The End is Always Joy

You can find the synopsis of this episode, further notes, and a convenient place to comment ⁠here⁠. I will also periodically update my thoughts on this episode's content at that same link. Key points of this "speaking": Every conceptual schema is a mythology if you go down far enough. Hold these mythologies lightly. In order to be truly successful, you have to tend to your particular energy in the way that it requires. We have to risk self-deception in order to find our inner guide. No one knows for sure whether or not their lives are progressing in the direction they want them to. Because of the risk of self-deception, systems of control are created to manufacture the illusion of progress. It’s possible to arrive at the end of your life and realize your life was a variation of hiding. But you won’t arrive there without having allowed your body, mind, and heart to go blind in to some degree throughout your life. This blindness is not darkness— that depth of feeling and thought that makes tender and meaningful your life— but a flinching in the face of darkness. Anything can be a tool of awakening or an opiate. Positive thinking will not save us, but deep-rooted joy will. Where there is truth, joy will follow. If you are still in despair, you are not at the end. The end is always joy. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future topics, you can email me at [email protected]. You can also check out my website at ⁠www.sondrawriter.com⁠, where you'll find my essays and links to ⁠my memoir⁠. Music is L'épisode cévenol by Circus Marcus, from the Free Music Archive. License type: CC BY-NC.