May 31, 2009
Dear Friends,
A while back, a gentleman I know described a day when he was really “in the flow.” He told me how every single step that needed to be taken, was taken for him by an “Earth Angel.” He said he didn’t have to do much of anything to accomplish his goals for the day. Every desire was fulfilled divinely and effortlessly.
As I delved deeper into his story, however, I discovered that, in truth, his “angels” were simply friends and family members who were taking on responsibilities that were actually—as far as I could tell—his to take. He wasn’t pulling his own weight, so they pulled it for him.
Obviously, friends, living life in the divine flow is not about sitting in your boat and expecting other people to do all the rowing. Living life in the divine flow is about taking the steps that are yours to take. And there’s rarely a reason not to take those steps . . . because the kind of steps that the divine flow asks you to take are generally right in front of you and relatively easy to do.
Does that mean that you should never ask for help, and that you have to handle every single problem that comes along all by yourself? Of course not. When you genuinely need assistance in life, an “angel of the flow”—a helpful person that you know or don’t know—will be divinely directed to come to your aid. And there will always be plenty of things that the divine flow is handling on your behalf that you don’t even know about.
But all of that is quite different from one person feeling compelled to take up the slack caused by another person’s lack of action.
May we all have the kind of wisdom it takes to know what is truly ours to do in life . . . and not do. May we all have the kind awareness it takes to row our boats responsibly down the stream . . . as well as gently.
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
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
It's Not Always About You, Part 2
May 24, 2009
Dear Friends,
In my message a couple of weeks ago, I told a story that perfectly illustrated the point I wanted to make that day—the point that the divine flow is not always about you.
As I wrote, “Sometimes you are being divinely guided to say something or do something that will help someone else fulfill his or her dream . . . not necessarily yours. You may be guided to simply help another person live life more abundantly. Or, you may be guided to help another person live, period.” (To review the entire message, click here.)
After reading that story, Chris of Payson, Arizona, wrote to me and told me about his own experience with this particular aspect of the divine flow. And today I would like to share his example with you.
Friends, if there is anything else I can add to the idea that the divine flow is not “always about you,” it would simply be this: Contrary to the way some people have been describing the nature of the Universe lately, I do not see the Universe as some kind of “Genie” that can only act when we consciously command it to, and can only respond to our desires in a very literal, robotic manner.
To me, the Universe seems to be much more intelligent than that. It not only knows what we want on a conscious level, but it also knows what lies deep within our hearts. And it is constantly guiding us, leading us, and bringing us together in ways that can heal our lives . . . prosper our lives . . . and sometimes, even save our lives.
I think that kind of all-knowing, compassionate intelligence deserves a better title than mere “Genie.” I, for one, think another G-word is appropriate.
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
Dear Friends,
In my message a couple of weeks ago, I told a story that perfectly illustrated the point I wanted to make that day—the point that the divine flow is not always about you.
As I wrote, “Sometimes you are being divinely guided to say something or do something that will help someone else fulfill his or her dream . . . not necessarily yours. You may be guided to simply help another person live life more abundantly. Or, you may be guided to help another person live, period.” (To review the entire message, click here.)
After reading that story, Chris of Payson, Arizona, wrote to me and told me about his own experience with this particular aspect of the divine flow. And today I would like to share his example with you.
Dear Steven,
A few years ago I was driving home after picking up some groceries at the market. I usually make a quick stop at the Post Office along the way, but this time a “small voice within” kept telling me not to stop to pick up my mail. Instead, I was strongly directed to go home immediately. I didn’t understand this message, but I followed this strange, intuitive nudge anyway.
As I drove down the street near my home, I was surprised to spot a small boy standing right in the middle of the road! He was only about a year old, and was still dressed in his pajamas. I quickly pulled over to the side of the road, got out of my car, and walked up the child.
As I unsuccessfully tried to find out from the little boy where he lived, another motorist stopped behind me. Then, suddenly, the boy’s father came running up to retrieve his son, and took him safely home.
Like you said, Steven, the divine flow is not always about me. That day in particular I felt like I was being divinely guided to help someone else . . . someone who was in danger, and who needed help.
