October 23, 2011
Dear Friends,
In response to extremely challenging situations, one of the things you commonly hear people say is this: “Everything happens for a reason.” Well, I agree . . . in part.
I say “in part,” because when people say, “Everything happens for a reason,” they are usually referring to a “divine reason.” They are indicating that everything that happens—including every circumstance that seems unwanted—has been divinely orchestrated for our benefit . . . even though that benefit cannot be readily seen at the moment. But is every challenge we encounter in life actually there by divine design? Every single one?
Some challenges, no doubt, are divinely directed. As I mentioned in my last message, when your inner Divine Spirit purposely guides you into a challenging situation so you can heal or grow in some way, yes, that situation is certainly part of the divine flow for you. There are also situations that you may perceive to be unwanted challenges, but they transform on their own into something beneficial so quickly, you can easily see how those situations were little more than misunderstood “bends in the stream.”
But again, I ask, is there a divine reason for every single challenge you experience in your life?
What about the consequences you suffer when you continually ignore or overrule divine guidance—when you make misguided choices influenced by your ego, or make unguided choices because you are not paying attention to the divine signs. In that case, there is certainly a reason for what is happening. But is it a divine reason? I don’t think so.
What about the consequences you suffer when other people make misguided choices that ultimately affect your life. What happens is certainly happening for a reason. But again, is that reason of divine origin? Not the way I see it.
And what about natural disasters, such as a tornado that ravages one half of a town, but leaves the other half untouched? Or a light fixture that suddenly falls from the ceiling and injures the one person who happens to be standing underneath it? Personally, I believe that natural disasters are just that—natural, and not divinely governed. And freak accidents? Odd, but not orchestrated by God.
Friends, in a world where troublesome things often seem to happen randomly, trying to make sense out of it all is completely understandable. And to draw the conclusion that everything happens for a divine reason is also completely understandable. But the point I am building up to is this: Searching for reasons—divine or otherwise—is not always constructive . . . especially if turns into blaming others or shaming yourself for what has occurred.
If you can easily see the reason why something has happened, and you—or others—can learn a valuable lesson from that, terrific! But it is often difficult—if not impossible—to know with complete certainty why things happen the way they do. “Why?” is rarely the most important question you need to be asking. The most important questions you need to be asking are “How?” and “What?” How can I heal, grow, or benefit from this experience? And what is my next right step to help bring that good about?
Remember that no matter what has happened or why it has happened, there can always be a divine flow from that point on . . . a flow that directs you and supports you in a return to an overall experience of well-being, or even enhances your life in some way. Your job, as always, is remaining open and receptive enough to hear that still, small voice that is continually telling you the best way to help yourself, and to help all involved.
May you be positive enough to see the potential for good in everything that happens. May you be present enough to participate in the unfolding of that good. And may you be patient enough to allow that good to manifest in its own right time.
Steven
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© 2011 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Challenges Are "Par For The Course"
October 16, 2011
Dear Friends,
The home that Carol and I rent here in Sedona is in the middle of a large golf resort. When some friends of ours in Texas found out that we were living in a golfing community (even though we don’t play the game), they gave us a book called “Golf for Enlightenment” by Deepak Chopra.
One of the most interesting points that Chopra makes in his book is this: No matter how skilled and experienced you are at golf, there will always be days when you are just plain lousy at it. Instead of holding yourself up to an impossibly high standard of perfection, a more “enlightened” approach is to recognize that disappointing days are inevitable, and to keep those challenging times in their proper perspective.
And so it is with living life in the divine flow. No matter how good you think you are at following divine direction, there will always be days when you will not glide down the stream toward your dream with effortless ease. Instead, you will find yourself running into rocks or getting tied up in the reeds.
Why? There are numerous reasons why you might encounter uncomfortably challenging circumstances in your life. Here are five:
First, you have to remember that many of the situations in life that you consider to be undesirable are only undesirable from your personal point of view. Someone else who has a different history or belief system might easily take that very same challenge in stride. In other words, your situation may not be—in and of itself—particularly challenging. It just looks that way to you, and what you are actually experiencing may simply be a “bend in the stream”—a bend that may quickly transform into something very beneficial.
