What Life Asks of You - Steve Taylor's June Newsletter

Published: Fri, 06/16/23

Steve Taylor's June Newsletter

Dear

I hope all is well with you. I’ve just returned from an intense five days in Spain, in Barcelona and Madrid, where I did a lot of promotional interviews and events for the Spanish publication of DisConnected. I was never aware until recently, but my books are quite popular in Spain - especially my early book The Fall, which I was told had 'a major impact on a whole generation of psychologists, like an earthquake.'

It reminded me of the film 'Searching for Sugarman.' If you’ve not seen it, an American ex-musician who now has a regular job discovers that he's very popular in South Africa. I felt something similar - it was such a (nice) surprise to find that my work has been influential!

I did interviews with most of the major Spanish national newspapers - you can read one of them here.

I met so many lovely open-hearted people in Spain, and now feel inspired with new energy and positivity. After my interviews, I participated in a conference of the Claudio Naranjo foundation, outside Madrid. (My Spanish publisher is affiliated with Claudio. In fact he originally recommended The Fall to them.)

If you’re not aware of him, Claudio Naranjo was a great psychotherapist and spiritual teacher, who was very influential in the wave of spiritual exploration that began in the last 60s and 70s. He was an influential figure at the Esalen institute in California. He was a great renaissance man, who composed music as well as writing books and developing programmes for spiritual development and social renewal. He passed away in 2019, but left a host of programmes to continue his work.

Zak Khan

As I mentioned in my newsletter, Zak Khan sadly passed away in April. I feel very fortunate to have spent time with him shortly before his death. We recorded a long conversation, the second part of which I’ve published here

Talk at Watkins Bookshop

On Thursday 22nd June, I’m really looking forward to giving a talk about DisConnected at my favourite bookshop in the world, Watkins in London. I’ve done a lot of online events over the past three years, but you can’t surpass the energetic exchange before an audience of real human beings!

The details are here

Online Webinar

Having said that, online workshops can be excellent too - especially in the sense that they allow us to reach people all over the world, beyond geographical distance. I’m holding a webinar called ‘Spiritual Connection: How Altruism Reveals our Oneness.’ I’ll be leading meditations, reading poems and leading discussions. Details are here

Two Short Poems

Let me finish with a couple of short poems I’ve written recently. Like all poems, they come at random times, for no apparent reason, as if they come through me, rather than from me.

What Life Asks of You

Life doesn’t ask much of you.

It doesn’t ask you to find a great purpose
and change the course of history.

It doesn’t ask you to fill each day
with activity and achievement.

Life doesn’t ask for reasons
for you to breathe and eat and walk
just as it doesn’t ask the wind why it blows.

Life doesn’t ask you to prove your value
just as it doesn’t ask a mountain or river
to justify its existence.

Life is an unconditional gift
that we should accept with grace and gratitude.

It asks for nothing but our awareness.

It only expects us to be present, as it unfolds.

Making a Mark on the World

If you want to make a mark on the world
don’t be brash and forceful.

Don’t strive for success and power
collecting achievements and accolades
impressing as many people as you can.

If you want to influence the world
live quietly and simply.
Be attentive to the needs of others
sensitive to their suffering
giving as much of yourself as you can.

The achievements of the ego pass away
like monuments that tourists gaze at admiringly
then quickly forget once out of sight.

But acts of kindness never fade.
They never turn to memories that can be forgotten.
Our souls absorb them, and carry them forever
as marks of trust and love.

All best wishes and blessings, Steve

Calverley Building, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences
Leeds Beckett University
Leeds West Yorkshire LS1 3HE
UNITED KINGDOM

Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options