Meditation, God and other words like them

I’ve always thought that the word meditation, like the word God, is one of those that is too easily misunderstood. How do I know what others mean when they use these words? How do I know if they mean what I mean?

For instance, my way of meditating I prefer to call silent sitting. In silent sitting I can be meditating in a traditional manner such as following the breath; or I can be doing creative visualisation; or I can be praying; or affirming; or listening to God. Any and all of these things could of course be called meditation, but they are not what is usually meant by that.

And that word God, the source of so much fighting in the world. What do I mean by it? For me it is shorthand for the source of life that is such a mystery. Others might call the same thing the Higher Self, Divine Source, the Universe, Source, the Light, Spirit, it doesn’t really matter — at least not to me. So if you hear me on a call talking about God, I am not talking about the traditional God as spoken of in so many religions. I’m simply talking about that sense of being connected to something bigger than I am, something infinitely loving and non-judgemental, something that is a source of great nourishment and sustenance. Now you know what I mean, what do you mean by these words?