Discernment and The Divine Flow

November 8, 2009

Dear Friends,

Last week I suggested that you refrain from acting hastily whenever someone encourages you to “push through” a problem—to “force your way forward,” so to speak. Although the accomplishment of a goal or dream may require a great deal of patience on your part, the divine flow will never ask you to “force” anything. Nor, usually, will it require you to endure extreme conditions of any kind. Generally speaking, the path of the flow is always one of grace and ease, even when it takes an unexpected turn.

Like most weeks, I received a lot of nice responses to my message. But this time, I noticed that most of the readers who wrote to me had gotten more out of my message than was actually spelled out in “black and white.” They read between the lines, and saw the bigger message that was implied.

Today, I want to go ahead and say what was left unsaid. And that is simply this: No matter what anyone encourages you to do, and no matter how much you respect their advice, opinions, or suggestions, it is up to you to decide what is best for you.

I am not asking you to ignore the suggestions of others. In fact—in addition to divine signs and synchronicities—one of the primary ways that you receive divine direction in life is through others. But never forget that your most valuable and reliable source of guidance is always your own intuition.

Even if someone makes a suggestion that sounds like it is “in the flow” and not at all forceful, it is still up to you to access you inner sense of “knowing” to decide whether that advice is right for you or not.

No matter what people say, or what the signs and synchronicities “seem” to indicate, it is always important to practice divine discernment—to get quiet, go within, and get in touch with that subtle, inner sense that helps you distinguish between “yes, this feels right for me,” or “no, this doesn’t feel like it is in my best interest.”

As Rev. Suzanne Bishop of Payson, Arizona wrote to me this week: “I have learned the importance of taking personal responsibility for my own well-being—to not allow anyone to override my internal guidance, and to resist the efforts of someone else to push me beyond what I intuit is good or safe for me at the time.”

Friends, it is helpful to receive guidance from “without”—from signs and synchronicities, and from friends, family, teachers, and other leaders. But for the most part, that information should just be used to confirm what your own heart is telling you. In the end, every decision that you make, and every action that you take, should be based on the wisdom that lies “within”—on the wisdom of your very own spirit.

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