Second, some of the challenges you face in life are there because—on the level of your Spirit—you have specifically chosen to experience them. In other words, you may actually want these particular challenges to be in your life, so you can heal a long neglected emotional wound, or expand a limited way of being that is preventing you from living a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Third, quite a few of life’s challenges are simply the natural consequence of making too many misguided choices . . . choices made from fear instead of faith . . . choices that are not divinely guided or inspired, but are, in fact, ego-driven. Even if those choices were made with the best of intentions, decisions made from the ego—or based on the ego-advice of someone else whom you are “blindly” following—will never be in your best interest.
Fourth, many challenges you face in life are actually the result of misguided choices made by other people. I’m referring here to “the ripple effect.” Keep in mind that we are all interrelated and interconnected in ways that we can’t even begin to conceive of. So, when even one of us does not follow the Guidance of The Divine, and, instead, makes a choice out of fear or frustration, judgment or jealousy, that decision can possibly affect you and many others. It’s a simple matter of cause and effect.
And finally, some challenges are the natural result of going through life unguided—that is, you are just not paying attention. The divine signs and synchronicities are there, but you’re not present enough to notice them. Other people have been divinely inspired to guide you, but you’re ignoring them. Even your own intuition may be clearly speaking to you, but you’re not listening to it. Obviously, you are bound to get a little lost in life when you don’t know the best way to go!
Are you experiencing a trying time in your life right now? Rest assured, I am not going to tell you to think of this painful period as just “a bad round of golf.” No matter what is going on in your life, the discomfort you are experiencing is real, and I certainly don’t want to make light of that, or summarily dismiss it.
However, I do invite you to keep in mind what I suggest again and again in these messages: Every challenge you experience in your life—no matter what it is, or why it is there—can be a stepping-stone to your highest good. With the help of The Divine, it can become an opportunity for you to move closer to your dream . . . a chance for you to grow in compassion and wisdom . . . an occasion for you to heal what needs healing . . . or all of those things.
When it comes to living life in the divine flow, it helps to remember that disappointing days and trying times—when seen in their proper perspective—are “par for the course.”
Steven
Share
© 2011 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC
Dear Friends,
The home that Carol and I rent here in Sedona is in the middle of a large golf resort. When some friends of ours in Texas found out that we were living in a golfing community (even though we don’t play the game), they gave us a book called “Golf for Enlightenment” by Deepak Chopra.
One of the most interesting points that Chopra makes in his book is this: No matter how skilled and experienced you are at golf, there will always be days when you are just plain lousy at it. Instead of holding yourself up to an impossibly high standard of perfection, a more “enlightened” approach is to recognize that disappointing days are inevitable, and to keep those challenging times in their proper perspective.
And so it is with living life in the divine flow. No matter how good you think you are at following divine direction, there will always be days when you will not glide down the stream toward your dream with effortless ease. Instead, you will find yourself running into rocks or getting tied up in the reeds.
Why? There are numerous reasons why you might encounter uncomfortably challenging circumstances in your life. Here are five:
First, you have to remember that many of the situations in life that you consider to be undesirable are only undesirable from your personal point of view. Someone else who has a different history or belief system might easily take that very same challenge in stride. In other words, your situation may not be—in and of itself—particularly challenging. It just looks that way to you, and what you are actually experiencing may simply be a “bend in the stream”—a bend that may quickly transform into something very beneficial.
Second, some of the challenges you face in life are there because—on the level of your Spirit—you have specifically chosen to experience them. In other words, you may actually want these particular challenges to be in your life, so you can heal a long neglected emotional wound, or expand a limited way of being that is preventing you from living a more fulfilling and joyful life.
Third, quite a few of life’s challenges are simply the natural consequence of making too many misguided choices . . . choices made from fear instead of faith . . . choices that are not divinely guided or inspired, but are, in fact, ego-driven. Even if those choices were made with the best of intentions, decisions made from the ego—or based on the ego-advice of someone else whom you are “blindly” following—will never be in your best interest.
Fourth, many challenges you face in life are actually the result of misguided choices made by other people. I’m referring here to “the ripple effect.” Keep in mind that we are all interrelated and interconnected in ways that we can’t even begin to conceive of. So, when even one of us does not follow the Guidance of The Divine, and, instead, makes a choice out of fear or frustration, judgment or jealousy, that decision can possibly affect you and many others. It’s a simple matter of cause and effect.
