How will he approach — Slinking in? barging? wading? — The final countdown? Today's Meditation(s): (That's a million for those playing at home who want to check their answer.) If only it were a threshold event, virtue. Then I could be really good one time and be d̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶i̶t̶ at peace. Having to redo it every day is one of those little things that are hard to love. But remembering why I do it, helps.

What is in a name? Are we predestined to be In sincerity? Never a fair fight. Uh. You've got me questioning  Whether my head's right . Today's Meditation(s): A fundamental lesson for my kids: no matter what the situation, no matter how bad, how extreme, how unlucky, or how catastrophic, any situation is better if they ditch the panic and focus on the their next step in this reality . 1. Acknowledge what is going on. 2. Strip away unneeded assumptions. 3. Accept that passions arise and set them aside for later processing. 4. Determine Nature's way. 5. Follow that path.

Regretting some things. Evenings made melancholy Through my past actions. Today's Meditation(s): I think about this a lot. When will be the last time I read a story to my kids? It's already happened, years ago, for two of them, but I couldn't tell you when. I didn't notice when it slipped out of my life. I know I'll miss these, too. But I'm trying. So I do try to enjoy the loud sounds and energetic displays, the messy rooms and the misbehavior, the odd decisions and quirky preferences. I already have a child whose crying would sound like heaven to me. I'm trying not to waste any of the time I have left with those I still have.

Thank you for being,  My friend. Alive, here and near. Grounding my spirit. Today's Meditation(s): It's the Dash , right?  The Dash between the years on my tombstone. How did I use my dash? What happened in my dash? How far down does it go? Have I done anything? Have I done the right thing? Am I, on net and in particular, a good thing for humanity? For my family, my community, my world?

Planning distractions . . . Organizing my way through How I waste my life. Today's Meditation(s): Why on Earth would Heaven be a place?  Wouldn't a better Heaven be incorporeal so there are no physical limits or drawbacks and could just enjoy things as pure thought, pure emotion, or pure energy ?

Today's Meditation(s): Is it true that most people don't really want freedom, they want stability and order? That they'd rather follow almost any rules than be responsible for the choice themselves? To the extent that it is true, I think Tolstoy nails the reason here. It's hard to find a reason to be. It's tough to live a meaningful life when all I have is myself to guide it. But I'm not alone. Yes, it's my decision , but I have the benefit of innumerable examples to emulate. And uncountable books of wisdom to study and practice.  And good people around me to give me counsel. I bear the responsibility, but if I've done all I can do, I can accept that.

Wubba lubba dub. See? It's missing a word. So It means something else.* Today's Meditation(s): Number 1: do the right thing. To get there, I need to train my thoughts and words to the good. This I can do silently. There's no need for an audience.** ===== * Like when you mess up accents and ¡suddenly! vegetablic impossibilities instead of paternal elders: mi pap a  tiene ochenta a n os . ** Serving as an example can be a nice byproduct, and even a conscious goal, but it's not the root reason for doing any of this. That is only, can only be , self-improvement.

Can I get a year? Can I get an amen? Can I get a miracle? Can I get an explanation? Today's Meditation(s): I really like this. It's so concise and pithy, such great truth in such simple words. (It's almost like the guy was a writer or something....) I'm working on myself. If I can help others, I do. I do, specifically, work to help my kids build their principles and use them in their life. I teach them to understand and analyze arguments, to question things that trip their intuition, to think through the reasons supporting their beliefs instead of accepting things blindly, to have a failback plan (do the next right thing, start from kindness), and more. They are growing into darn good people. I have a problem with being bored. Not as bad as some, but I'm still working on accepting it peacefully into my life. Sometimes, I'll test myself, seeing how easily I can (or can't) go without picking up my phone.  It's still a struggle.

Ritualistic Inclusivity planning Overcrowds today. Today's Meditation(s): I stress this with my kids all the time: something is not the way you want it to be. It's a fact of the universe which does not respond to your emotions, plans, or desires. You can either stay the course, pursuing your original plan even though it's no longer valid, or you can accept reality, adjust accordingly, and have a better chance of success. Do or do not. There is no try. I like this description. I've used the idea of 'wait it out' before, many times, but this analogy gives me a solid mental image to hold on to. This, for me, is helpful. Imagining the rise and fall of the wave as I float on top, going up and down, choosing my course among the options Nature lays before me.

The Temple of Love Shine like thunder. Cry like rain. Black wind blows away. Today's Meditation(s): I need to learn to treat others fairly, as fully human and as ends in themselves, on my first thought rather than my second.  If I do that, my behavior should be kind and helpful, generous and honest.  And thats all I can ask. My job is to control myself and to help my (worldwide) community.  Not to control others. In what world do I know better than some else how they should live their life, what choices they make? So long as they don't commit fraud or agress against peaceful people, they should be left alone.

It's a laidback, kickback Beat 'em with a brickbat Broken day.* Today's Meditation(s): Tolstoy really nailed it with this one. I'm trying. I've made some progress, but that doesn't stop me backsliding or getting sidetracked with new sins. ===== * I'd like to announce my retirement, undefeated, from the art of rap.

I like this next line: Mood swings like a . . . baseball bat . Use it in a poem. Today's Meditation(s): Two from the Buddha about thoughts and consequences. If I train myself to think good thoughts , I'm much more likely to want to  do  good things . Similarly, training myself to avoid bad thoughts also improves my betting average. Do the good things. The rest will work itself out.

Even dust loom large. My time in this world wanes, falls. I am a flyspeck. Today's Meditation(s): The time of stars in our universe is billions of years. And yet, when all the stars are gone, black holes will exist for trillions of years more. Everything we see is not only old beyond our comprehension, but even it is just a blip in the scale of the universe? * I'm not important to the universe. Neither to the world. Nor are you. Nor are any of us. If there's a meaning to life, it's one I make for myself. And it means something only to me. And either that's enough or I will be disappointed. There's no third option. External objects and goals are always subject to thwarting, loss, decline and degeneration. Any importance I place there is a mistake. Look inside instead.

If fate is written, Are we predestined to fall? Are we free to fly? Today's Meditation(s): If we all did a little, well, 8 billion littles would be not little. Since this is impossible, and out of our control even if it were, I should improve myself and my tiny world as much as I can.

Beautiful morning And what should I do with you? I know! How about.... Today's Meditation(s): I'm against the whole idea of war, especially any involving a draft. Defending oneself is natural and right, but aggression will not stand.

Studies in mornings Are more satisfying than Thoughts at the day's end. Today's Meditation(s): (So what do I do? I add the images and write the opening, then leave it until almost 2200....) So how do we relate to people? Follow Kant and treat them always as an end instead of a means. Treat them always as fully human, worthy of basic love and respect, as important as myself. Approach them with kindness and humility. All of this is possible. Whether or not I can achieve it in particular is in doubt. But I must make the attempt. If being a Sage is impossible, I can at least work at progressing toward that perfection, trying to learn to respect others more and to correct critical thoughts I have. Recognize them as having all the rights I have.