Conversations For Transformation: Essays Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

Conversations For Transformation

Essays By Laurence Platt

Inspired By The Ideas Of Werner Erhard

And More




Life Works! II:

Life Itself Loves Me

Napa Valley, California, USA

September 5, 2016



This essay, Life Works! II: Life Itself Loves Me, is the sequel to Life Works!.



On the world stage which you and I enter, front and center, to play our parts ie on which you and I act our roles, Life itself is already always present when we walk on, playing its part. Of course, as far as Life itself is concerned, it's really the galactic  stage or even the universal  stage. But in this  conversation we have to refer to it as the stage on which you and I also stand, playing our parts. So calling it the world stage is good enough for jazz.

If you observe this cosmic play closely without bias, without prejudice, without preference, and even (if possible) without judgement, you'll notice Life itself is turning out all by itself. Yes it sometimes  follows our script. But mostly it turns out exactly the way it turns out and exactly the way it doesn't ie it turns out the way it's been turning out throughout the millennia all by itself.

Furthermore if you look closely without bias, without prejudice, without preference, and even (if possible) without judgement, you'll notice the way Life itself turns out all by itself, works!  And what's galling for control freaks like us, is neither our input nor our approval are required for Life itself to turn out the way it turns out, and work. If you have any doubt whatsoever  that your input and your approval aren't required for Life itself to turn out the way it turns out and work, go outside on a moonlit night and address your concerns to the stars. Tell them you have important ideas about how Life itself should turn out, which you demand be instated toot sweet. Notice the response. If you're paying attention, what'll become abundantly clear is you have no say whatsoever  in how Life itself turns out. Zippo. Zero. Nada.

Now against that background (if you will), what say we do  have, comes from our ability to invent possibilities for our own lives. You and I are enabled to create the contexts from which we live our lives. We're imbued with this power. It's what makes us uniquely human. And it's not that some  of us have this power, and some of us don't have it. The notion that some of us are (quote unquote) born this way  is at worst a myth, and at best naïve. Life itself doesn't have favorites. In reality, there are no "chosen people" - or (that said) we're all  chosen people. The notion that "Life itself loves me" (ie more than the guy standing next to me?) is naïve. No one is special - or (that said) we're all special. The impact is "Life itself loves me" is naïve as a belief system, yet it has a lot  of power as a created context. Let me elaborate.

What interests me is not the rampant, cherished belief system which has it that "Life itself loves me". Rather what interests me is the context you and I are empowered to create that Life itself loves us. This context doesn't change anything or make things better. Rather it's a context from which to live. As a belief system, on the other hand, it's next to useless if not misleading and apt to disappoint. As a created context however, it has considerable power. And it has considerable power because we create it. The power of any created context comes from it's we who create it. "Life itself loves me" works not because Life itself loves me like a fact  (in reality, Life itself really doesn't give a you know what about moi)  but because I create it as a stand, as a possibility ie because I create as a context from which to live my life.

Taking these three ideas together as one seamless whole (one, the idea that life turns out exactly the way it turns out and exactly the way it doesn't ie it turns out the way it's been turning out throughout the millennia all by itself; two, the idea that Life works; and three, the idea that you and I are empowered to create contexts like "Life itself loves me" from which to live our lives) brings our created contexts to bear on Life itself. And it's this confluence which has the possibility of starting something truly great. No, it's arguably the only  thing which has the possibility of starting anything  truly great.



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