August 1, 2010
Dear Friends,
Last week I wrote about the important role that forgiveness plays when it comes to living life in the divine flow. The general idea was that unforgiveness is an indication that you are in ego—a judgmental state of mind that limits your ability to be in the flow, because the ego is not open to divine direction.
I went on to suggest that you practice forgiveness by looking beyond a person’s outward behavior to see the innocent spirit that lives at the core of his or her being—that divine spirit that comprises his or her Authentic Self.
But what if you are still feeling extremely hurt or exceptionally angry over a perceived offense? What if you are willing to forgive, but willingness alone just doesn’t seem to be enough to get you over your emotional hurdle? Well, here is a technique I find helpful in instances like that:
Whenever I feel extremely judgmental towards someone, I imagine something that might have happened to that person as a child that would explain his or her behavior. Could that child have been abandoned, neglected, or ignored? Could that child have been given adult responsibilities too early in life? Could that child have been physically abused?
I then see the person that I need to forgive as still that child . . . still using the same coping mechanism that may have once served to protect him or her from an intolerable circumstance . . . or still behaving in a way in which he or she was conditioned to behave.
Whenever I do that, I immediately feel compassion for that individual, and forgiving him or her becomes much, much easier.
That doesn’t mean, however, that I condone that person’s behavior. And it doesn’t mean that I am going to tolerate that behavior any longer, either. I see nothing wrong with holding someone accountable for his or her actions, establishing boundaries to protect myself, and taking steps to shield others from being harmed, as well.
The difference is, I no longer condemn that person for their perceived shortcomings. Instead, through eyes of forgiveness, I look upon that individual as a wounded soul who wants nothing more than to be healed of that wound through my compassion and understanding.
Try it. You will be surprised at how quickly some situations transform when people sense that you are no longer attacking them with your judgments. And, of course, you will be amazed at how your forgiving attitude puts you right back in the flow . . . once again open-minded enough to receive and perceive G.O.D.—the Guidance Of the Divine.
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
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Forgiveness and The Divine Flow
July 25, 2010
Dear Friends,
I often write about the power of love, and how just a little bit of loving kindness dramatically enhances your ability to live life in the divine flow and fulfill your heart’s desires effortlessly. But love has many aspects. And one of the most important of those aspects is forgiveness.
Just as it is with loving kindness, practicing forgiveness becomes its own reward—healing you, freeing you, and restoring your sense of well-being. But it also has a very practical side benefit . . . that of improving your ability to move easily down the stream in the direction of your dreams.
The reason why is simple, really. As I frequently mention, living life in the divine flow is about being open and receptive to the guidance you are continually receiving from that creative, intelligent, all-pervading energy that is commonly called God . . . an energy that you are intimately connected to, whether you are consciously aware of it or not.
When you are unforgiving—that is, when you are blaming or resenting someone in your life—you are judging that person. And that creates a problem. Because the part of you that judges is your ego. And your ego is the part of you that is never open to divine direction.
Your ego is the part of you that literally "edges God out" . . . hence, E.G.O. When you are in ego, your mind is closed. And thus, you are no longer receptive to the helpful insights, inspiration, and intuitive guidance that come from the divine spirit within you. Instead, you must make choices based on information that comes solely from the material world around you—information that is always extremely limited and highly biased.
If you want to live life in the divine flow you must constantly practice forgiveness. Instead of blaming, seek understanding. Instead of shaming, have compassion. Take the time to look beyond a person's outward behavior to see the innocent spirit that lives at the core of his or her being. Remember that everyone is doing the best they can with the various limitations they have, and the emotional wounds they bear.
When you forgive, you will not only be opening yourself up to G.O.D.—the Guidance Of the Divine—but you may find yourself opening up to the very person who can help lead you to your highest good.
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
Dear Friends,
I often write about the power of love, and how just a little bit of loving kindness dramatically enhances your ability to live life in the divine flow and fulfill your heart’s desires effortlessly. But love has many aspects. And one of the most important of those aspects is forgiveness.
Just as it is with loving kindness, practicing forgiveness becomes its own reward—healing you, freeing you, and restoring your sense of well-being. But it also has a very practical side benefit . . . that of improving your ability to move easily down the stream in the direction of your dreams.
