Episode 1: The Art and Struggles of Life Changes

Our eyes meet. I’m terrified, but too far I came, to head back now; I leap forward and fight, back and forth I go, praying to something, anything, myself, for it to lay dead. And then, somehow I manage to deal the final blow, to witness, the beast as it falls magnificently, all comes crashing down, but it hits me. The emptiness. The dread. The dragon has fallen. And yet, I stand to feel the pain. There was no dragon. I only killed yourself.

Kalispera, Good evening, Buenas Tardes, Dobry Wieczór.

You’re listening to the first ever “After the Dragon” podcast. So, welcome!

My name is Michalis and I will be your host, your patient zero.

As an introduction, this will not be a niche-topic podcast. It’s a raw, deeply personal project, featuring ideas from philosophy, life and death, literature, sciences, politics, and everything in between. Because life, with all its different shades, is complexly beautiful to appreciate from a narrow perspective.

The storyline of the following episodes is not predetermined either. It will ebb and flow, linked to my own life and journey.

Navigating changes, living in different cities and countries, diving into an endless sea of knowledge, hoping to bring something meaningful back to this show.

For who is this for? For people who seek inspiration. For souls who wish to connect with a story of change, to motivate them to take a brave step forward to improve their lives.

To embark with me, as another companion, on a transformative journey; for us both.

For now; I only wish to ask this - how does anybody choose to change?

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Not less than a year ago, my life was vastly different. A high-paying role, a wonderful human being by my side, a new city to explore.

Yet, in the foreign lands of Poland, something was off. And I could feel it.

So I chose to fight and change things.

And battled and struggled, until it was too late to alter the outcome. I waged war to the point of no return.

I challenged everything and came down to a blank state.

The poetic introduction summarizes my feelings, and Nietzsche’s work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, inspired it; as it inspired the name of this podcast!

The dragon is but our challenges, on the road to becoming the Übermensch – I probably messed that German word up immeasurably, but it translates as the overman.

Nietzsche suggests we begin as camels; an unavoidable fact of life. Coming into this world as helpless beings, we start as objects, receiving the will of other subjects.

Reflect on that, if you wish.

Or think of a friend, a partner, a colleague, or a parent.

On ended relationships reminiscing in vain or current ones stuck in vicious cycles, of limiting friendships that keep you in check, or parental traumas that may never heal, all acting as friction, as the scratcher of the surface, yet also as the glue that sticks it all together.

Now, take a step back. Observe your wider point of view. Consider your society at large and its values. The opportunities and limitations you face daily.

Micro and macro are now both in the room, with us. Together they shape your context.

And your context shapes you.

From such standpoint, you are but a person with forces swiping you from all sides. Yet here you are in the middle, within such a storm, an oasis of calmness, a chaotic, yet seemingly stable, equilibrium.

A state of balance: Homeostasis. Our bodies care for that. Our minds crave that.

Now, what do you think of this? That we are but an accumulation of external pressures?

You may agree, and if you wish to stay here, deterministic philosophers want to learn your location, but:

Nietzsche’s work goes far beyond.

Yes, we all start as camels. Our context forms our humps. And plenty of people retain them for the rest of their lives. Accepting them without questions.

But it is far from the end of the road – if you wish for this to change.

Think of your current situation, as merely a snapshot. Through time, change can take place.

Life didn’t exist for trillions of years. If the Big Bang theory is correct, nothing existed for trillions of years.

Yet, something happened. And, yeah, we now have to go to work and pay taxes, ok.

Still, we are brought here, in such a universe, against our will, to experience the absurd - and work and taxes.

Coming back to the sudden alterations, these personal big bangs, they just pop up in our lives. Other creatures dear to us leave our lives, get sick, and even die.

Same with abstract concepts that affect us. The economy can crash one day without you preparing for it, leaving you to deal with whatever aftermath this may result in, for you.

And, even; even something just can change from within. A different mood on a random day can set the events of a lifetime ahead.

People can spend their entire lives staying a camel, that is for certain, but only after wasting a continuum of opportunities to evolve.

One can seek to find their dragon. Or the dragon might appear right in front of them.

And it doesn’t matter how they’re met. You face a drunkard at a supermarket lot at night, well, you’re out of Nietchze’s realm. Momentarily you share the same brain as a reptile, and your options are a) fight, or b) flight.

Camels; camels will choose b and run. No questions about it.

Camels can even see their whole, faulty world crash down and will manage to build the exact same play, just with different actors and stages, making tiny script changes to accommodate. That's what camels do. I know, as a fellow camel myself. That is what I did over and over in my 20s.

Yet others; others might choose to stay and fight today.

And - a quick legal disclaimer, this show does not advise you to fight drunk people at a supermarket lot; in fact, in this case, please be a camel and seek safety, as it is most probably the wisest thing to do.

But for more personal ones, can’t it just be that you’re tired of always running? Can’t you just want to face them head-on? To say “Fuck my problems.”, and leap in, to put a full stop to once and for all?

Congrats! According to Nietzsche, by doing so, you’ve upgraded into a lion.

Lions fight. One by one, they are here to descale the beast. To overcome their limitations, stemming from them, their societies. No matter how much time it takes. A lengthy, difficult process. One that overall, makes you face your toughest enemy; your past, broken self.

Your dragon is but you, enslaved.

Once I returned to Greece after everything I chose to face in 2024, I met my reality. My numerous shortcomings. How I was not trusting myself and craving the support of others. How I procrastinate daily because I don’t believe in myself and what I have to offer. How I let my bad days consume me. How I struggle with appreciating all the good things in life.

My dragon and I shared months of angst. To bring us to such climax, to gather the courage to deal the final blow. To end that misery.

Sure, I am scared. Scared of what’s out there. Freedom, as it turns out, is terrifying. Outgrowing an old skin without knowing what’s underneath may seem maddening.

I only know I can't return. To repair what's broken makes no sense. That life I had before, I killed it. It's me, the murderer. It's me, the victor of such a bittersweet prize.

I stayed there to look at the fallen beast, to pity me, to hold the memory of the safety of being a camel, the safety of my own private cell.

Here, In Thessaloniki, surrounded by camels content with their burdens, an unclear future I encounter.

Away, I shall go. To new experiences. Not to rebuild my decimated kingdom. To embrace me, anew. Even though I don't know where it will lead me.

The third and last stage before the final destination, a child, I am becoming. As children are context-free, they watch their world with open lenses, with curiosity.

Uncertain, I try to watch what's up ahead. And yes, to say, to new experiences.

May I never choose the old again.

May I never build another dragon for myself.

May I now set me free.

Thank you, Nietchze.

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Piece by piece, episode by episode, I promise I will let you in my story more and more, as I process it myself. Featuring a mosaic of my experiences, whatever these might be.

I wish to do this show by-weekly, posting on Thursday evenings - except this one, which came a bit late of schedule. The next one will be here on December 5th, so stay tuned!

If you have any comments on how to make this podcast better, shoot me a message at @afterthedragon or @gmpapadopoulos on Instagram. I'll be happy to read out your thoughts!

For the time being - keep fighting your dragons.