Saturday, August 30, 2008

Labor Day & The Flow

August 31, 2008

Dear Friends,

In both the United States and Canada, the first Monday in September is Labor Day, a day when we honor the hard-working men and women in this world by taking a day off from our labors to pursue more pleasurable activities.

When you live your life in the divine flow, however, even "labor" can be a pleasurable activity. Instead of being "work that requires strenuous effort," as labor is defined by Webster, labor can actually be an endeavor of effortless ease.

When you follow divine guidance, and concentrate only on taking the next right step that is right in front of you, you can find yourself accomplishing the grandest of goals without undue stress, strain, or struggle.

That doesn't necessarily mean that the realization of your dream will be swift. Nor does it necessarily mean that your journey will be direct, and free of unexpected twists, turns, and detours. It simply means that—when you stay centered in the present moment, and stay focused only what you are being divinely directed to do right here and right now—even the most daunting of tasks can be undertaken with a sense of peace and grace.

So enjoy your Labor Day, my friends. And remember, when you live your life in the divine flow, every day can be Labor Day—every day can be a holiday from self-imposed burdens and unnecessary suffering.

Steven

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow

Friday, August 22, 2008

You Are Worthy!

August 24, 2008

Dear Friends,

Because it’s my birthday, August 24th is a very special day for me. But this year, it is twice as special, because it is also the day that my new grandson will be christened.

Regardless of what christening may mean in various religious circles, I like to think of christening as a ceremony in which the true identity of a baby is named and proclaimed. And what is that true identity? The same identity that you, and I, and everyone on this planet share: We are all children of God—individual expressions of the Divine. And as such, we are all divinely privileged, divinely protected, and divinely loved.

To receive this love we don’t have to do a single thing. Just the fact that we exist—just being—is cause enough for celebration. And, as children of the Divine, we are all divinely entitled to lives of peace, prosperity, and fulfillment.

Unfortunately, we don’t always feel this sense of divine entitlement, do we? Instead of feeling that we have a divine right to whatever it is we want to have, do, or be in life, we may feel that we don’t deserve to have our dreams come true. We may feel that we are not good enough, or smart enough, or capable enough. In a word, we may feel that we are not “worthy.”

This is a big issue, because our thoughts about ourselves influence the choices that we make in life. And choices based on feelings of low self-worth can easily sabotage our ability to fulfill our heart’s desires.

I wish there was a magic wand I could wave that would cause every single person on this planet to immediately recognize his or her innate worth as a beloved child of the Divine. Obviously, I don’t have a wand like that. However, I do have a helpful tool. It is an affirmation that “wrote itself” through me a few years ago.

Although August 24th is a day when gifts are typically given to me, today I offer this affirmation as a gift to you. You will find it included below.

Happy Being Day!

Steven


AN AFFIRMATION OF WORTH

God is All That Is.
And I am part of All That Is.
Without me, part of God would be missing.
And God would not be God.

Therefore,
let me acknowledge and honor
my innate worth as a vital part of God.
It is through me that God knows God’s Self
in a way that no other experience can duplicate.
God cherishes my existence,
and it is God’s great pleasure
to help me fulfill my heart’s desires effortlessly.

It doesn’t matter to whom I was born,
what circumstances followed,
or what decisions I made about myself as a result.
Nor does it matter
how I think anyone else perceives my value.

I know that I am a precious and essential
part of this Universe . . .
that I have a right to be here,
and that I have a special destiny to fulfill
in this time and place.

I am wanted.
I am needed.
I am worthy and deserving.

I am a Holy Child of God.
Peace, joy, and prosperity
are mine by divine right.
And I claim my divine inheritance now!


© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow

Saturday, August 16, 2008

The Wisdom of Not Acting

August 17, 2008

Dear Friends,

As I often mention, the divine flow continually guides you, leads you, directs you, and supports you in the fulfillment of your heart's desires. But it doesn't live your life for you. To get where you want to go, you still have to row—you have to make decisions, and you have to act on those decisions.

Sometimes, however, the best decision you can make, and the best action you can take, is to decide to do nothing at all . . . at least, for the moment.

There is great wisdom in knowing when to stop what you are doing, and let the divine flow handle the details.

I still remember one of the first times I put my faith in the divine flow and consciously chose not to act. It was a day when I had been accidentally scheduled to be in three places at once. Instead of jumping on the phone and immediately trying to manipulate everyone's schedule, I "felt" that the best thing for me to do at that moment was to go get a cup of coffee. That's it. Just go get some coffee.

So that's exactly what I did. And guess what? Through a sudden cancellation, and an unexpected request for a time change, the entire schedule worked itself out perfectly while I was away. If I had interfered, I would only have complicated the situation.

