On Motherhood and Manifesting

May 12, 2013

Dear Friends,

In the United States, the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day. That’s the day we celebrate the women in our lives who conceived us, gave birth to us, and nurtured us as we began to establish our own individual identities in the world.

As I contemplate the beauty of motherhood on this special day, I can't help but notice the similarity between motherhood and manifesting. What similarity, exactly?

Well, as I have mentioned many times before, you are an innately creative being. No matter how happy and fulfilled you are, you will always be conceiving of things you want to have, do, or be in your life. Through your words and your actions you will constantly be giving birth to your ideas—to your desires, goals, and dreams. And by giving them your love and attention, you will continually be in the process of nurturing your creations—of helping them to grow into full expression.

In other words, whether you are male or female, whether you have brought a child into this world or not, in many respects you are—at the core of your being—a mother . . . someone who is divinely designed to bring something new and beautiful into this world.

As you pay tribute to your mother (or mothers), and to all the mothers living in the world around you, I invite you to take a moment to also honor the mother that exists within you. Take a moment to celebrate that motherly part of you that is an open chamber for receiving divine ideas, and an open channel for bringing those beautiful ideas into the world, and giving them life.

Here's to the joy of motherhood! And here's to the peace that comes from knowing that the whole universe is willing to help you with that wonderful and immensely fulfilling work.

Happy Day, Mother!

Steven

P.S. I have a Mother's Day gift for you!  It's a set of affirmation statements that are very helpful if you are having trouble fully accepting the idea that you are—by your very nature—divinely creative.  Just click on: www.rowrowrow.com/uploads/CreativeAffirmation.pdf

© 2013 by Steven Lane Taylor
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC

An Easter Reminder

March 31, 2013

Dear Friends,

As the saying goes, “You are not a human being having an occasional spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being having a temporary human experience.” And there is no better time of the year to affirm that for yourself than Easter.

For me, the Easter story is a dramatic demonstration and profound illustration of something that I believe is just as true for you now, as it was for Jesus over 2,000 years ago—that you are in this world, but you are not of this world.

Like I often mention, your true essence is Spirit, not body. And unlike the body, your Spirit is eternal and indestructible. Your authentic self is, in a word, divine—an individual expression of that source energy that many of us call God. And you are here for one purpose, and one purpose only: to express your divine nature in the body, and in the world.

And what, exactly, is that nature? Love. Unconditional love. Divine love.

It’s the kind of love that knows no limits . . . the kind of love that forgives—no matter what. It’s the kind of love that Jesus fully expressed throughout his life, right up to the final moments of his earthly existence. And it’s the kind of love that you, and I, and all of us are called upon to express on a daily basis.

Today, and every day of the year, may you remember who you are, and why you are here. May you remember that the journey of life is not about getting somewhere. The journey of life is about being something. It’s about being the love that you are in every single moment of that journey. And it’s about experiencing the absolute joy that your love brings to the journey, and brings to each and every Spirit that you encounter along the way.

Happy Easter!

Steven

© 2013 by Steven Lane Taylor
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC

The Ultimate Lucky Charm

March 17, 2013

Dear Friends,

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a day that brings to mind symbols of Ireland, such as the shamrock. Some people consider the shamrock to be a good luck charm, although they may be confusing it with the four-leaf clover. Nevertheless, whether it’s a shamrock, a four-leaf clover, a horseshoe, or a rabbit's foot, lucky charms are something that many people rely on to experience good fortune in their lives.

The way I see it, though, lucky charms are completely unnecessary. Because—for the most part—a “charmed life” is something that you can consciously create whenever you practice the principles for living life in the divine flow. It’s what occurs naturally whenever you:

• Pay attention to your intuition
• Notice signs and synchronicities, and discern their meaning
• Let go of your preconceived ideas and plans
• Release your attachment to specific outcomes
• See everything that happens as a stepping-stone to your highest good

In other words, “good luck” is the natural result of being attentive, flexible, and positive. Oh, and there’s one other thing that brings luck into your life—perhaps the most important thing of all: Loving . . . loving yourself, loving others, and treating everyone you meet with loving kindness.

And how, exactly, does love help you live a luckier life? Well, it’s just common sense that when you treat others with loving kindness, you are much more likely to experience the good fortune of their valuable assistance. But that kind of luck is simply the result of cause and effect. The true power of love goes way beyond the boomerang effect of action and reaction.

Love is the underlying power that is responsible for the experiences in our lives that we consider to be truly miraculous—a power that works its magic unrestricted by the confines of either time or space.

One single loving intention is enough to set the whole universe in motion, initiating a complex series of events that weave together in a way that no one would ever have imagined possible. It is the power of love that choreographs incredible synchronistic encounters between individuals who have similar desires of the heart, but need each other in order to manifest their dreams.

For example, an architect with a critically ill child may feel inspired to design a hospital wing for children with similar health challenges. At the very same instant, thousands of miles away, a wealthy benefactor may become inspired to finance just such a project. They both develop a “sudden desire” to vacation in New York City, where they just “happen” to encounter each other at a coffee shop. And . . . well . . . you can fill in the rest.