And finally, some challenges are the natural result of going through life unguided—that is, you are just not paying attention. The divine signs and synchronicities are there, but you’re not present enough to notice them. Other people have been divinely inspired to guide you, but you’re ignoring them. Even your own intuition may be clearly speaking to you, but you’re not listening to it. Obviously, you are bound to get a little lost in life when you don’t know the best way to go!
Are you experiencing a trying time in your life right now? Rest assured, I am not going to tell you to think of this painful period as just “a bad round of golf.” No matter what is going on in your life, the discomfort you are experiencing is real, and I certainly don’t want to make light of that, or summarily dismiss it.
However, I do invite you to keep in mind what I suggest again and again in these messages: Every challenge you experience in your life—no matter what it is, or why it is there—can be a stepping-stone to your highest good. With the help of The Divine, it can become an opportunity for you to move closer to your dream . . . a chance for you to grow in compassion and wisdom . . . an occasion for you to heal what needs healing . . . or all of those things.
When it comes to living life in the divine flow, it helps to remember that disappointing days and trying times—when seen in their proper perspective—are “par for the course.”
Steven
Share
© 2011 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Your Creative Spirit
October 9, 2011
Dear Friends,
Like most people in the world, I was deeply saddened by the premature passing of Steve Jobs. Not since the death of John Lennon have I felt this kind of loss. It reminded me how much I value creative expression, and how much I admire those who tap into that inner source of pure inspiration, and pursue their dreams with both passion and patience.
There are those who point out that Steve Jobs was best at improving products that already existed. Perhaps so. But the innovations he introduced went way beyond tweaks and nudges. He had a way of looking at commonplace things like phones and music players and seeing their possibilities in radically new and inventive ways.
I think Steve Jobs is a wonderful example of how creative we can be, inspiring each of us to live our lives to their fullest creative potential. What’s that you say? You’re not creative? I beg to differ. As an individual expression of what many call “The Great Creator,” you are—at the heart of your being—nothing less than a Divine Creator in your own right. Creativity is as much a part of your innate nature as love is.
You don’t have to be an author, a painter, a musician, or an inventor to express your divinely creative nature. Everything in life can be used as a creative outlet. Whether you are decorating a house, raising a family, landscaping a yard, or developing a new business, nothing satisfies the soul more than creating something new in this world that didn’t exist before.
The challenge is letting go of all those limiting thoughts about yourself—and your perceived potential—that are confining you. Remember that your combination of talents, gifts and abilities is unlike anyone else’s . . . and you have something unique to contribute to this world in a way that absolutely nobody else can. Your job is to quiet your mind long enough to hear that inner creative Spirit that speaks to you through your intuition, and blesses you with divine insights and inspiration.
To quote Steve Jobs, himself:
Steven
Share
© 2011 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC
Dear Friends,
Like most people in the world, I was deeply saddened by the premature passing of Steve Jobs. Not since the death of John Lennon have I felt this kind of loss. It reminded me how much I value creative expression, and how much I admire those who tap into that inner source of pure inspiration, and pursue their dreams with both passion and patience.
There are those who point out that Steve Jobs was best at improving products that already existed. Perhaps so. But the innovations he introduced went way beyond tweaks and nudges. He had a way of looking at commonplace things like phones and music players and seeing their possibilities in radically new and inventive ways.
I think Steve Jobs is a wonderful example of how creative we can be, inspiring each of us to live our lives to their fullest creative potential. What’s that you say? You’re not creative? I beg to differ. As an individual expression of what many call “The Great Creator,” you are—at the heart of your being—nothing less than a Divine Creator in your own right. Creativity is as much a part of your innate nature as love is.
You don’t have to be an author, a painter, a musician, or an inventor to express your divinely creative nature. Everything in life can be used as a creative outlet. Whether you are decorating a house, raising a family, landscaping a yard, or developing a new business, nothing satisfies the soul more than creating something new in this world that didn’t exist before.
The challenge is letting go of all those limiting thoughts about yourself—and your perceived potential—that are confining you. Remember that your combination of talents, gifts and abilities is unlike anyone else’s . . . and you have something unique to contribute to this world in a way that absolutely nobody else can. Your job is to quiet your mind long enough to hear that inner creative Spirit that speaks to you through your intuition, and blesses you with divine insights and inspiration.
To quote Steve Jobs, himself:
“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”Here’s to quieting your mind, following your heart, and becoming an open channel for divine ideas to make their way into the world. Thank you, Steve, for reminding us what that looks like.
Steven
Share
© 2011 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC
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