A meaningful existence. Evolving. Loving. Contributing.
There is not much meaning in daily maintenance. Get up. Get cleaned up. Eat something. Work. Eat something. Work. Eat something, relax, go to bed. Repeat. Eventually life is over.
The three lines of work – which show up in religions, philosophies and spiritual paths – provide meaning, when maintenance fails in that regard.
Another way of expressing these three areas of placing our attention is:
- Inner work. Staying present. Letting go. Mindfulness. The opposite of being bored in each moment.
- Relationships. Can we deepen our love and compassion each time we interact with another being? This is the second line of work.
- Service. When the situation arises, can we step up and make a contribution toward relieving general suffering.
Ram Dass expressed these three lines this way: Love, Serve, Remember.
Daily life maintenance can occupy a huge amount of our attention. However, it can be overlaid in every moment by work on at least one of the three lines of work.
A huge obstacle to meaningful existence is what several have called the ten thousand distractions. These are mind moments where our attention is grabbed by something that has nothing to do with the three lines of work. It could be watching TV, or getting high, or consuming, playing games, or Facebook, or gossiping, or… (the rest of the list of 10,000). Can you catch yourself in a moment and ask, “Is this a distraction from a meaningful life?” Becoming aware of a distraction can be the beginning of turning a life toward more meaning.