The image of the Well in the Desert came to me as a shorthand. I tried to describe to several people the feeling I have when I become aware of the duality of aliveness: on the one hand it is the source of great joy and positive excitement, and on the other hand it is the source of pain and sorrow over the anxious anticipation of life not turning out the way we want to. The more I can become aware that joy and pain come out of the same source, the less will I be taking signals of pain as problematic. Instead, they can point me towards the source itself, allowing me to consider how to find my way back to the spring.

If I can fully connect to the feelings of desperation that I had in the darkest moments of my life, the meaning of these moments is revealed as something positive: it shows me what I value in life, and how much I care about fulfilling certain desires. Looking at painful moments from that perspective opens up choice and reduces the risk of being locked into behaviors that evolved as part of our evolutionary history.

Over the coming weeks and months, I will post essays on this site explaining how I have come to understand the human ability of accessing one’s own Well, growing stronger and becoming less reliant on external signals of reward as a means to feel good about one’s life. In addition, I will share my understanding of how things got to the situation we find ourselves in, and what I have learned about the consequences and alternatives available to humans.

Please feel free to email me with any questions or suggestions you might have at info (at) thewellinthedesert.com. Thank you for your interest!