Jim Dollar's Photography and Philosophy

We are at play with our circumstances
to see what can happen.

The challenge is to live in ways
that make things better for all people.
It is tricky
because we get very little cooperation,
and a lot of opposition.

The challenge remains in place
in spite of the odds.

It cannot matter to us
what our chances are.

In the circumstances impinging upon
each situation as it arises,
how can we respond to what is happening
at the right time,
in the right place,
in the right way?

Regardless of the outcome,
what needs to be done
here/now?

Answering the question correctly,
no matter what,
creates karma.

We do not know what the outcome
beyond the outcome will be.

Keep showing up.
Keep answering the question.
Surprise yourself.

–0–

Trust yourself to know what is called for
and listen to your heart,
listen to your body,
in each situation as it arises.
Without plans,
agendas,
expectations,
desires,
will,
judgment
and opinion.

Just doing what needs to be done
when, where and how it needs to be done,
time after time.

If you don't know what to do,
be empty,
still
and silent,
and feel the drift of body/heart,
and go with that
without trying to make sense of it,
or understand it,
or to be able to explain,
defend,
justify,
excuse your actions.

No one is keeping score,
and no one cares if they do.

We are free to do what we feel/know
needs to be done--
and since circumstances are always
in flux,
no outcome is ever final and lasting,
and impact and influence
are always at work in the background,
shaping the future forever,
no act can be judged as a failure
or a mistake,
in that everything is waiting to be seen,
and we are always free to
trust ourselves to our body/heart,
feeling/knowing
our way through all situations,
contexts
and conditions
forever.

So, get in there and do your thing!
Giving it your best in each moment,
and letting that be that
because the next moment is already here,
waiting for your best!

–0–

What do you need to know?
How will that change your life?
How will it change your relationship
with your life?
How will it change your idea
of what is important?
How will it make you better able
to assess what needs to be done
and do it
when, where and how it needs to be done,
with the gifts of your original nature
and the innate virtues/traits/characteristics
that are yours from birth?

If it won't do those things,
what makes you think you need to know it?

We have to be seeking what we need to know
to bring us forth in our life,
seeing and doing what needs us to do it
in the time and place of our living.

If we aren't doing that, what???

Waiting on somebody to give us what we want
for the low, low, price of wanting it?

That seems to be par for people in the world today.
Waiting to be handed what they want,
never mind whether it is worth wanting.

If it weren't for endlessly wanting,
what would our life consist of?

How often do we buy things
that do not help us in any way
do what is needed--
do what needs to be done--
in our life?

How often do we step into a situation
looking for what needs to be done there--
without any reference as to how that
would impact us?

How often do we look at our life
without what we want in mind?

What do we think about
that has no association 
with what we want?

We live in a culture
driven by wanting.

Capitalism depends on
selling us what we want.
That means Capitalism depends on 
creating wants in everyone
worldwide.

Incessant wanting
is the capitalistic dream.

And, it is the end of life
as it needs to be lived,
free to see and do what needs to be done
in each situation as it arises,
uninfluenced by what we want
or don't want.

The only reason we do anything
is based exclusively
on what we want or don't want.

What do you need to know
that doesn't have anything
to do with that?

–0–

Marianne Moore said,
"The cure for loneliness  
is solitude."

Ortega y Gasset said,
"A bore is someone 
who fails to provide companionship
while robbing you of your solitude."

When I retired,
I took a monastic vow
of silence and solitude,
which means "Nothing social."
With "social" meaning
"anything other than family."

The best part is no parties.

No, the best part is
looking out the window
when I'm not on my way
somewhere else.

Solitude allows me 
the privilege of
being where I am.

And it reduces the amount of
noise,
complexity
and drama
considerably.

Increasing the time available
for emptiness,
stillness
and silence.

The foundation of balance and harmony.
The doorway to life
and light
and peace.

But.
It does not prevent
the DMV
from intruding into your life.

And.
It helps to have people
honor your wishes.

Reminding me of my favorite
of the Biblical commandments,
and this one did not make
the Top Ten:

"Thou shalt not remove
thy neighbor's landmark!"

–0–

We have each day that is left to us
to work with--
not to see what we can make happen there
but to realize what needs to happen
in each one,
and to see how we may assist the birth
of what needs to be,
day by day,
until the end of our days.

Our work is without plan or agenda.
We are seeds in the earth
with no grasp of what manner of seed we are,
and no idea of what must be done
to see ourselves becoming ourselves,
able only to cooperate with the process
at work within us
by sensing what needs to be done,
what is being called for,
moment by moment--
responding by getting out of the way
and seeing what we are capable of
without knowing how we know
or how we do what we do,
as miracle workers
being spun into being
by mysterious forces
tucked away in sunlight and rain,
at the command of a script
written into our DNA,
created especially for a day like today
and a set of circumstances
just like these.

Each day that is ours yet to see,
looking for what calls for our
gifts in each one.

–0–