Love is a power that simultaneously inspires minds, ignites hearts, and orchestrates outcomes of incredible beauty. And, like I mentioned in my message for Valentine’s Day, it feels good to love! In fact, it feels so good, you may feel like you are the luckiest person in the world.

So, do you want to live a charmed life—a life of ease, grace, and incredible good fortune? Then treat everyone in your path with loving kindness, and make sure that your intentions are always loving ones.  Because love, my friends, is the ultimate lucky charm.

Steven

© 2013 by Steven Lane Taylor
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC

Defining a Successful Life

March 10, 2013

Dear Friends,

How do you define success?  Do you define it as the achievement of fame or fortune?  Sounds good, but a fortune can disappear just as quickly as it appears.  And fame, too, can be fleeting.  So is the achievement of fame or fortune a good indicator that you have lived a successful life?  Not the way I look at it, no.

What about achieving a worthwhile goal, or realizing a lifelong dream?  With the sense of satisfaction that comes from that kind of accomplishment, surely that spells success, right?  Well, that is certainly the way the dictionary defines success.  But what if you reach the end of life’s journey and you have not achieved a goal you set for yourself?  Does that mean you have not lived a successful life?  Since that’s the case for a large number of people on this planet—perhaps the majority—I would hate to think that’s true.  

So what, then, does it take to live a successful life? 

In my humble opinion, there are two things that define success in life.  Both have to do with your true nature—the nature of your inner Divine Spirit—and the lasting happiness that comes from doing what your Spirit is continually calling you to do.

First of all, your Spirit is creative, and you are called to create.  I am not talking solely about creating a work of art, music, or literature—although those are admirable activities.  Nor am I limiting creativity to the pursuit of innovations in fields such as architecture, technology, or healthcare.  I am talking about creating a life for yourself, which also includes invaluable endeavors such as building a home, raising a family, or growing and nurturing friendships.

Whenever you do anything that brings something new and beautiful into this world, you are creating.  However—as I alluded to earlier—I question whether your success as a creator should hinge on your ability to actually complete a creation.  Sure, it feels wonderful to accomplish a goal or realize a dream.  But to your Spirit, the true joy of creating lies in the process of creation itself. 

If you doubt that, take the example of a painter.  Do you think a painter would continue to paint if every time he or she visualized a picture it just somehow instantly appeared on the canvas?  No. To an artist—and to your Spirit—the real joy of creating lies in the journey itself, not just in reaching the destination.  Which means, to me, that true success lies in the pursuit of a goal, not necessarily in its final accomplishment.  As a man named Charles Carlson put it:

But here’s a question for you:  What if you realize late in life that you have never pursued a goal that you consider to be truly worthwhile?  What if you realize that you have been stifling a dream because you didn’t think its fulfillment was possible?  Or what if you have spent your whole life living someone else’s dream—the dream of your parents, for instance, for you to be a doctor, when what you really wanted to be was a sculptor?  What then?  Does that mean you have you not lived a successful life?

Thankfully, even if you have never set your sights on something grand and glorious and strived to achieve it, you can still live a successful life.  In fact, it is highly likely that you are already living a successful life, and highly likely that you have been extremely successful in your life all along!  How so?  Because the second aspect for living a successful life is simply . . . to love.

Whenever you love, you are fulfilling a sacred mission that goes far beyond your call to create.  It is the mission to discover, experience, and express the most fundamental aspect of your inner Spirit—the essence of divine love.  

Love is the one facet of your Spirit that outweighs every other facet.  And in this plane of existence you are constantly being called upon to be that love . . . to share that love . . . and to let that love lead the way.   Nothing on earth feels better or makes you happier than being true to your innately loving nature.

So, my friends, have you ever loved?  Yes?  Then you are successful!  Have you ever attempted to bring something new and beautiful into this world that didn’t exist before? Yes?  Then you are successful twice over!

Here’s to creating.  Here’s to loving.  Here’s to living a successful life.

Steven

© 2013 by Steven Lane Taylor

www.rowrowrow.com

Steven Lane Taylor, LLC

The Beauty of Blind Love

February 13, 2012

Dear Friends,

February 14th is Valentine’s Day, the day we make a conscious effort to express our love and appreciation to the people in our lives whom we dearly cherish.

For the most part, the kind of love being celebrated on this special day is “romantic” love. And one of the characteristics of “romantic” love—at least in the beginning—is that this kind of love is “blind.” We literally don’t see the physical flaws and personality quirks in the beloved. He or she looks perfect to us.

But is that really being blind? Or is that seeing as we are truly meant to see—as that Universal Presence we call God, sees? As we grow in our spiritual understanding, aren’t we called to see beyond appearances? Aren’t we called to see beneath the physical, and look past the behavior? Aren’t we called to see the true beauty and the radiant innocence of the Spirit that lies within each person? Aren’t we called to see his or her inner perfection?

