September 27, 2009
Dear Friends,
As long as you have the divine right to choose freely, life can—and undoubtedly will—have its challenges.
Your conscious and unconscious freewill choices, combined with the conscious and unconscious freewill choices of others, can quickly carry you out of the flow and into some fairly undesirable situations. You may suddenly encounter rocks and rapids, instead of more calm and tranquil waters.
In those circumstances you may experience fear, sadness, disappointment, or anger. But believe it or not, underneath it all, there will also be . . . joy. Not joy in the typical sense of feeling elated in the moment, but the joy of your spirit—a kind of joy that embraces all of life and living . . . not just the peaceful parts.
Consider this: When you go to an amusement park, don’t you choose to go on the scary rides as well as the pleasant ones? Why is that? Isn’t it because you feel fundamentally safe? And isn’t it the combination of contrasting experiences that brings you joy?
So it is with your divine spirit. To your spirit, life is one, big amusement park. And as an eternal being, your spirit always feels safe enough to enjoy (have joy in) the experience of life as a whole.
In times of stress or distress, remember to take a moment to affirm who you truly are at the core of your being. In prayer and meditation, consciously connect with your divine essence—your eternal spirit—and get in touch with the joy that resides there.
It’s the joy of just being alive and in the world. And it’s a joy that is there no matter what part of the stream you happen to be in . . . or what kind of ride you happen to be on.
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, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Life's Divine Cairns
September 20, 2009
Dear Friends,
As most of you are well aware, this year I started offering Divine Flow Retreats 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 here.
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 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,” my friends. Here’s to noticing and heeding the divine markers that have been placed along the way to help us accomplish our goals without undue struggle or strain . . . and to help us reach even the loftiest of our dreams with effortless ease.
Steven
P.S. To see a photo of Bell Rock and one of its cairns, click here.
© 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,
As most of you are well aware, this year I started offering Divine Flow Retreats 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 here.
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 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,” my friends. Here’s to noticing and heeding the divine markers that have been placed along the way to help us accomplish our goals without undue struggle or strain . . . and to help us reach even the loftiest of our dreams with effortless ease.
Steven
P.S. To see a photo of Bell Rock and one of its cairns, click here.
© 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, September 11, 2009
The Divine Flow & The Illusion of Control
September 13, 2009
Dear Friends,
On the page of my website that is titled ABOUT THE AUTHOR, there is a sentence that says I am “a recovering control-freak.” Notice the word recovering. It doesn’t say recovered.
Yes, even though I am one of the world’s foremost masters at living life in the divine flow (a great big smile and a wink go here), when something happens that “threatens” me, I am occasionally challenged by the urge to make a decision, or take an action, for the sole purpose of making me feel secure again.
I am not talking here about divinely guided decisions or divinely directed actions. I am talking about choices that fool me into feeling like I am in the “driver’s seat” again—that I am in control of the situation, and thus, in control of my future. But am I ever really in control? Are any of us ever really in control of anything?
The answer is, of course, no. Control is merely an illusion. No matter how well we have organized our lives, and no matter much we think we have all of our “ducks in a row,” life can—and frequently does—surprise us.
Now, that doesn’t mean that you should never make any plans. You may be surprised to know that I am actually a very big planner. But—and this is what’s key—I am willing to alter or let go of my plans quickly, because I recognize that life can change things in the blink of an eye. Planning is not a problem in itself. Remaining rigidly attached to a plan is the problem.
To live life in the divine flow is to accept the uncertainty of life, and find your security in the knowledge that no matter what happens—or why—the divine flow continues to guide you to your highest good from right where you are, wherever you are.
Living life in the divine flow is not about taking a step in order to feel secure again. It is about taking a step that arises out of the security you already feel—the security that comes from knowing that you are always divinely protected because you are always being divinely directed.
Your job is to be patient enough, prayerful enough, introspective enough, and observant enough to discern that divine direction in the midst of changing, surprising, or unwanted circumstances.
Here’s to us all becoming Masters of The Flow . . . rather than Masters of Illusion.
Steven
P.S. For those of you who like to listen to spiritual material on your portable digital players, my Audio Book is now available as a digital download. For more information about that, visit the order page on my website at http://www.rowrowrow.com/order.html.
© 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,
On the page of my website that is titled ABOUT THE AUTHOR, there is a sentence that says I am “a recovering control-freak.” Notice the word recovering. It doesn’t say recovered.
