The Ripple Effect And The Flow

October 19, 2008

Dear Friends,

Lately I have met a few people who have the mistaken impression that if you truly master the art of living life in the divine flow, you will never again run into any obstacles in life. I wish!

It’s true, that when you consistently practice the principles involved with living life in the divine flow, the number of obstacles you encounter in life will diminish dramatically . . . for a couple of reasons:

First, by following divine guidance you will be directed around some obstacles before you even encounter them. But more importantly, by making decisions that are divinely directed, you will not be manufacturing obstacles for yourself . . . which is what people often do. Through our unguided choices and misguided actions, we frequently make life harder for ourselves than it has to be. In short, we inadvertently create our own hurdles, and they are needless ones.

Even if you do, though, manage to stay in a fairly constant state of divine attunement—consistently recognizing and cooperating with the divine flow in your life—it is likely that you will still encounter plenty of unexpected challenges along the way. Why? Because of something commonly called The Ripple Effect.

In ways we can’t even begin to conceive of, we are all interrelated and interconnected. When even one of us does not follow divine guidance, and, instead, makes a choice out of ego—out of fear or frustration, judgment or jealousy—that decision creates a ripple that goes out and eventually affects everyone around it.

Without even getting metaphysical here, it is easy to see how one person’s behavior can directly affect the way that others react to him or her . . . and their reactions, in turn, affect those around them, and so on.

On a small scale, it’s like the old story about a boss who unjustly criticizes one of his employees; the misjudged employee then goes home and unfairly criticizes his wife; and the upset wife then kicks the dog when it gets in her way.

On a larger scale, it’s like the time in 2001 that a man directed his followers to hijack some American Airlines planes and fly them into the Twin Towers; after that, American Airlines decided not to advertise for a year; their advertising agency then had to cut its budget; and people had to be laid off. I was one of those people.

It’s a simple case of cause and effect. And the economic crisis we are experiencing today is no exception. We are all feeling the effect of that ripple.

So, does living life in the divine flow mean that you will never encounter another obstacle or challenge in your life? Not at all. But the point I want to leave you with today is this: Living life in the divine flow is not about avoidance. It’s about responsiveness.

What’s important is not so much what happens in our lives, but how we respond to that. And when we respond with love—with understanding and compassion, and with an expectation of good—then we create a new ripple effect that is even more powerful than the original one, and much more positive.

In fact, there is no ripple in this world that is more powerful than the one created by a simple act of loving kindness. And when enough people choose to come from love instead of fear, the whole world can transform for the better in a heartbeat.

I could go and on about the miraculous effect of love, but I don’t need to. As “the flow” would have it, right after I was inspired to write this message, I received an email from one of my readers containing a link to a video that is titled . . . yes, you guessed it . . . The Ripple Effect.

I invite you to watch that video now as a fitting and uplifting end to my message for today. You will find it at the bottom of a webpage for the Humanity Healing Network. Just click on this link: http://humanityhealing.net/RippleEffect.htm

Blessings!

Steven

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com