The Comfort Crisis | The Minimalists Ep. 422 

What’s one thing that makes you uncomfortable?

Being around people is making me more uncomfortable as time goes by. I was social and I no longer am at 55 y/o.

It’s so interesting. As a stay at home mom I have a lot of time in my head. I find that I listen to RU-vid videos while I’m cleaning to avoid “boredom”. But interestingly enough I tend to feel more relaxed and sometimes even get more done when I am just doing the tasks with no distractions. I enter a sort of meditative state when I do them. Taking walks outside also always lifts my mood. I think growing up dirt poor immigrant gave me a lot of micro traumas that help my mental health today. I’m much more grateful for everything in my life than many people I know who grew up in the typical middle/upper middle class lifestyle. My husband grew up wealthy and he’s always craving more and gets frustrated when he can’t meet his own standards but pokes fun at me for being a “gypsy” because I’m comfortable just about anywhere and with very little. I do take notice of all the little breaks in time that naturally occur in life like waiting at a stoplight, or waiting at the doctor’s office, or just standing outside and looking around at the plants and nature. I try to enjoy those little breaks.

23:08 "We suffer more in imagination, than in reality." - Seneca

Dear Rachel, I'm sending my hugs to you, and I'm so sorry for what you have gone thru and the things that you have lost. I wonder if to heal a little my heart wants to ask if it might help some to possibly honor the special things you held dear and miss to maybe write a short journal about each of these things and maybe even do your best to do your own sketch of each of the items. ( My heart even sees you possibly coloring your sketches, I see them with colored pencils or maybe some water colors. ) One other idea is maybe to start jotting down a list of the essential daily living 'tools' that would start to help you get back to some sense of your life that you might want to gather back. And a list like this may Really help those around you in the similar loss. And then let us and others know and maybe you & we and other folks and put together groups that start providing a kit with the items as a survival recovery box to as many people as possible. My heart hurts for you. Prayers that you will find an essential recovery to possibly be lifted and rebuild into a Very special life for you. Hugs and holding a wonderful vision for you going forward.

Rachel ❤ And what you said, Josh: "Life is the thing that remains". Very well said.

13:30 Momento Mori: Remember you will die. "You could leave life right now, so let that determine what you do and say and think." - Marcus Aurelius

Lets not forget that people often do not have enough and are struggling to survive ❤

OK. I got to say getting thrown into the deep end is NOT how you learn to swim. It is how you drown. LOL. You actually start in the shallow end of the pool and learn there. Obviously he doesn’t have kids who ever went to swimming lessons. 😂

I’m fine with the idea of my death, it’s just how I will die that concerns me but what concerns me more is my legacy: did I leave the world better than when I entered and most important to me is the care, resiliency and resourcefulness of my children. Someone once said, “Plant trees whose shade you will never enjoy.”

I just want to say that this is a great episode! How is it that comfort ties into so many things? I would never have thought past trauma would be included in an episode like this. Thanks for the perspectives and discussion!

Modern life, with all its ease, has robbed us of our humanity.

Obviously, I would never want my house to burn down, but at the same time the idea of a clean slate definitely appeals to me. If I had to start over with nothing I would be so much more thoughtful about what I brought back in.

Not only traumas, but all of the secondary traumas that hit, that nobody realizes, that just keep coming

Rachel, I understand all too well what you are going through we lost everything from mold damage caused by Hurricane Sandy I don't think they're really addressed your reality. First, grief is real and necessary. Don't skip that step and don't feel like you are crazy, like your supposed to suck up and Soldier on. Right now you have to get the basics now down. Someone else in this thread mentioned journaling. That's a fine thing to do if you're comfortable with that. It can help you make connections to memories in situations you don't want to forget. Once we started to get our feet on the ground, we found a really important to look for beauty. For us that was buying a bouquet of flowers at the farm market. My husband and I are both would find it very calming and soothing to Gaze on them throughout the week. It doesn't have to be something you buy. Perhaps it can be a collection of pretty leaves or a shell or a branch, something from the natural world. You will get through this. Remember your strength, courage, and resiliency. Sending hugs!