Yes, even though I am one of the world’s foremost masters at living life in the divine flow (a great big smile and a wink go here), when something happens that “threatens” me, I am occasionally challenged by the urge to make a decision, or take an action, for the sole purpose of making me feel secure again.
I am not talking here about divinely guided decisions or divinely directed actions. I am talking about choices that fool me into feeling like I am in the “driver’s seat” again—that I am in control of the situation, and thus, in control of my future. But am I ever really in control? Are any of us ever really in control of anything?
The answer is, of course, no. Control is merely an illusion. No matter how well we have organized our lives, and no matter much we think we have all of our “ducks in a row,” life can—and frequently does—surprise us.
Now, that doesn’t mean that you should never make any plans. You may be surprised to know that I am actually a very big planner. But—and this is what’s key—I am willing to alter or let go of my plans quickly, because I recognize that life can change things in the blink of an eye. Planning is not a problem in itself. Remaining rigidly attached to a plan is the problem.
To live life in the divine flow is to accept the uncertainty of life, and find your security in the knowledge that no matter what happens—or why—the divine flow continues to guide you to your highest good from right where you are, wherever you are.
Living life in the divine flow is not about taking a step in order to feel secure again. It is about taking a step that arises out of the security you already feel—the security that comes from knowing that you are always divinely protected because you are always being divinely directed.
Your job is to be patient enough, prayerful enough, introspective enough, and observant enough to discern that divine direction in the midst of changing, surprising, or unwanted circumstances.
Here’s to us all becoming Masters of The Flow . . . rather than Masters of Illusion.
Steven
P.S. For those of you who like to listen to spiritual material on your portable digital players, my Audio Book is now available as a digital download. For more information about that, visit the order page on my website at http://www.rowrowrow.com/order.html.
© 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, September 5, 2009
Dealing With Loss Once Again
September 6, 2009
Dear Friends,
Once again, wildfires have raced across parts of California, scorching the earth, and destroying dozens and dozens of homes. And once again, I saw television interviews with several families who lost their homes in these tragic fires.
It was nice to see that all of these people recognized that, in the largest sense, life is not about things. It is about love. And even though their houses—and all of the things in them—were gone, each of these families felt extremely grateful and blessed to still have each other.
The loss of one’s home, however, is still a very real—and very significant—loss. And once again I think it is important to acknowledge that fact.
A home, as you well know, is much more than bricks and mortar, stucco and tile. It is much more than a structure, a shelter, or even—in some cases—a work of art. A home is a box of memories, containing cherished mementos, souvenirs, keepsakes, heirlooms, and photographs. All of those treasured things are physical symbols of the people and the experiences in our lives that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
Although the memories themselves remain intact, it is still understandably tragic when the “memory collage” that one has spent a lifetime constructing, has been destroyed by fire, wind, water, or a shift in the earth itself.
As I often mention, one of the keys to living life in the divine flow is maintaining a positive attitude. But that positive attitude must be genuine. And that means that feelings such as grief, sadness, and sorrow must first be allowed to run their natural course.
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 something, or someone, 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, a beloved pet, or anything else that occupies an important place in your heart, please know that kindred spirits the world over are supporting you in the restoration of your sense of wholeness, and the recovery of your sense of peace.
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,
Once again, wildfires have raced across parts of California, scorching the earth, and destroying dozens and dozens of homes. And once again, I saw television interviews with several families who lost their homes in these tragic fires.
It was nice to see that all of these people recognized that, in the largest sense, life is not about things. It is about love. And even though their houses—and all of the things in them—were gone, each of these families felt extremely grateful and blessed to still have each other.
The loss of one’s home, however, is still a very real—and very significant—loss. And once again I think it is important to acknowledge that fact.
A home, as you well know, is much more than bricks and mortar, stucco and tile. It is much more than a structure, a shelter, or even—in some cases—a work of art. A home is a box of memories, containing cherished mementos, souvenirs, keepsakes, heirlooms, and photographs. All of those treasured things are physical symbols of the people and the experiences in our lives that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
Although the memories themselves remain intact, it is still understandably tragic when the “memory collage” that one has spent a lifetime constructing, has been destroyed by fire, wind, water, or a shift in the earth itself.
As I often mention, one of the keys to living life in the divine flow is maintaining a positive attitude. But that positive attitude must be genuine. And that means that feelings such as grief, sadness, and sorrow must first be allowed to run their natural course.
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 something, or someone, 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, a beloved pet, or anything else that occupies an important place in your heart, please know that kindred spirits the world over are supporting you in the restoration of your sense of wholeness, and the recovery of your sense of peace.
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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