In this episode, Dara wants to know what vulnerability looks like. He talks about his own sense of feeling vulnerable at this time in his life and tries to contextualise that feeling in terms of age, time spent, and time left. He also reflects on fear, threat identification, and the conviction that one can be ‘got’.
Is It Okay to be Vulnerable? Yes, it is! – Episode 148 Read More »
In this episode Dara is looking into the void and trying not to feel frightened. Thinking about the construction of identity and personality, he is curious about how comfortable or not we are with what lies beneath. He asks if you can handle being left alone with yourself.
A Hat is Not a Personality, or The Fear of Not Being There – Episode 123 Read More »
A mental health-focused episode partly inspired by Blindboy Boatclub’s ongoing commitment to sharing his own mental health and wellness journey.
Heading Fear Off at the Pass, or Oh No, Not Another Catastrophe! – Episode 77 Read More »
In this episode, Dara doesn’t think he’s going to talk about Mahsa Amini, the Kurdish woman who was killed in police custody in Iran in recent weeks, but that’s what he does end up doing. He questions the strength of a faith that feels it has to police itself so viciously. He argues that when religious teaching becomes dogma, it weaponises itself and betrays an inherent insecurity.
Fractured Faith and Religion as Instrument of Terror – Episode 71 Read More »
In this episode Dara delves into the places we carry and store our pain. He looks at how unaddressed wounds can wield a disproportionate amount of power over us and how that relates to our fear of uncomfortable places.
Snowflakes, Pain Storage, and the Power of Subjectivity – Episode 36 Read More »
In this episode Dara stays firmly in mental health territory and discusses at length our fear of the dark side of ourselves. He talks about the unexpressed and the uncomfortable and argues for disciplined, non-hysterical acceptance of the parts of ourselves that make us turn away.
Walking in the Shadow and Keeping her Light – Episode 21 Read More »
In this episode I try to unpick the puzzle of presence. I draw a line between perceived safety and protecting the precious parts of ourselves. I argue for integrity and wholeness as the pathways to self-acceptance and the tools for calm and confident presence. I also share a very personal story to illustrate the power
The here, the me, the now – the challenge of being present – Episode 11 Read More »
There’s no two ways about it. I’m in a spot, and I’m not enjoying it. I am experiencing a moment of paralysis in my life. I find myself afraid to breathe and afraid to move for fear of breaking. My anxiety and dread sit between my shoulders at the top of my spine like an
Fear, anxiety, and fighting back Read More »
Closer When will it be that she sees the shock of the old? When will she stop in her tracks, stop her breath, and take charge of my feelings, so that I’m not hurt by more than the passing of time? No time soon. She marauds over me like terrain to be conquered. My
How tightly do you hold on? Waiting for the next bad thing to happen. Waiting for the next good thing not to happen. Waiting for a door to be unlocked. Waiting for your breath to come. The question is both incomplete and somewhat ambiguous. There are related questions of why and what and how and when.
A question of faith Read More »
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