Chris
Friends, if there is anything else I can add to the idea that the divine flow is not “always about you,” it would simply be this: Contrary to the way some people have been describing the nature of the Universe lately, I do not see the Universe as some kind of “Genie” that can only act when we consciously command it to, and can only respond to our desires in a very literal, robotic manner.
To me, the Universe seems to be much more intelligent than that. It not only knows what we want on a conscious level, but it also knows what lies deep within our hearts. And it is constantly guiding us, leading us, and bringing us together in ways that can heal our lives . . . prosper our lives . . . and sometimes, even save our lives.
I think that kind of all-knowing, compassionate intelligence deserves a better title than mere “Genie.” I, for one, think another G-word is appropriate.
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
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Serenity Prayer & The Divine Flow
May 17, 2009
Dear Friends,
It is not uncommon for aspiring authors to send me their manuscripts. They usually do so for one of two reasons: They are either seeking an endorsement from me for their work, or they want permission to reference something from my book in theirs.
I recently received a manuscript from Dan in Mesa, Arizona, who will soon be publishing a book on the insights he has gained from an in-depth study of The Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Niebuhr. You know the prayer, don’t you? The popularized version reads:
Similar to the message of joy and ease contained in the song, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” Dan demonstrates how the message in the Serenity Prayer can help you live a life of greater happiness and satisfaction.
What I especially like is Dan’s exploration of the relationship between the words “serenity,” “wisdom,” and “courage.” Although it is true that serenity can help you accept the things you cannot change, it often works the other way around. When you become willing to accept the things that cannot be changed, serenity almost always ensues. From that serenity, your inner wisdom has a chance to arise. And with that wisdom—and the sense of surety that it elicits—comes the courage to take any action that may be called for . . . if any action is called for at all.
So it is with living life in the divine flow:
When things don’t seem to be going your way, and all of your attempts to force a particular outcome aren’t working very well, perhaps it is time to admit that you are rowing against the flow—a current that cannot be changed—and it is time for you to simply accept what is.
From your acceptance comes the sense of peace that is needed to be open and receptive to divine inspiration. And from that divine inspiration, your next right step becomes clear.
Now you begin to row with the flow, rather than against it. Instead of struggling to change the unchangeable, with confidence you begin taking the actions that you not only can take, but should take, and are being divinely directed to take.
In short, when you live a life ruled by the serenity that comes from acceptance, the wisdom that comes from serenity, and the courage that comes from wisdom, experiencing the divine flow in your life is virtually guaranteed.
May your life be one of continual peace, unending inspiration, and constant confidence. That’s my prayer for you, my friends.
Steven
*NOTE: Dan’s research indicates that the original version of this prayer is:
Notice in particular the word “should.” It is important to remember that just because you can change something, that doesn’t mean that you should change it. Always seek divine guidance to make sure that any action you are considering taking is positive and appropriate.
© 2009 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Dear Friends,
It is not uncommon for aspiring authors to send me their manuscripts. They usually do so for one of two reasons: They are either seeking an endorsement from me for their work, or they want permission to reference something from my book in theirs.
I recently received a manuscript from Dan in Mesa, Arizona, who will soon be publishing a book on the insights he has gained from an in-depth study of The Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Niebuhr. You know the prayer, don’t you? The popularized version reads:
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can;
and the wisdom to know the difference.*
Similar to the message of joy and ease contained in the song, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” Dan demonstrates how the message in the Serenity Prayer can help you live a life of greater happiness and satisfaction.
What I especially like is Dan’s exploration of the relationship between the words “serenity,” “wisdom,” and “courage.” Although it is true that serenity can help you accept the things you cannot change, it often works the other way around. When you become willing to accept the things that cannot be changed, serenity almost always ensues. From that serenity, your inner wisdom has a chance to arise. And with that wisdom—and the sense of surety that it elicits—comes the courage to take any action that may be called for . . . if any action is called for at all.
So it is with living life in the divine flow:
When things don’t seem to be going your way, and all of your attempts to force a particular outcome aren’t working very well, perhaps it is time to admit that you are rowing against the flow—a current that cannot be changed—and it is time for you to simply accept what is.
From your acceptance comes the sense of peace that is needed to be open and receptive to divine inspiration. And from that divine inspiration, your next right step becomes clear.
