Makes Sense - with Dr. JC Doornick - One From The Vault - Minimalism - Episode 46

Episode Date: August 19, 2024

The basic premise of Minimizing or being Minimalistic is the practice of shedding or getting rid of the things that are of no use to you and do not apply when looking at your goals and dreams. This episode can be found on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Connect with Dr. JC "The Dragon" https://zez.am/makessense OUR SPONSOR: Enjoy the show and consider joining our psychological safe haven and environment where you can begin to thrive. The Makes Sense Academy. https://www.skool.com/makes-sense-academy/about this episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Makes sense. Great morning worlds. Welcome to another 10-minute rise-up with Dragon. Just as an interesting reference point, this is like almost 13 years of doing this, and it's just been a wonderful journey. And I always like to take a kind of a reality check of how long I've been committed to doing something

and the value. The juice is definitely worth to squeeze. So today's episode, today's 10-minute rise-up is called Minimalistic. A lot of you know that Chicken and I practice minimalistic. And it's a really interesting topic that I think a lot of people, whether they want to practice it or not, can benefit from as we embark on this journey and look to advance and not get distracted. So minimalistic. So the basic premise of minimizing is to practice shedding or getting rid of the things that are of no use and value in connection with the things and life that you both desire and matter most.

So that's the premise of it. Thus, the first step in practicing minimalism is identifying and creating value to these things with absolute certainty. What I mean by that is the first step before you minimize is to decide what matters most and the things that you want with absolute certainty. You have to get crystal clear in that because then the next step is to decide what pertains to it, what applies and what doesn't. So for me, the concept of minimalism was birthed actually in all my practice and acknowledgement in Buddhism of the nature of suffering. So it's interesting to look and say, how does suffering have anything to do with minimizing? Well, the first thing you should think about is who wants to suffer, right? So it's about removing yourself from things that make you suffer.

Now, suffering can go in many, many different directions. But Buddha described the nature of suffering as desire. Grab onto that. The nature of our suffering is desire. So the want and perceived need of having more, wouldn't you? And what's interesting is, is the very act of removing desire is a desire in itself. We can actually desire to have less desire. So, you know, you can get all crazy with that.

So this game of minimizing our lives to living in a space only surrounded by the things that are of use, it gets all screwed up by our strategy and determining what things stay and what things go. That's where the challenge is. The only effective approach that has worked for us is to start by radically accepting that the only person that can call these shots is you. Call the shots of what stays and what goes and what matters and what doesn't. So in that statement right there, we recognize sometimes we're persuaded by outside forces. So the acceptance that our perceptions, also are always subject to change, radically accept that. It's okay to change your perceptions. But the key is to be conscious and aware of this process that's going on, including the changes,

and also really important what is motivating the change. If you want to make a change in your perception of what's important, what's not, I recommend, and this is what the interface response system is about, is recognizing what's triggering that change. So if you're being persuaded to acquire material things as well as the feelings associated with things like fame, honor, and significance, I assume in that moment that you're wanting to acquire those things, you're doing so with the notion at that time that those things are necessary. So that's an interesting thing to consider. Whether you do something stupid or smart, at the time that you do it, you think it's a good idea. However, when looking at your true desired destination, which is how we began this in life,

the desired state that really matters most to you, think about that for a second, lock into that, the reality that you would in fact choose to acknowledge in the last 10 minutes of your life, the motivation for these 10 minute rise-ups, you may start throwing some of these bags that you've decided were necessary off of the plane when you focus on that. So there's a skill set and a strategy is to focus on the desired state and decide what bags stay and what bags go. So minimizing your life from the things that won't matter when your hand is forced by the urgency of time. Let me say that again. Minimizing your life from the things that won't matter when your hand is forced by the urgency of time. This is the glory of minimizing.

It is not about going without stuff. It's about only going with the things and the people that matter most and support your desired state and destination for your bigger life. A place of neither too little or too much. We call this sometimes just right. Buddha refers to this sweet spot in the middle, the middle way. The place in between extreme poverty and luxury. Think about that for a second. We're either running away from poverty. Sometimes I find like we're running towards poverty, if you have a poverty mentality, or running towards luxury. But in reality, you probably want to experience the spot in between the sweet spot. It's a more balanced and sustainable lifestyle that's focused on the important things, one that can only be determined by you and nobody else.

There's the key. It's the only time you think that your present experience is not the right spot to be, you're probably in a comparative reality and thinking, I need more because everybody else has more. What do you truly, truly want, need, and must have in your life? Very important. So by removing certain things and people from your life, you are no longer distracted by them and away from the things that you truly appreciate and desire. It's okay to want and appreciate. That's a very, very important lesson I learned in life. It's okay to want and appreciate. Selfish is not a bad word.

In fact, we don't think say or do anything without there being a perceived value. Think that one through. A life of purpose and meaning perhaps is something that you might want and appreciate. It's much easier to focus on a destination and a path that leads to that destination when it is the only thing that you care about. So I end today by saying, what is it that matters most to you? What do you care about? And in that space of identifying where you want to go and what you care about, what do you no longer care about? What no longer applies in that journey? So I love and appreciate you. This has been another 10-minute rise-up,

minimalistic. I hope you have an amazing day and I hope you feel the urgency and fragility of time today and you squeeze everything there is out of this orange that we call this day. Have a wonderful day. Makes sense.