If that’s being blind, fine! Give me some dark glasses and a cane! Because there is nothing that feels as good as truly loving. There is nothing that feels as good as recognizing the inherent goodness of another’s soul, and allowing yourself to bask in that glorious light.

So what does this have to do with living life in the divine flow? Simply this: When you love as God loves, and see as God sees, it won’t make any difference where you are along the course of “the stream.” It won’t make any difference whether you are just about to reach your dream, or whether you are still miles away from it.

When you love without limits you are happy right where you are, wherever you are. And, in the end—all goals and dreams aside—isn’t happiness all you really want out of life? Isn’t happiness all you’ve been trying to get out of life . . . all along?

Well then, here’s to “blind” love! And here’s to having a lovingly happy day, every day!

Steven

© 2013 by Steven Lane Taylor
www.rowrowrow.com
Steven Lane Taylor, LLC

Lance Armstrong: Force vs. Flow

January 19, 2013

 Dear Friends,

While conducting a workshop a number of years ago, I was talking about the qualities of perserverance and determination, and how they relate to the idea of a “divine flow.” Lance Armstrong immediately came to mind.  Lance had just won the Tour de France for the seventh time, and although his successive triumphs were widely applauded, I questioned whether his victories should really be celebrated.

I don’t mean that I had an inkling that Armstrong was using performance-enhancing drugs.  I didn’t.  And, like many people, when allegations about doping were made against Armstrong, I believed his denials.

No, my question about Armstrong’s achievements had to do with his relentless drive, and his seemingly insatiable need to win and win and win again.  I wondered if his victories were more about the human ego, and less about the triumphs of the Inner Spirit.  I wondered if Lance Armstrong was somehow forcing things to go the way he wanted them to go, rather than co-creating with the divine flow.

Well, Thursday night I got my answer.  In his revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey, Armstrong stated this: “I have controlled every outcome in my life."  And then he went on to describe how he would vehemently—even viciously—attack anyone who threatened what he had created.  Wow!  If that’s not a great example of rowing against the flow, I don’t know what is.

What I am getting to, friends, is this: Whenever you are pursuing a goal or dream in life, it is helpful—to a degree—to be determined and to persevere. But 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 on to 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.  Or worse, it can lead to a painful downfall with devastating and far-reaching consequences.

For his own sake—and for his own peace of mind—I am happy that Lance Armstrong has finally come clean about his past. For your sake—and for mine—I hope we never forget one of the many valuable lessons that can be learned from this man’s vivid example:  That life is not about achieving our goals and dreams “at all costs.”  It’s about cooperating with the divine flow of life . . . about letting go of our rigid attachments to what we believe is best for us, and allowing the divine flow to guide us to the fulfillment of our heart’s desires in a way that is not only beneficial for us, but for everyone else as well.

Steven

© 2013 by Steven Lane Taylor

www.rowrowrow.com

Steven Lane Taylor, LLC

Happy "Now" Year!

January 1, 2013

 Happy Now Year, Friends!

Yes, you read that right.  I wrote Happy "Now" Year instead of Happy "New" Year.  It’s not a typo. It's just my way of reminding you about the important part that the present moment plays in the manifestation process.

As I frequently mention, fulfilling your heart’s desires effortlessly depends upon your ability to recognize and follow divine guidance. But that guidance only comes to you in “the now”—through what you are intuitively feeling now, through what others are telling you now, and through the signs and synchronicities that you are noticing now.

That doesn’t mean that there isn’t value in spending some time visualizing what you want to have, do, or be in the coming year. In fact, that’s important. Focusing on a destination is what sets the whole flow in motion in the first place.  But after that, you must return your attention to the present moment, so you can sense the next right step that the divine flow is directing you to take.

It’s sort of a back-and-forth thing: You visualize your goal, then return your awareness to the present moment.  You picture your dream, then come back to the here and now. If you are continually focused on the future—continually daydreaming about where you are headed—you may miss the very step that is leading you there.

To live life in the divine flow, you must let go of your projections into the future—as well as your reflections on the past—so you can be present for the doors that are being divinely opened for you right here, and right now.

Do you have a particular desire that you would like to fulfill in 2013?  A goal that you would like to accomplish? A dream that you would like to realize?  You do?  Terrific! Then tell the Universe exactly what it is you would like to achieve this year, and pay keen attention to what starts to show up in your life.

But please remember this: Although having desires and pursuing desires is an inescapable part of your innately creative nature, you never have to fulfill a desire in order to be happy; you never have to accomplish a goal in order to be happy; and you never have to realize a dream in order to be happy. Remember that real happiness—true, long-lasting happiness—only comes from accepting and appreciating the current moment for whatever it is offering you . . . and from opening up your heart and being the love that you are in that moment. That, my friends, is the real key to having a happy new year—from the first day of the year to the very last.

Steven

© 2013 by Steven Lane Taylor

www.rowrowrow.com

Steven Lane Taylor, LLC