that bend in the river where the cottonwoods grow

Much of our suffering comes not from reality itself, but from the way we interpret it. We construct narratives about who we are, what we deserve, and what will keep us safe. But these stories are not absolute truth—they are relative truths, shaped by our internal states in any given moment.

what matters is not having a vision, but rather making a habit of returning to and revising the vision. For the big things in my life, I'm always coming back to them week after week—sometimes day after day. As new information arrives, the vision gets updated. The dream becomes more crystallized over time. It's a habit of thinking about where you want to go with an ever-increasing degree of clarity.

Sometimes the route doesn’t matter. And so maybe the question is not about progress vs. its undoing, but about whether it’s possible to be still…even when it comes with feeling stuck or bored or like you’re being left behind.

In consideration of a month of low-key cosmic disfunction, I am thinking about standing my ground, about treading water, about holding the center. I am thinking about saying what I mean (and repeating myself if I have to). I am thinking about the ways stillness can be its own direction.

If you are truly curious about a “practice” you will have to go to places, or meet people, that have “answers” about such things — they could be far or they could be within. Similarly, if you want to see great distances (both inner and outer), you must extract yourself from the weeds. If you don’t do these things your question about a practice isn’t serious. 

A practice must be undertaken without haste and without rest. The results will not be cozy. You must be humble and conscientious. A practice is not for everyone.  A practice is not always about answers but often proper distractions are far more important.

Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Religion without sacrifice. Politics without principle.

When we create these imbalances, we pay for them.