Thanks For Everything!

November 22, 2011

 Dear Friends,

The fourth Thursday in November is when citizens of the United States celebrate Thanksgiving Day.  It’s a day when we express gratitude for all the things in our lives that we really do appreciate, but often forget to be consciously thankful for, such as food, family, and friends.

Well, here’s a challenge for you:  Can you also be thankful for the things in your life that you do not appreciate?  Can you be thankful for the people in your life that you hold resentments against?  Can you be thankful for the circumstances in your life that have brought you discomfort, or even pain?

Yes, you can . . . if you see those challenges as opportunities to discover what your blocks to loving are.  Yes, you can . . . if you see those challenges as opportunities to heal wounds you may have forgotten you have.  Yes, you can . . . if you see those challenges as opportunities to remember how precious life is, and to renew your appreciation for it.

When you look at the challenges in your life as opportunities to mature emotionally and spiritually, everything that occurs in your life can be viewed as a blessing.  And blessings are something that you are thankful for, right?

So this Thanksgiving, next Thanksgiving, and every day in between, be thankful not only for the “good” in your life, but also for what you judge to be “not so good.”

Be thankful for the entire experience of life, including the opportunities it gives you to grow in wisdom and compassion.

Be thankful for the entire experience of life, including the opportunities it gives you to grow in your ability to love others—and to love yourself—unconditionally.

Be thankful for the entire experience of life, including the opportunities it gives you to remember that life itself is a sacred gift—a gift that is meant to be enjoyed to its fullest, and never taken for granted.

I invite you to join me in giving thanks today and every day . . . for everything.

Steven

©2012 by Steven Lane Taylor

www.rowrowrow.com

Steven Lane Taylor, LLC

Ascending To "See" Level

November 11, 2012

Dear Friends,

Three weeks ago, Carol and I vacationed for five days in Destin, Florida—a seaside town that’s famous for its beautiful, white-sand beaches and emerald-colored waters.  Our trip began with a two-hour drive from our home in Sedona, Arizona to the airport in Phoenix.  As we left our house—which sits at an elevation of 4,000 feet—Carol remarked, “Well, we’re on our way to sea level!” I jokingly replied, “Great! I wonder what we’ll see at that level.”

It was just a little play on words, but when I said it, I was reminded of a profound truth: that what we “see” in our lives depends a lot on what “level” we are at in our consciousness.

At a lower level of consciousness—when we are influenced by the fears of the ego—we tend to see other people as burdening, irritating, or even threatening.  And when circumstances vary from what we planned on or expected, we tend to see those situations as something that is “bad” . . . something that must be immediately corrected or changed through manipulation and control.

At a higher level of consciousness—when we are consciously connected to the Higher Self within—we see something quite different.  We see things that the eyes of the ego are totally blind to:

For one, we see everyone around us as our brothers and sisters in essence. We are able to see beyond appearances and look past behaviors to behold the innocent Divine Sprit that lies within each and every person on this planet—a Universal Spirit that connects us all.

And when we are confronted with an unwanted situation?  Well, we are more easily able to see the potential for good that lies within that situation.  Plus—even better—we are able to more clearly see what steps we need to take to help bring that good into being.  We are able to recognize the divine signs and synchronicities that are pointing us in a particular direction.  And we are able to access the insights of our inner sight—that inner guidance system we call our intuition.

So how do we reach that higher level of consciousness that enables us to see life more clearly, more accurately, and more lovingly?   How do we connect to that Higher Self that always sees above and beyond what our mortal eyes behold?

I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating: A daily practice of meditation is the most helpful thing we can do to rise above the fearful and self-serving thoughts of the ego.  Just twenty minutes each morning is enough to help us reconnect to that All-Seeing Spirit that lies within each and every one of us.

So, my friends, here’s to the beauty we behold in the physical world whenever we descend to sea level—the level where sparkling emerald-colored waves wash over pristine white-sand beaches.

But even more importantly, here’s to the even greater beauty we behold whenever we ascend to see level.  It’s the level where our eyes are truly open—the level where we are able to see what our inner Spirit always sees: nothing but good, and the potential for good . . . in everyone . . . and everything.

Steven

© 2012 by Steven Lane Taylor

www.rowrowrow.com

Steven Lane Taylor, LLC