The reason why is simple, really. As I frequently mention, living life in the divine flow is about being open and receptive to the guidance you are continually receiving from that creative, intelligent, all-pervading energy that is commonly called God . . . an energy that you are intimately connected to, whether you are consciously aware of it or not.
When you are unforgiving—that is, when you are blaming or resenting someone in your life—you are judging that person. And that creates a problem. Because the part of you that judges is your ego. And your ego is the part of you that is never open to divine direction.
Your ego is the part of you that literally "edges God out" . . . hence, E.G.O. When you are in ego, your mind is closed. And thus, you are no longer receptive to the helpful insights, inspiration, and intuitive guidance that come from the divine spirit within you. Instead, you must make choices based on information that comes solely from the material world around you—information that is always extremely limited and highly biased.
If you want to live life in the divine flow you must constantly practice forgiveness. Instead of blaming, seek understanding. Instead of shaming, have compassion. Take the time to look beyond a person's outward behavior to see the innocent spirit that lives at the core of his or her being. Remember that everyone is doing the best they can with the various limitations they have, and the emotional wounds they bear.
When you forgive, you will not only be opening yourself up to G.O.D.—the Guidance Of the Divine—but you may find yourself opening up to the very person who can help lead you to your highest good.
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
Friday, July 16, 2010
Life's Divine Cairns
July 18, 2010
Dear Friends,
This weekend I am conducting another Divine Flow Retreat here in Sedona. The very first activity I offer in these retreats is a guided meditation on a Red Rock formation called Bell Rock. Many people believe that Bell Rock has amazing healing and energizing properties, and it is one of the most popular places in the area.
If you have spent any time in Sedona yourself, you probably know that it is not extraordinarily difficult to reach the higher parts of Bell Rock. However, without knowing the best way to ascend, you can easily run into a dozen dead ends, and repeatedly encounter crevices that cannot be crossed.
To make it easier for hikers to reach the higher vistas, the National Forest Service has placed piles of rocks called “cairns” to guide the way. When you travel from cairn to cairn, you are able to climb up Bell Rock in the most efficient and unobstructed way possible.
And so it is with the divine flow in your life.
When you follow your intuition, when you are open to the intuitive guidance of others, and when you pay attention to the divine signs that are all around you, you will find yourself being directed toward the fulfillment of your heart’s desires in a virtually effortless and obstruction-free manner.
That doesn’t mean that your path will always be direct—a straight line from where you are to where you want to be. Nor does it mean that your journey will always be swift. It is common to experience lots of twists and turns along the way, and reaching your chosen destination can take longer than you expected. But if you remain patient, and take one divinely guided step at a time—focusing only on the step that is right in front of you—your journey will still feel like a flow . . . a flow that is helping you get to your highest good in the most beneficial way possible.
Here’s to following life’s divine “cairns.” Here’s to noticing and heeding the divine markers that have been placed along the way to help you accomplish your goals without undue struggle or strain . . . and to help you reach even the loftiest of your dreams with effortless ease.
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
Dear Friends,
This weekend I am conducting another Divine Flow Retreat here in Sedona. The very first activity I offer in these retreats is a guided meditation on a Red Rock formation called Bell Rock. Many people believe that Bell Rock has amazing healing and energizing properties, and it is one of the most popular places in the area.
If you have spent any time in Sedona yourself, you probably know that it is not extraordinarily difficult to reach the higher parts of Bell Rock. However, without knowing the best way to ascend, you can easily run into a dozen dead ends, and repeatedly encounter crevices that cannot be crossed.
To make it easier for hikers to reach the higher vistas, the National Forest Service has placed piles of rocks called “cairns” to guide the way. When you travel from cairn to cairn, you are able to climb up Bell Rock in the most efficient and unobstructed way possible.
And so it is with the divine flow in your life.
When you follow your intuition, when you are open to the intuitive guidance of others, and when you pay attention to the divine signs that are all around you, you will find yourself being directed toward the fulfillment of your heart’s desires in a virtually effortless and obstruction-free manner.
