A Step Already Taken?

April 26, 2009

Dear Friends,

At one of my workshops last weekend, a participant asked me if I had undergone formal training to be a public speaker. My reply was no. However, I told her that fairly early in life I was encouraged to be in some amateur theater productions, which helped me get over my painfully shy nature at the time. I also told her that I was frequently required in my advertising career to formally present my ideas to small groups of people. And later in life, I was asked to teach an adult class at my church—which I happily did week after week for 8 years.

The result of those experiences was this: Once I determined that my next right step in life was to share the principles in my book by speaking to organizations and congregations all across the country, that step was a virtually effortless one for me to take.

Does that mean that all of those prior experiences were divinely orchestrated to make it easier for me to do the work that I am currently doing? That is certainly possible. All I know for sure is the following: Sometimes you are already taking your next right step, and you don’t even realize it.

Once in a while there are activities that you engage in, either by choice or by necessity, that turn out to be very helpful steps in the unfolding of your good. Even the message you are reading right now is an example of that.

After publishing Row, Row, Row Your Boat, it was my intention to write a follow-up book. But I never felt like I had the time to sit down and do it.

One day, a friend of mine asked me to send her regular notices about my ever-changing speaking schedule. That same week, two more people requested the same thing. So, sensing that this was the divine flow, I began to honor those requests, and my weekly inspirational email was born.

I had been sending out these emails for about six months, when someone asked me if I was going to write a second book. As usual, I replied that I would like to write a second book, but I just didn't have the time. And then this person said to me, “Couldn’t your weekly messages be your second book?”

At that moment I realized two things. Not only could my messages be my second book, they would be my second book! And better yet, it was already partially written! I was already taking the step I needed to take to fulfill my desire, and I didn't even know it. And later this year, it looks like that goal of finishing book number two will finally be accomplished.

The “moral” to these stories? Simply this: If you are feeling divinely inspired to take a certain action, but it doesn’t “seem” to have anything to do with accomplishing a particular goal that you have in mind . . . do it anyway! You never know what it may lead to, what it may prepare you for, or how it may help you realize a dream.

Steven

© 2009 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com