The ClearOut

In this episode, Dara is wondering why he feels so exhausted. Is it because he has switched from standby mode to being fully turned off? Do we struggle to fully relax because we so seldom do it? And does this connect to more than just the usual life concerns that trouble most of us? Is it possible it may be connected to the remorseless self-branding, self-commodification, and self-selling of the tech age?Dara advocates for resolution over optimisation. Strip it all back until there's nothing left but the elemental self. Return to one true thing and proceed from there. He knows there is a connection between that position and the idealism that drew him to acting and martial arts as a young man. In those two pursuits he was trying to find things he could not find elsewhere in his life. But that same idealism dulled his senses at times and led to missing things that were right in front of him.Also in this episode, a Robert Duvall connection, uncertain orientation, the wisdom of bendy trees, and the importance of sharing our burdens with others.Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dara is wondering how 250 episodes have come along so quickly. It hasn't been an effortless process by any means, but somehow the show (or 'the tell') has kept trundling along, quietly going about its business. And what business is that, exactly?Amongst other things, it has been an offer of quiet and reflective positivity in the wake of the Covid pandemic and an alternative to much of the shrieking discourse of an increasingly distressed world. It has also been the attempt to cultivate a genuinely authentic and honest voice via personal storytelling and unapologetic vulnerability. It has largely been monologues with occasional and welcome guests, but the conversation has been primarily between Dara and whoever has been listening. Finally, it has continued to try to be...'Wellness, with attitude'.For this special milestone episode, Dara decides to share an extended extract from a piece of writing that he started a couple of years ago. Part memoir, part autofiction, part identity excavation, 'Monkey-Boots' is something that will hopefully become a book at some point in the future, but for now, like Dara, it's a work in progress.If you have been, thanks for listening!Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Dara is reckoning with the elusive nature of grace. According to the major religions, and Judaism specifically, it is 'a free gift of love' from the Almighty. But if not given by God, from where else might it come? Is it something that we can bestow on ourselves? What conditions need to be in place for that to happen? Is it possible it might come from the award-winning TV show The Pitt? Part of the pathway to grace may involve the total leaving behind of the self. Difficult to achieve most of the time when it involves others, almost impossible when it involves oneself. But there's something about entering a flow state than seems to bring it more into reach. And speaking of flow, what is flowing in the deepest, defining part of ourselves?Time and space are part of the conversation too. If we allow ourselves to be slaves to the tyranny of time, it is unlikely we will access anything resembling inner calm or presence of mind. So much potential resides in the directions we point ourselves and the pathways we are interested in uncovering. Also, if we can't see ourselves, how can we find ourselves?Dandelion heads, karate kicks and Irish gangsters are also in the mix.Website: https://theclearout.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theclearoutpodcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclearoutpodcast/YouTube: The ClearOut PodcastEmail: [email protected] Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theclearout Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.