That doesn’t mean that your path will always be direct—a straight line from where you are to where you want to be. Nor does it mean that your journey will always be swift. It is common to experience lots of twists and turns along the way, and reaching your chosen destination can take longer than you expected. But if you remain patient, and take one divinely guided step at a time—focusing only on the step that is right in front of you—your journey will still feel like a flow . . . a flow that is helping you get to your highest good in the most beneficial way possible.
Here’s to following life’s divine “cairns.” Here’s to noticing and heeding the divine markers that have been placed along the way to help you accomplish your goals without undue struggle or strain . . . and to help you reach even the loftiest of your dreams with effortless ease.
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
Saturday, July 10, 2010
It's About The Journey
June 11, 2010
Dear Friends,
Last week I wrote about the freedom you have to choose your destinations in life, and the freedom you have to pursue those goals and dreams by choosing to follow divine guidance . . . or not.
Naturally, if you continually ignore divine guidance, you are probably going to encounter more challenges along the way than you ordinarily would under consistent divine direction. However—that said—not every single challenge in your life is the consequence of making an unguided or misguided choice.
As I mentioned two weeks ago, some challenges you encounter in life are merely bends in the stream, and they will quickly transform into blessings if you cooperate with what is happening. Other challenges—as I mentioned in my message on April 18th—give you a much-needed chance to heal an emotional wound, or eliminate a limiting thought, so you can move down the stream toward your dreams more freely. In hindsight, those kinds of challenges can easily be seen as the divine flow at work in your life.
But what about the really major challenges that occur in life? What about the kind of unwanted circumstances that seem to come out of the blue, and severely test your ability to maintain any kind of positive outlook on life? What possible blessing can there be in the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one, or the diagnosis of a serious disease?
Even though most of my work is focused on the goals and dreams we have in life, and how best to reach them, in the end, life—as the saying goes—is not about the destination . . . it’s about the journey. And that journey is not about getting somewhere. It’s about being something.
Said more accurately, the journey of life is about the kind of person that you become during the journey. Or, more accurately still, it’s about remembering during the journey who you truly are—and always have been—at the core of your being . . . which is nothing less than an individual expression of Divine Love itself.
In my personal experience, nothing has given me the opportunity to get in touch with the Truth of my Being more than a major challenge has. Understandably, it is difficult to readily see an extremely unwelcome challenge as a “blessing.” However, when that challenge leads to a renewed appreciation for the sacredness of life, or when it helps you know first-hand what unconditional love and compassion truly feels like . . . well, you can’t help but feel blessed by the experience.
Remember that pursuing your goals and dreams in life is something that you will always be motivated to do, because it is in your nature as a divine creator to do so. But never lose sight of the fact that when all is said and done, the only thing that is truly important in life’s journey is how you have spiritually matured along the way—how you have grown in wisdom, deepened your faith, increased your gratitude, and expanded your ability to be the love that you are in every situation. And if you do successfully reach some or all of the destinations that you originally set out for in life . . . well, that’s even better!
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
Dear Friends,
Last week I wrote about the freedom you have to choose your destinations in life, and the freedom you have to pursue those goals and dreams by choosing to follow divine guidance . . . or not.
Naturally, if you continually ignore divine guidance, you are probably going to encounter more challenges along the way than you ordinarily would under consistent divine direction. However—that said—not every single challenge in your life is the consequence of making an unguided or misguided choice.
As I mentioned two weeks ago, some challenges you encounter in life are merely bends in the stream, and they will quickly transform into blessings if you cooperate with what is happening. Other challenges—as I mentioned in my message on April 18th—give you a much-needed chance to heal an emotional wound, or eliminate a limiting thought, so you can move down the stream toward your dreams more freely. In hindsight, those kinds of challenges can easily be seen as the divine flow at work in your life.
But what about the really major challenges that occur in life? What about the kind of unwanted circumstances that seem to come out of the blue, and severely test your ability to maintain any kind of positive outlook on life? What possible blessing can there be in the sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one, or the diagnosis of a serious disease?
Even though most of my work is focused on the goals and dreams we have in life, and how best to reach them, in the end, life—as the saying goes—is not about the destination . . . it’s about the journey. And that journey is not about getting somewhere. It’s about being something.
