Some labors wear plain faces; others learn a halo. That halo is sacred overwork—the glamour that tells you burning is virtue, depletion is devotion, and tomorrow’s fire is an acceptable tithe. The north knows this trick. Halls collapse when the hearth is “holy” but cold. Oaths were meant to be kept, not to consume the oath-keeper. Guest-right includes the host.

Tonight we talk about small exits—not dramatic resignations, but doorways you can use without betraying your craft. In saga light, Þórr holds the road with edges set before the storm; Freyja keeps her power with clean consent; Týr risks wisely for the whole, not to win praise. Each is an exit from the trance of endless giving. An exit can be a sentence that ends the day, a watch that has a watch-change, a promise sized to mortal breath. It can be the meal you eat before the counsel you offer, the walk you take so your word tomorrow is still good, the refusal to count martyrdom as merit.

Overwork often dresses as faithfulness—“they need me,” “it will fall apart.” Sometimes that’s true; often it’s a fog. The World-Tree stands because many tend it: wells, creatures, messengers. So do households, teams, communities. To act as if you are the only steward is to break guest-right with everyone, including yourself. Small exits restore rhythm: lay one task at the roots until morning; close the book when the ring of the hour arrives; answer with fewer, truer words. The work will meet you again. You will be here to meet it.

What this is not: license to abandon repair, a shrug at duty, or a command to stay where harm is normal. If safety is needed, choose it. If amends are owed, make them. Our guidance is cultural and spiritual—non-clinical, consent-first—and meant to sit alongside professional care when needed.

If you’ve been praised for burning, try a different compliment: steadfast, not consumed. Find the nearest door out of the halo and back into honest craft. Take it, rest, return. That is how good work lasts.

Today’s show sponsored by FournSeven Poster & Frame.

Every hall, every wagon, every shield once bore a mark of pride. FourSevens Decals carries that same spirit into your home and travels — symbols that set you apart, bold designs that speak of strength and story. Claim your mark at akumedia.akoutlaw.com/sponsors.

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