Now you begin to row with the flow, rather than against it. Instead of struggling to change the unchangeable, with confidence you begin taking the actions that you not only can take, but should take, and are being divinely directed to take.
In short, when you live a life ruled by the serenity that comes from acceptance, the wisdom that comes from serenity, and the courage that comes from wisdom, experiencing the divine flow in your life is virtually guaranteed.
May your life be one of continual peace, unending inspiration, and constant confidence. That’s my prayer for you, my friends.
Steven
*NOTE: Dan’s research indicates that the original version of this prayer is:
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed;
courage to change the things that should be changed;
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Notice in particular the word “should.” It is important to remember that just because you can change something, that doesn’t mean that you should change it. Always seek divine guidance to make sure that any action you are considering taking is positive and appropriate.
© 2009 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Happy Day, Mother!
May 10, 2009
Dear Friends,
Sunday, May 10th is the day we celebrate the women in our lives who conceived us, gave birth to us, and nurtured us as we began to establish our own individual identities in the world.
As I contemplate the beauty of motherhood on this special day, I can't help but notice the similarity between motherhood and manifesting.
What similarity, exactly?
Well, as I have mentioned many times before, you are an innately creative being. No matter how happy and fulfilled you are, you will always be conceiving of things you want to have, do, or be in your life. Through your words and your actions you will constantly be giving birth to your ideas—to your desires, goals, and dreams. And by giving them your love and attention, you will continually be in the process of nurturing your creations—of helping them to grow into full expression.
In other words, whether you are male or female, whether you have brought a child into this world or not, in many respects you are—at the core of your being—a mother . . . someone who is divinely designed to bring something new and beautiful into this world.
As you pay tribute to your mother (or mothers), and to all the mothers living in the world around you, I invite you to take a moment to also honor the mother living in the world within you.
Take a moment to celebrate that motherly part of you that is an open chamber for receiving divine ideas, and an open channel for bringing those beautiful ideas into the world, and giving them life.
Here's to the joy of motherhood!
And here's to the peace that comes from knowing that the whole universe is willing to help you with that wonderful and immensely fulfilling work.
Happy Day, Mother!
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
Dear Friends,
Sunday, May 10th is the day we celebrate the women in our lives who conceived us, gave birth to us, and nurtured us as we began to establish our own individual identities in the world.
As I contemplate the beauty of motherhood on this special day, I can't help but notice the similarity between motherhood and manifesting.
What similarity, exactly?
Well, as I have mentioned many times before, you are an innately creative being. No matter how happy and fulfilled you are, you will always be conceiving of things you want to have, do, or be in your life. Through your words and your actions you will constantly be giving birth to your ideas—to your desires, goals, and dreams. And by giving them your love and attention, you will continually be in the process of nurturing your creations—of helping them to grow into full expression.
In other words, whether you are male or female, whether you have brought a child into this world or not, in many respects you are—at the core of your being—a mother . . . someone who is divinely designed to bring something new and beautiful into this world.
As you pay tribute to your mother (or mothers), and to all the mothers living in the world around you, I invite you to take a moment to also honor the mother living in the world within you.
Take a moment to celebrate that motherly part of you that is an open chamber for receiving divine ideas, and an open channel for bringing those beautiful ideas into the world, and giving them life.
Here's to the joy of motherhood!
And here's to the peace that comes from knowing that the whole universe is willing to help you with that wonderful and immensely fulfilling work.
Happy Day, Mother!
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
Saturday, May 2, 2009
It's Not Always About You
May 3, 2009
Dear Friends,
Last week I ended my message with this statement: “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!”
The context for that statement was the idea that your next divinely guided step may not appear to be related to any specific desire that you have, but in a way that you simply cannot see, it is. And it will help you fulfill that desire in a remarkable effortless manner.
Today I want to give you another good reason to “do it anyway.” That reason is based on the fact that we accomplish very little in life all by ourselves. In almost every case, what you want to manifest in your life will require—to one degree or another—the assistance and cooperation of others.
In other words—in a very real sense—we are all in the same boat! There are people who are in your life to help you move forward. And you are in other people’s lives to help them move forward.
Which brings me to the point of today’s message: The divine flow is not always about you! Sometimes you are being divinely guided to say something or do something that will help someone else fulfill his or her dream . . . not necessarily yours. You may be guided to simply help another person live life more abundantly. Or, you may be guided to help another person live, period. Because this guidance is not about “you,” it may puzzle you at first.