Said more accurately, the journey of life is about the kind of person that you become during the journey. Or, more accurately still, it’s about remembering during the journey who you truly are—and always have been—at the core of your being . . . which is nothing less than an individual expression of Divine Love itself.
In my personal experience, nothing has given me the opportunity to get in touch with the Truth of my Being more than a major challenge has. Understandably, it is difficult to readily see an extremely unwelcome challenge as a “blessing.” However, when that challenge leads to a renewed appreciation for the sacredness of life, or when it helps you know first-hand what unconditional love and compassion truly feels like . . . well, you can’t help but feel blessed by the experience.
Remember that pursuing your goals and dreams in life is something that you will always be motivated to do, because it is in your nature as a divine creator to do so. But never lose sight of the fact that when all is said and done, the only thing that is truly important in life’s journey is how you have spiritually matured along the way—how you have grown in wisdom, deepened your faith, increased your gratitude, and expanded your ability to be the love that you are in every situation. And if you do successfully reach some or all of the destinations that you originally set out for in life . . . well, that’s even better!
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
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Freedom and The Divine Flow
July 4, 2010
Dear Friends,
Sunday, July 4th is Independence Day, the day that we in the United States celebrate our right as a people to create our own futures and pursue our own dreams . . . free from oppressive and dictatorial rule.
But let us remember, too, that when it comes to our relationship with that Divine Intelligence that is commonly called God, every day is Independence Day . . . and should be recognized and celebrated as such.
Each and every day, you have the freedom to choose what you want to have in life, what you want to do in life, and what you want to be in life. And you have the freedom to pursue those goals in any way that you see fit.
That doesn’t mean that accomplishing those goals is totally up to you—and you alone. Quite the contrary. You are continually receiving divine assistance. You are constantly being divinely guided and supported in fulfilling your heart’s desires in the most beneficial way possible. But you will never be forced to do anything that you don't choose to do.
You always have the freedom—the independence—to follow divine guidance . . . or not. You can choose to row with the divine flow, and reach your chosen destinations with effortless ease. Or, you can choose to take a more arduous route, and row against the flow by ignoring or resisting divine direction. It's up to you.
The wonderful thing about your freedom of choice is this: Every choice you make in life—whether it is guided or unguided, divinely inspired or ego-driven—gives you an opportunity to learn from your experience, grow in wisdom and compassion, and ultimately discover more about your own divinely loving and creative nature.
But again, it's your choice. You can choose to learn and grow from the experiences you create . . . or not.
Here's to the joy that comes from creating our lives and living our lives by choice. May we always be grateful for the freedom we have to do that.
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
Dear Friends,
Sunday, July 4th is Independence Day, the day that we in the United States celebrate our right as a people to create our own futures and pursue our own dreams . . . free from oppressive and dictatorial rule.
But let us remember, too, that when it comes to our relationship with that Divine Intelligence that is commonly called God, every day is Independence Day . . . and should be recognized and celebrated as such.
Each and every day, you have the freedom to choose what you want to have in life, what you want to do in life, and what you want to be in life. And you have the freedom to pursue those goals in any way that you see fit.
That doesn’t mean that accomplishing those goals is totally up to you—and you alone. Quite the contrary. You are continually receiving divine assistance. You are constantly being divinely guided and supported in fulfilling your heart’s desires in the most beneficial way possible. But you will never be forced to do anything that you don't choose to do.
You always have the freedom—the independence—to follow divine guidance . . . or not. You can choose to row with the divine flow, and reach your chosen destinations with effortless ease. Or, you can choose to take a more arduous route, and row against the flow by ignoring or resisting divine direction. It's up to you.
The wonderful thing about your freedom of choice is this: Every choice you make in life—whether it is guided or unguided, divinely inspired or ego-driven—gives you an opportunity to learn from your experience, grow in wisdom and compassion, and ultimately discover more about your own divinely loving and creative nature.
But again, it's your choice. You can choose to learn and grow from the experiences you create . . . or not.
Here's to the joy that comes from creating our lives and living our lives by choice. May we always be grateful for the freedom we have to do that.
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
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