The Game of Life According to Florence Scovel Shinn (Featuring My Year of Nonresistance)
How a 1925 spiritual badass taught me to stop forcing things and start letting life deliver
Let me introduce you to Florence Scovel Shinn — artist, metaphysical teacher, and spiritual straight-shooter who published The Game of Life and How to Play It almost a century ago and somehow still managed to call us all out in a painfully accurate way. Her message? You’re not a victim of circumstance. You’re a co-creator, and your words, beliefs, and actions are constantly placing orders with the cosmic kitchen.
But there’s one principle in her book that hit me harder than the others — and that’s nonresistance. I claimed it as my theme for the year on January 1, and let’s just say… it’s been both a vibe and a spiritual smackdown.
Before we dive deep into nonresistance (and trust me, we will), here’s a quick tour of the metaphysical playground Florence built for us.
The Core Principles of Shinn’s Philosophy:
1. The Power of the Word
Your words are spells. Florence wasn't mincing them. Speak sickness, you get sickness. Speak divine healing, you open the door to miracles. “There is an invisible power in the spoken word,” she says, which is a polite way of warning us to shut up unless we’re calling in blessings.
2. The Law of Expectancy
You get what you prepare for — not what you say you want. If you keep making room for disappointment (emotionally or literally), you’re sending the universe a formal RSVP that says, “Yes, I’ll take more of that, thanks.”
3. The Law of Substitution
You can’t just stop a negative thought. You have to replace it. Every time you catch yourself thinking “This won’t work,” you insert a new tape: “Everything is unfolding in divine right order.” Yes, it feels weird. Do it anyway.
4. The Law of Karma and Forgiveness
Revenge is a dead-end street. Forgiveness — especially of yourself — is the spiritual Windex that clears the way for miracles. As Florence says, “If you do not run your subconscious mind yourself, someone else will run it for you.” Yikes.
5. The Law of Divine Compensation
You’re never truly broke. The Divine always pays back, often in unexpected ways. The only block to abundance is the idea that you’re not worthy of it.
And now: The Crown Jewel…
Nonresistance: The Art of Letting Shit Go
This one? This is the one. The principle that changed the game for me and my nervous system. In Florence’s world, resistance is the equivalent of grabbing life by the throat and screaming, “WHY AREN’T YOU COOPERATING?!”
Spoiler alert: that never works.
She writes, “Resist not evil. Resisting simply gives it more power.” And in plain terms? That means:
Stop arguing with what is
Stop fighting for your limitations
Stop micromanaging the how, when, and who of your manifestations
Nonresistance is about relaxing your death grip on life long enough to let the damn blessings show up.
It’s not the same as apathy. It’s trust. It’s saying, “I may not like this, but I trust that it’s working for me, not against me.” It's pivoting instead of panicking. It's surfing the wave instead of trying to punch the ocean.
Since I declared 2025 my Year of Nonresistance, I’ve been:
Saying no without defending it
Letting awkward silences be awkward
Ending texts with “ok” instead of an emotional TED Talk
Declining emotional tug-of-war invites like they’re expired coupons
And you know what? I haven’t collapsed. The sky didn’t fall. In fact, things feel... lighter. Less sticky. Like I’m not in a cosmic custody battle with my own desires.
Final Thoughts (Because Florence Said So)
Florence Scovel Shinn may have used phrases like “Divine Right Order” and “Spiritual Alchemy” instead of “inner peace and boundaries,” but the woman knew exactly what she was talking about. Life isn’t something to conquer. It’s something to co-create — gently, intentionally, and with enough faith to stop trying to brute-force your way to joy.
So if you need a permission slip to let go, to stop pushing, to breathe deeper into trust — this is it.
Welcome to the Game of Life. Play it like you know you're already winning.
xo,
Jade