Guiding Thought

Of myself I am nothing, yet in union with My Inner Divine Mind, through My Own Loving Presence, I am everything and have everything. As I infuse my consciousness with Knowledge of my Inner Divine Mind, my activity expresses this Union and I experience life. I breathe in this life. I smile with Joy and gratitude, and I affirm: I LIVE.

Reflection

What is life? #1

• Life is the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.

What is life? #2

• Life is the existence of an individual human being or animal.

What is life? #3

• Life is what is experienced when one’s consciousness is infused with the Knowledge of Inner Divine Mind, which connects one with All, and through which one is and has all.

The first two are the current top dictionary definitions of life, the third is the definition as laid out in the Guiding Thought.

Last week, I had lunch with Cyrus O’Brien, the lead writer on a project of accountable justice for Florida. We talked politics and policy… and one thing that he pointed out is that so much of policy is determined by simple definitions which go into such things as mission statements for governmental departments. For example: is a state’s criminal justice system set up (defined as) a reform institution or a punishment institution? Cyrus made the point that every decision within a department originates with the directive of the mission (or definition) of the department. A mission to reform people who are in jail will put structures in place to help them improve their lives and their civic contribution; a mission to punish people will put structures in place to debase, demean, and defeat them.

Definitions matter. The definitions set the standard. Small changes in definition produce huge results, because the focus of every decision follows from the guidelines inherent in the original definition.

What is your definition of life? Which direction do you want your life to go? Is it enough for you to live by the standard set forth merely to “be distinguished from inorganic matter” or merely “to exist”?

I think you know my answer…