Meaning is the heart of the matter. What governs what something means to us? What is in charge of meaning? Who says so? Who knows so? If our life is meaningless, where does the blame for that lie? What is the most meaningful thing you could do in the next fifteen minutes? In what remainsContinue reading “November 06-B, 2022”
Author Archives: jimwdollar
November 06-A, 2022
The sure way to get what you want is to change what you want. Changing our mind about what is important makes an immediate improvement in our attitude which makes an immediate improvement in our life. Most of our problems are the result of the way we think– what we think about and how weContinue reading “November 06-A, 2022”
November 05-B, 2022
No one can do better than doing the right thing at the right time in the right place and the right way. And no one can think that into place. Yet, it happens all of the time, and not nearly often enough. Because we have our mind on other things. Our attention wanders, our focusContinue reading “November 05-B, 2022”
November 05-A, 2022
Finding things to do that we enjoy doing is a high priority item in each stage of life. Reading, writing and photography have comforted/focused me through several stages over 60 years, and they remain my grounding/centering activities I coalesce around them, express myself through them, take refuge in them, and find in them my deepContinue reading “November 05-A, 2022”
November 04-B, 2022
Jesus was thrown to the wolves by the orthodoxy of his day. His disciples followed in quick succession: “Young John who trimmed the flapping sails, homeless in Patmos died, “Peter who hauled the teeming net, head-down was crucified” (William Alexander Percy). And the 13th disciple, Paul, met a similar fate in Rome. The “new thing”Continue reading “November 04-B, 2022”
November 04-A, 2022
We have to pick and choose among all of the things that are said in finding what we call truth, but who is to say if we are right or just making things up some more again? How do we know what we claim to know? “In my heart I know,” fuels all the gamblersContinue reading “November 04-A, 2022”
November 03-B, 2022
How’s your balance and harmony? Your stability and security? Your integrity and sincerity? The three pairs work together to ground and center you and send you into each day in search of what needs to be done in each situation as it arises to do it and to bring yourself forth in so doing toContinue reading “November 03-B, 2022”
November 03-A, 2022
How things are do not reflect my idea of how they ought to be very often for long-enough periods of time. I do not allow that to stop me from making the best of things to the fullest extent that I am able. I take it to be my duty to make the best ofContinue reading “November 03-A, 2022”
November 02-B, 2022
I hate every mistake, snafu, wrong turn, bad choice, etc. I have ever made, and there be many, yet, each one of them factored into who I am. Where would I be– who would I have become– without them? I am my adjustments/corrections/reversals/alterations. And you are yours. The way we have responded to the errorsContinue reading “November 02-B, 2022”
November 02-A, 2022
Do you think bears think of quitting? Or, considering their chances and thinking of folding up? Checking out? Because it’s just too much? Or pelicans? Chipmunks? Things aren’t going their way? Do you think they ever think about things not going their way? I think they just wake up and go meet the day, everyContinue reading “November 02-A, 2022”
November 01-C, 2022
What I know of monastic life consists of chants and prayers, sitting zazen, daily chores, eating and sleeping. It’s pretty much busy-work to keep their mind off their life in an “idle hands are the devil’s workshop” kind of way. How to fill the time is every teacher-master’s nightmare. There is only so much toContinue reading “November 01-C, 2022”
November 01-B, 2022
We live our life finding our life and living it. Seeking our life and settling into it. Coming to be who we are. This is the Tao at work in our life, getting us together with our life, over the time left for living. Teaching us the keys to balance and harmony, knowing when weContinue reading “November 01-B, 2022”
Jim Dollar's Photography and Philosophy 