Im a new Minimalist and new to your show. Absolutely uplifting. 😊😊

I did it again yesterday at the dentist office. A great price for 4 was dangled before me and I forgot my minimalist mindset which is also a scarcity mindset. And now I am looking at my possessions that are cluttering up my home.

Food, shelter, clothing, transportation. Those are the 4 needs. Everything else is extra.

Dishes in the sink make me crazy. We don't have a dishwasher in this old house and it is the one thing I wish i had!

Super love this episode!!! I want to weep because I've been struggling so hard these past few months. Can't barely sleep and have gained another 10 lbs in just two-three months. I've been extremely distracted and definitely coping using retail therapy

For Rachel: read about refugees. My mom was a war orphan, she came to the US with one suitcase. Blessings to you. Tina, Al's wife

Benjamin Franklin wrote "Those things that hurt, instruct. "

Crumbs in a bed. I ban food and drink as well as shoes in the bedroom.

This is very eye opening session With Michael Easter. Thank you!

One thing that makes me uncomfortable is people who make sweeping statements such as “throw someone in at the deep end and they will learn to swim”! Alternatively they might just drown

Thank you, Michael and Joshua this is so good!

Those videos about not working hard. Oh my goodness cracked me up love it. Love it love😂😂😂😂😂

I love your voice JFM. 😀. It’s so relaxing!!!!!!

Please share the link to work life balance clip. It is needed over here!

I've spent last,several days,as subzero temperatures, I decided to go through everything and I am amazed how stuff or extra clothes I've had, I went through and donated alot,then in the morning I got up and picked through everything again, found duplicates and although I was tempted I set them aside, then looked at my clothes, I took two boxes out,and you look at the clothes in the closet looks really nice but still looks like I could trim more, it's definitely more of a clean simple look, I also boxed up items that have been unused in the last several months gone, it's not difficult but I said we'll I've never used this before I wouldn't miss it now,

That clip is awesome 👏🏻- wish I could find it on YT

DANG. I loved that video. I feel the same way at my job.

i dont think they really answered Rachel's question. She needs to look at what she has to have to live. also, she needs to look at other people who need help.

I think TK was very missed in this episode. His compassion and intuitive consideration would have really helped the Hawaii caller.

It is the company of people who make us happy or who love us that makes us truly happy. And to feel fulfilled, we just need to do things that we enjoy. That's it. Life is really simple. As long as we have housing and food, all other things are optional. Oh, and don't join the rat race or else you'll be trapped for the next 20 years in stress. And stress can destroy everything...

Ohhhh.... I need that clip about being 100% !! Do you have the link?

35:23 CLASSIC

Where do I find that video? I’d like to put that on repeat all day at work to remind myself not to work any harder.

Some comfort good others bad... you need a balance 🎉

Loud chewing.

Is Ryan done?

Mind wandering...this is why I enjoy not having a dish washer or a dryer, hand washing dishes and hanging laundry out are mindless tasks and allow my brain to just roam.

🖤 is love.

running a marathon distance

36:18-36:50 wow

I wonder what the guest means when he says thinking about death is the most uncomfortable thought that a human being can have. I think almost daily that death would be the end of my suffering and I don't feel discomfort about that, am I not a human being? and I'm not from Butan. and I'm not happy. what am I?

Solving Problems.

Whatever was taken from us one thing they can't take away is our faith in the higher power which we believe in. Be well all.

Momento Mori

4 22 is my birthday ,

It’s really annoying how people talk about humans in the past like we were just mindless animals walking the earth.

All of it - either a lot or a little - is completely meaningless without God and the promise of salvation. Jesus defeated death for us and said.. if we put our faith in him and him alone, we will be saved!

OK...you haven't helped this lady at all

Modern life, with all its ease, has robbed us of our humanity.