and fulfilling your heart’s desires effortlessly) is maintaining a positive attitude. But I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for that positive attitude to be genuine.
In recent weeks, thousands of people across the U.S. and in China have lost cherished loved ones and treasured possessions because of devastating floods, horrendous tornados, and destructive earthquakes. The grief, sadness, and sorrow that these tragic events elicit is completely understandable. And these feelings must be allowed to run their natural course before there can be an authentic return to a more optimistic outlook.
Living life in the divine flow is not about stuffing your feelings to maintain an "appearance" of positivity. There is such a thing as legitimate suffering in life. It is not the kind of suffering that you bring upon yourself through needless worry or thoughtless actions. It is the kind of suffering that occurs most often with the sudden and unexpected loss of something, or someone, that you deeply love.
If you are dealing with a loss in your life right now, it is okay to go ahead and let yourself feel your feelings about it. In fact, it is necessary. Give yourself permission to experience all of your feelings freely and fully. Allow them to come, and go . . . and come again . . . and go again. It is the only way that they will eventually dissipate.
If, instead, you attempt to suppress those feelings, they will continue to exist at a subconscious level. And, in the end, that will just delay your ability to heal and feel joy again. And by "joy" I mean that underlying sense of appreciation for the total experience of life . . . a joy that embraces all of life’s twists and turns . . . a joy that may be best described as "bittersweet."
To each of you who have recently lost a loved one, a beloved pet, or anything else that occupies an important place in your heart, please know that kindred spirits the world over are supporting you in the restoration of your sense of wholeness, and the recovery of your sense of peace.
Blessings to you all.
Steven
© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Saturday, June 7, 2008
From Anger to Anticipation
June 8, 2008
Dear Friends,
One of the major turning points in my life occurred when I discovered that I had a rather uncomplimentary reputation at the advertising agency where I worked. I found out that I was one of three men called “The Angry Guys.”
Normally, I would have gotten angry over being critically labeled like that (how fitting), and I would have vehemently defended myself. But this time I didn’t . . . for one simple reason: It was true. I was angry. I was constantly hitting my fist on the desk or kicking trashcans across the room. But why? Exactly what was I so angry about? To my credit, I became willing to find out.
After doing a little soul-searching, reading a few self-help books, and seeking some professional counseling, I began to get to the core of my issue. I learned that anger is almost always a secondary emotion. Beneath anger, there is usually a primary feeling . . . and beneath that, there is always an underlying thought.
In my case, I realized that I was angry because I was chronically frustrated. And I was frustrated because things didn’t always turn out the way I wanted them to . . . and I thought that they always had to. Why did I think that? Because I had never believed that anything “good” could just happen on its own. And I had never believed that something “bad” could, in the end, turn out to be beneficial.
In short, I didn’t believe in the basic beneficence of the universe. And I certainly didn’t believe there was a higher intelligence in this universe that was always working for good on my behalf. Instead, I believed that if I wanted anything good to occur in my life, then it was up to me—and me alone—to make that happen.
Eventually, though, I grew so tired of trying to control every single aspect of my life, I finally became willing—as many people put it—to “let go and let God.” For the first time in my life I stopped trying to force the outcomes I desired, and I became willing to consider the possibility that something good could arise out of something I initially thought was “bad.” Through prayer and meditation I began to seek divine guidance before acting. And I became more lovingly responsive instead of fearfully reactive to the challenges that arose in my life.
The result? Miracles began to occur in my life immediately. It seemed like the second I let go of the idea that everything had to go my way, everything did go my way—maybe not in the way that I planned, or in a way that I expected, but definitely in a way that was to my benefit, and to the benefit of all involved.
I let go, and I discovered “The Divine Flow.” Since that time, I have devoted my life to learning how to better recognize that flow, and cooperate with it.
These days, I rarely get angry. Frustrated at times, yes. Disappointed, sure. Uncertain once in a while, of course. But I don’t stay in those states for very long. I simply remember what my experience has proven to me time and time again: That I do, indeed, live in a beneficent universe, and this universe is always guiding me to my highest good . . . from wherever I happen to be.
Here’s to trusting in the divine flow, and moving from a state of anger to a place of peace . . . and even better, to a positive anticipation of something really good happening.
Steven
© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of, Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
Dear Friends,
One of the major turning points in my life occurred when I discovered that I had a rather uncomplimentary reputation at the advertising agency where I worked. I found out that I was one of three men called “The Angry Guys.”
Normally, I would have gotten angry over being critically labeled like that (how fitting), and I would have vehemently defended myself. But this time I didn’t . . . for one simple reason: It was true. I was angry. I was constantly hitting my fist on the desk or kicking trashcans across the room. But why? Exactly what was I so angry about? To my credit, I became willing to find out.
After doing a little soul-searching, reading a few self-help books, and seeking some professional counseling, I began to get to the core of my issue. I learned that anger is almost always a secondary emotion. Beneath anger, there is usually a primary feeling . . . and beneath that, there is always an underlying thought.
In my case, I realized that I was angry because I was chronically frustrated. And I was frustrated because things didn’t always turn out the way I wanted them to . . . and I thought that they always had to. Why did I think that? Because I had never believed that anything “good” could just happen on its own. And I had never believed that something “bad” could, in the end, turn out to be beneficial.
In short, I didn’t believe in the basic beneficence of the universe. And I certainly didn’t believe there was a higher intelligence in this universe that was always working for good on my behalf. Instead, I believed that if I wanted anything good to occur in my life, then it was up to me—and me alone—to make that happen.
Eventually, though, I grew so tired of trying to control every single aspect of my life, I finally became willing—as many people put it—to “let go and let God.” For the first time in my life I stopped trying to force the outcomes I desired, and I became willing to consider the possibility that something good could arise out of something I initially thought was “bad.” Through prayer and meditation I began to seek divine guidance before acting. And I became more lovingly responsive instead of fearfully reactive to the challenges that arose in my life.
The result? Miracles began to occur in my life immediately. It seemed like the second I let go of the idea that everything had to go my way, everything did go my way—maybe not in the way that I planned, or in a way that I expected, but definitely in a way that was to my benefit, and to the benefit of all involved.
I let go, and I discovered “The Divine Flow.” Since that time, I have devoted my life to learning how to better recognize that flow, and cooperate with it.
These days, I rarely get angry. Frustrated at times, yes. Disappointed, sure. Uncertain once in a while, of course. But I don’t stay in those states for very long. I simply remember what my experience has proven to me time and time again: That I do, indeed, live in a beneficent universe, and this universe is always guiding me to my highest good . . . from wherever I happen to be.
Here’s to trusting in the divine flow, and moving from a state of anger to a place of peace . . . and even better, to a positive anticipation of something really good happening.
Steven
© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of, Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
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