Please understand, I am not suggesting that you just "drift" through life by taking one, long, endless coffee break. I am only reminding you that rowing with the flow is not about ceaseless activity.

When you attune yourself to the flow, sometimes the next right step that you will be guided to take will simply be for you to get out of the way . . . and give the divine flow some time to work its magic on your behalf.

Here’s to pausing between each and every stroke of your oars to re-attune yourself to the flow . . . and here’s to be being willing to pause a little longer if that is what is called for.

Steven

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow

Friday, August 8, 2008

Olympic Dreams

August 10, 2008

Dear Friends,

As the Summer Olympics get underway, you will undoubtedly hear newscasters attribute the success of various Olympic athletes to their perseverance, determination, and endurance. You will hear how many of these athletes overcame tremendous obstacles to be at the pinnacle of their sport.

I admire these athletes. As they continually expand the boundaries of human accomplishment, underneath it all I see the creative power of their divine spirit at work.

Similarly, as you pursue your own life’s goals, it pays to remember your unlimited potential as a child of the Divine. But keep in mind that the accomplishment of your goals is not up to you alone. You have the whole universe working on your behalf. And your main job is to cooperate with the divine flow that is continually guiding you toward the fulfillment of your desires in the most beneficial way possible.

What I am getting to is this. There is a fine line between determination and being driven, and between perseverance and being obsessed. I can’t tell you where that line is for you. All I can do is remind you to continually ask yourself this question: “Am I taking the next right step that I am being divinely guided to take, or am I trying to control, manipulate, and force things to go the way I think they should go?”

To live life in the divine flow is to have the patience and the persistence to hold onto your dream, but to allow that dream to unfold in a divinely guided way. Otherwise, your achievement will only be the result of your ego’s activity. And that kind of achievement is only briefly satisfying, and never in the best interests of all involved.

Here’s to having dreams of Olympic proportions, my friends! But more than that . . . here’s to their Divine realization!

Steven

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow

Friday, August 1, 2008

Missing The Boat

August 3, 2008

Dear Friends,

Throughout my book, and even more explicitly described in my workshops, I list about a dozen different ways that we interfere with the divine flow in our lives, and thus delay the manifestation of our heart’s desires. Among those ways are these three:

1. We consider assumptions to be facts, and we make choices based on that.

2. We think we know best, and we remain rigidly attached to our plans.

3. We look too far ahead, and we miss the next right step that is right in front of us.

You might think that after focusing for more than 20 years on learning how to recognize and cooperate with the divine flow, I would be able to easily avoid these three forms of interference. But the fact is, most of the ways we interfere with the divine flow are quite subtle, and even an “expert” like me can inadvertently miss or dismiss divine guidance. Here’s an example:

One the favorite things that Carol and I like to do is crystal digging. Some of the world’s foremost open-pit crystal mines are near Hot Springs, Arkansas. So when we lived in Dallas, Texas—which is only five hours away from Hot Springs—we would go digging there regularly.

When we decided to move to Sedona, Arizona, we figured it would be a very long time before we had an easy opportunity to go digging again, so we planned one last trip to Hot Springs. This time, however, we decided to break from our routine. First, we decided that we would try digging at a brand new mine. And second, we decided that we would return home via the scenic route, instead of the Interstate.

Well, the new mine was not what we hoped it would be. We found very few crystals, and those that we did find were small and of poor quality. Plus, the weather was cold and misty, so the digging conditions were pretty uncomfortable. Disappointed, we returned to the nearby cabin we were staying in for the night.

When we woke up the next morning, the sun was shining brightly, and my very first thought was, “Now this is a perfect day to go crystal digging!” Carol must have had the same feeling, because she asked me if it was possible to go back to our favorite mine and spend part of the day digging there, before we had to return home. That’s when I failed to follow the flow.

I told Carol that it was, indeed, too far to go back, and if we did, we would have to return home via the Interstate, and we would miss whatever beauty the scenic route had to offer us.

Friends, I told Carol this without even looking at a map! From what I thought I “knew” about where our cabin was located, I just assumed that our favorite mine was too far away, and I never questioned that “fact.”

So we stuck to the plan. We left our cabin, and took the scenic route home . . . which turned out to be nice, but not nearly the spectacular drive we thought it would be.

Only when we got back to Dallas did I take the time to closely look at a map. And guess what? That’s right. Our favorite mine was virtually around the corner from where we were staying! We could have easily spent one more day digging!

Of course, there is no guarantee that we would have found better crystals. And yes, we would not have been able to take the scenic route home. But we quickly realized that we would have gladly traded off the scenic drive for the possibility of coming back with some great crystal keepsakes.

Instead, I completely ignored the intuitive thoughts and feelings that both Carol and I were having when we woke up in the morning, and I didn’t take the next right step that was being called for in that moment. And what was that next right step? To simply look at a map. That’s all—just keep an open mind and look at a map! Instead, I made a choice based on an assumption, and I never really questioned our plan.

