About this Episode
This is Part 2 of my series We Die of Being Alive.
In Part 1, I explored a difficult truth: we don’t die because something goes wrong—we die because we are alive. Life includes uncertainty, loss, and things we cannot control.
But that leaves a deeper question:
How do we actually live inside that reality?
In this episode, I explore what happens when fear takes over—when we panic, freeze, or react too quickly—and how, in those moments, we can lose something essential within ourselves.
Through a personal story, reflections on thinkers like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, and ideas drawn from poetry and lived experience, this episode moves toward a simple but demanding principle:
Stay in the doorway long enough… then move with integrity.
This isn’t about eliminating fear.
It’s about learning how to face it without abandoning yourself.
I also share practical ways this shows up in daily life—how awareness, boundaries, and what I call “containers” can help reduce overwhelm and allow us to respond more clearly instead of reacting out of pressure.
If Part 1 was about accepting reality,
this episode is about how to move within it.
I'd love to hear what you have to say about the episode including thoughts on the poetry and the topics that were discussed. You can email me at [email protected].
My books of poetry are availabe for purchase at
["The Ghost of a Beating Heart", "My Mother Sleeps" and "Haiku Village"](
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