This is a read-through of the article "The Alchemy of Pain," by Jeremy Chan, with audio clips from J.K. Rowling's Harvard commencement speech, and Danny DeVito's monologue from The Big Kahuna.

Seemingly negative experiences like failure, regret, and empathy are not simply obstacles to overcome but rather are an integral part of wisdom, character, and grace. These pairs are fundamentally entwined, and occur everywhere. By embracing the "messy" parts of life, we can ultimately grow and achieve a more complete understanding of ourselves.

Get full access to Summersoul at summersoul.substack.com/subscribe