Disasters and The Flow, Part 2

January 24, 2010

Dear Friends,

With the arrival of rescue crews and doctors in Haiti, we are beginning to hear many joyful stories about people being pulled out of the rubble, and lives being miraculously saved. For countless thousands of earthquake survivors, however, there is not a lot to be joyful about. These people have forever lost cherished friends, beloved family members, and respected co-workers. And right now they are grieving.

Although one of the keys to living life in the divine flow is maintaining a positive attitude, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for that positive attitude to be genuine. That means that feelings like sadness and sorrow must be allowed to run their natural course, because only then can there be an authentic return to a more optimistic outlook on life.

As I mentioned just a few months ago, 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 pain in life. It is not the kind of pain that you bring upon yourself through needless worry or thoughtless actions. It is the kind of pain that occurs most often with the sudden and unexpected loss of someone, or something, 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 an unconscious 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, or anything else that occupies a special place in your heart, please know that kindred spirits the world over are supporting you in the restoration of your sense of well-being.

Blessings to you all.

Steven

© 2010 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com