Friends, if an “expert” like me can miss a divine opportunity so easily, what does that mean for people who are not nearly as focused on the flow as I am? How many miracles are we missing in life? How much do we needlessly struggle? How often do we—as the saying goes—“miss the boat?”

I believe that we live in a universe that is far more beneficent that we realize, simply because we are constantly missing or dismissing the divine guidance that we are continually receiving.

Here’s to paying better attention, letting go of what we think we “know,” and following the flow to our highest good.

Steven

P.S. To see a picture of the kind of crystals that Carol and I (well, mostly Carol) have found at Ron Coleman’s Mine near Hot Springs, click here.

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Divine Confirmation

July 27, 2008

Dear Friends,

Last week I wrote about those occasional times when the flow seems unbearably slow—when nothing “seems” to be happening, and you do not clearly sense what your next right step is. My suggestion was to simply enjoy the break, and allow the divine flow some time to work its magic.

One reader in Oklahoma (who described herself as “Ms. Whirlwind USA”) found my message to be particularly timely, and she wondered if it was a divine sign for her to slow down, relax, and just enjoy “the still, calm waters” that she appeared to be in.

Was it, indeed, a divine sign? Most assuredly! Because, within just a few short hours of writing to me, she experienced three synchronistic events that all pointed toward the exact same thing.

First, she drove by a billboard at a church that read, “It’s Summer—A Time To Relax And Spend Time With God.”

Then, a friend called her and asked, “Why do you feel that you always have to be busy? Why not just relax and enjoy the quiet time?”

And finally, she received an email from her daughter inviting her to come over for a night or two and just relax.

Could the message for this woman have been any clearer? And what a perfect example of the way that we receive divine guidance!

You see, the divine rarely speaks to you in one single way, one single time. When you are truly being guided by the divine, you are likely to receive multiple messages that all point in the same direction.

You may hear the still, small voice of your intuition, and then have it confirmed by an article you see in a magazine, or by something a stranger tells you. You may read something particularly inspirational, and then have it confirmed by a song you hear, or by a sign you see on the highway.

I call this kind of corroborating evidence “Divine Confirmation.” And what a relief it is, because it means that you get more than one chance to receive the message.

So, my friends, do you sense that there is a step that you are being divinely guided to take (or not take), but you’re not absolutely positive about it yet? That’s okay! Just wait!

If there is something that you are meant to know—really meant to know—it will become obvious soon enough. You just have to keep paying attention.

Steven

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow

Friday, July 18, 2008

When The Flow Seems Slow

Please note: The following message is one that I wrote less than a year ago. I am already repeating it because, frankly, I need to hear it again . . . and I'm sure that many of you will welcome the reminder, as well.

July 20, 2008

Dear Friends,

Most of the time, I can sense the divine flow in my life quite easily. I notice a steady stream of signs and synchronicities—as well as intuitive nudges—that are all pointing me in one particular direction. And when I head in that direction, I feel like I am in a quickly moving current that is helping me get where I want to go with effortless ease.

Often, I experience unexpected twists and turns along the way. But those surprising detours will quickly transform into stepping stones to a higher good, so I can easily see the divine flow at work in those circumstances, as well.

Whether the flow takes a direct route, or a more circuitous one, some kind of divine movement in my life is usually fairly obvious. And I can generally discern what I am being divinely directed to do to cooperate with that movement.

But not always.

Occasionally, I experience periods in my life where it feels like the flow is hardly moving at all, leaving me in still waters for days or weeks on end with no clear guidance or direction. I do not see any signs, or experience any meaningful coincidences. Doors are not opening. And I simply don't know what my next right step is.

Those are the occasions that test my patience the most. Like most people, I always feel like there is something I should be doing to bring me one step closer to my chosen destinations in life. And doing nothing feels uncomfortable. But one of the first lessons I ever learned about living life in the divine flow is this one: Doing nothing is doing something . . . and quite often that is exactly what is called for.

Sometimes, your job is just to wait patiently while the divine flow works its magic. Yes, you may be waiting quite a while. But it won't be forever. Eventually, clear guidance will come. Your next divinely directed step will appear. And helpful doors will open. And when that happens, there is a good chance that you will be able to see the perfect timing in it all.

If you feel like you are truly open and receptive to divine direction, and yet the flow in your life seems to have slowed down dramatically, I suggest that you simply enjoy the break. Take care of all the little details in life that are calling for your attention. Enjoy the time that you have been given to partake of life's many simple pleasures. And take advantage of this opportunity to just "be."

Don't worry about how slow the flow may seem. The current will pick up soon enough.

Steven

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow