Living with Borrowed Dust: Reflections on Life, Love, and Other Grievances

From bestselling author and Jungian psychoanalyst Dr. James Hollis comes a new collection of essays exploring life’s challenges and celebrating evolving questions on life’s mysterious journey.

In a world seemingly set up for distraction, life can often feel like it’s dividing you not only from others but also from yourself. Yet even within the cacophony of life, deep down you can intuit your own soul, that part of you that knows you better than you know yourself, and that offers direction and moments of solace, even amid uncertainty.

This disconnect from your inner source of guidance leads to self-doubt, but in Living with Borrowed Dust, Hollis provides a reminder that you carry within what you’re so anxiously looking for from a crazed world. ＂Behind the noise and beneath the surface, something in the soul of each of us cries out,＂ he says. ＂While we may be distracted from this summons, the soul keeps asking that we pay attention.＂ These summonses come to us through symptoms, dreams, and restless nights. Gaining insight into these inner callings, the meaning within our challenges, and the courage it takes to move through our journey can help us feel better connected through difficult times. Here, Hollis reveals tools you can utilize to engage in this conversation with the soul.

In this collection of essays, readers are guided to reflect deeply on questions that explore and celebrate life’s challenges in our evolving world, including how happiness is attained, how to approach your dreams, the divided soul of America, the fear and fascination with death, and the conflict between good and evil. With each new insight, Hollis aims to steer you toward an individual, self-determining path, zeroing in on the need for personal accountability and decisive growth. Using analytic psychology as a vehicle for the recovery of a spiritual life in a secular age, you’ll find inspiration for reconnecting with deep wisdom, bringing renewed purpose and dignity to this mysterious journey called life.

James Hollis, PhD, is a Jungian analyst practicing in Washington, DC, and the author of more than nineteen books, including The Eden Project, What Matters Most, and Living an Examined Life. Hailing from several Jungian institutes and societies, Hollis aids both readers and clients through the complexities of modern life, focusing on the second half of life, aging, dreamwork, and the nature of personal growth in spite of the challenges of modern life. For more, visit jameshollis.net.