One of my readers named Michael recently shared this wonderful example with me:
Michael was driving down the road one evening when that “still, small voice within” instructed him to stop at the grocery store and buy some bottled water. He really didn’t see the need to buy bottled water at that moment, but the “voice” persisted. No matter how much he tried to dismiss it, this intuitive nudge remained very clear and very strong.
So, he followed this apparent divine direction and stopped at the store. The second he walked in, he received another clear instruction to go down an aisle to the left. Again, he tried to dismiss this idea because he knew that water wasn’t located on that particular aisle. But the message was so clear and so strong, he honored it once more and walked over to that section.
There, Michael ran into a friend of his that he hadn’t seen in quite some time. He told his friend that he had felt intuitively guided to stop at the store and come down that particular aisle, but he didn’t know why. It just didn’t make sense.
At that point, his friend became visibly emotional. The friend explained that he had just received some very disturbing news, and eventually confessed that he was on the verge of doing something that, for him, would be extremely self-destructive.
As the two talked, Michael came to understand that he had been divinely directed to this store for a very good reason . . . and it wasn’t just to get some water. It was so he could help his friend deal with his sorrow in a much more productive manner. Which is exactly what Michael did. He offered to spend the evening with his friend, and the healing that took place during their time together was nothing short of miraculous.
So, my friends, do you want to live your life in the divine flow? Then remember to treat everyone you meet as an angel that is there to help you move forward. But more than that, remember that you are an angel yourself! Always remain open to divine guidance—even when that guidance doesn’t seem to have a whole lot to do with your life. Just do it . . . anyway!
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
Dear Friends,
Last week I ended my message with this statement: “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!”
The context for that statement was the idea that your next divinely guided step may not appear to be related to any specific desire that you have, but in a way that you simply cannot see, it is. And it will help you fulfill that desire in a remarkable effortless manner.
Today I want to give you another good reason to “do it anyway.” That reason is based on the fact that we accomplish very little in life all by ourselves. In almost every case, what you want to manifest in your life will require—to one degree or another—the assistance and cooperation of others.
In other words—in a very real sense—we are all in the same boat! There are people who are in your life to help you move forward. And you are in other people’s lives to help them move forward.
Which brings me to the point of today’s message: The divine flow is not always about you! Sometimes you are being divinely guided to say something or do something that will help someone else fulfill his or her dream . . . not necessarily yours. You may be guided to simply help another person live life more abundantly. Or, you may be guided to help another person live, period. Because this guidance is not about “you,” it may puzzle you at first.
One of my readers named Michael recently shared this wonderful example with me:
Michael was driving down the road one evening when that “still, small voice within” instructed him to stop at the grocery store and buy some bottled water. He really didn’t see the need to buy bottled water at that moment, but the “voice” persisted. No matter how much he tried to dismiss it, this intuitive nudge remained very clear and very strong.
So, he followed this apparent divine direction and stopped at the store. The second he walked in, he received another clear instruction to go down an aisle to the left. Again, he tried to dismiss this idea because he knew that water wasn’t located on that particular aisle. But the message was so clear and so strong, he honored it once more and walked over to that section.
There, Michael ran into a friend of his that he hadn’t seen in quite some time. He told his friend that he had felt intuitively guided to stop at the store and come down that particular aisle, but he didn’t know why. It just didn’t make sense.
At that point, his friend became visibly emotional. The friend explained that he had just received some very disturbing news, and eventually confessed that he was on the verge of doing something that, for him, would be extremely self-destructive.
As the two talked, Michael came to understand that he had been divinely directed to this store for a very good reason . . . and it wasn’t just to get some water. It was so he could help his friend deal with his sorrow in a much more productive manner. Which is exactly what Michael did. He offered to spend the evening with his friend, and the healing that took place during their time together was nothing short of miraculous.
So, my friends, do you want to live your life in the divine flow? Then remember to treat everyone you meet as an angel that is there to help you move forward. But more than that, remember that you are an angel yourself! Always remain open to divine guidance—even when that guidance doesn’t seem to have a whole lot to do with your life. Just do it . . . anyway!
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
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