Joshua and Ryan talk about the best options for therapy when you’re feeling sad, grieving, depressed, anxious, or overwhelmed with author, podcaster, and psychotherapist Lori Gottlieb, and they answer the following questions: When is the appropriate time to talk to a therapist? (00:00) What is “idiot compassion” compared to “wise compassion”? (02:53) What is self-sabotage, and how can we identify and address its manifestation in us? (04:03) What is the most important phase of change? (05:45) What is the most challenging part of change? (07:09) Why should someone schedule a session with a therapist? (08:48) What key power can therapy give us? (09:49) What do we do when cost is an impediment to mental healthcare? (11:26) What are the downsides of trying to help others change? (14:42) What mantras, self-talk, meditations, et cetera, have helped keep you focused, centered, and positive when addressing significant life challenges? (18:15) In their lives, to whom do most people talk the most? (19:17) How do we give ourselves self-compassion? (22:06) How do we get past childhood traumas and disappointments? (23:42) What is “forced forgiveness”? (25:24) Must we forgive to move on? (26:15) How do we handle pride appropriately? (27:13) Why does there seem to be a stigma against mental health in older generations, and, more specifically, how can we get our parents to talk about their feelings and vulnerabilities? (29:35) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about the minimalism rules that have helped simplify their lives, and they answer the following questions: How valuable are rules? (00:00) How important are boundaries? (04:56) Once I only have my essential items, how do I keep them from wearing out quickly? (18:48) How is minimalism not a destination? (19:47) What is our language problem? (20:19) How effective is it to reverse clothes hangers to minimize a wardrobe? (27:17) Is it helpful to restrict the amount of clothes hangers to create an appropriate wardrobe? (28:20) How do you develop and maintain the discipline needed to stick to your minimalism rules or other habits you're trying to establish? (30:26) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about healing our relationships with stuff, truth, self, values, money, creativity, and people with podcaster and Director of Entrepreneurial Education for FEE, T.K. Coleman, and they answer the following questions: What gave you the inspiration for Love People, Use Things? (00:00) Do we learn more from those that have been redeemed, or from those that have led “perfect” lives? (08:51) How did the line blur so much between private lives and public lives? (10:31) How do I reconcile with my minimalist values when I must trash items I no longer use that can’t be donated, recycled, or upcycled? (13:48) What is the true cost of things?  (14:43) How do I justify to my minimalist self that it’s okay to have numerous accoutrements for several hobbies that bring me joy? (21:00) What separates minimalism from dogmatism? (23:57) How do I rejuvenate my creativity when I’m overwhelmed by burnout? (36:04) How do we avoid falling into maintenance mode as creatives? (40:31) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan discuss the perils of pursuing fame, clout, and attention in today's insta-world with director Nick Bilton and artist Chris Bailey of HBO’s Fake Famous, and they answer the following questions: Why did Nick make a film about fake fame? (00:00) What constitutes actual fame? (07:01) What impact is social media having on our children? (09:24) How has Chris’s life changed since the film? (13:04) Why do the people who just post photos of themselves in skimpy outfits and pouts get five million followers, yet the people who actually have something meaningful to say get only a handful of followers? (21:27) What is the number one photo opportunity in L.A. for influencers? (26:49) What is an “Instagram vacation”? (27:55) If maintaining social media accounts is part of our daily work, how do we incorporate minimalism to ensure our use is intentional, appropriate, and valuable? (28:38) What value have you gotten from social media? (32:19) Has the experience of the global pandemic actually helped us get away from our glowing screens? (32:57) What is the prime purpose of social media? (35:52) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about gift-getting, gift-giving, and birthday celebrations for adults and kids alike with podcaster and Registered Dietitian Rebecca Shern, and they answer the following questions: What does Joshua want for his birthday? (00:00) Why do we never seem to know what we truly want? (04:06) Instead of spending lots of money and giving expensive gifts, what are some meaningful ways to celebrate birthdays? (06:22) How do you celebrate your child’s birthday? (07:27) What if gift-giving is one of my love languages? (11:14) How do you celebrate your birthday? (14:57) Is gift-giving just a matter of simply asking others what they want? (17:31) How do we appropriately address a loved one who insists on giving us gifts when we’ve asked them countless times not to, and do we tell them that we’ve actually given away most of the gifts they’ve given us? (18:20) How do my spouse and I address the societal expectations of others regarding our choice of participation in traditional gift-giving events, such as birthdays and Christmas? (31:04) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about how minimalism, in more ways than one, is about starting over with less, and they answer the following questions: How do we start over? (00:00) As I’m letting everything go and starting over, how do I explain it to my friends and family who think I am crazy or terminally ill? (05:25) What advice do you have for those of us dealing with the stress and anxiety of being forced to start over professionally after being let go from our jobs? (09:06)  What is absolutely essential? (11:51) What two questions should we ask ourselves when we’re considering a fresh start? (14:43) How important is an emergency fund when you’re starting over? (15:46) Is starting over simply a matter of considering a new direction? (16:23) When you’re starting over from scratch and you realize you can’t do it alone, how do you get over your pride and ask others for help? (17:46) What is the difference between enhancement and dependency? (19:38) Why should we give money rather than loan money? (21:56) When you’re starting over with nothing, how do you live without sentimental stuff in your life? (25:53) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about what we must refine to ensure our spiritual and material lives align with author, podcaster, and fitness expert Ben Greenfield and podcaster and Registered Dietitian Rebecca Shern, and they answer the following questions: What is a “fit soul”? (00:00) What are the dangers of transactional relationships? (08:47) What are the four pillars of the spiritual journey? (13:35) What is the practice of self-examination? (18:02) How do we determine our purpose? (21:38) Is there a link between sex and spirituality? (26:44) How do you explain sex to your children? (29:21) What is “eye gazing”? (33:58) How do you punish and reward your children? (36:12) What is the “God-shaped hole”? (39:59) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about how we all seem to find ourselves having the things we don’t need, and needing the things we don’t have—and how we’re so disconnected from our communities that bartering for those things is nearly impossible—with the founder of HaveNeed, Josh Kline, and they answer the following questions: What is HaveNeed? (00:00) How has the pandemic affected bartering? (04:01) What is your distinction between items that are essential, nonessential, and junk? (06:16) What would the world look like if there was no such thing as money, which has a vice-like grip on the material world; that is, what would the world look like if it ran strictly on barter? (07:02) What is the history of bartering? (07:26) What is the “mutual coincidence of wants”? (08:11) What is “Object A”? (13:44) Bartering has been around forever, but seems to have fallen out of favor in recent times—why? (26:51) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about our want for things, why we want what we want, and how we can free ourselves from chasing unfulfilling desires with author and professor Luke Burgis, and they answer the following questions: What is mimetic desire? (00:00) Does it help to identify the origins of our desires? (05:05) Should we strive to be immune from desires? (06:54) What is negative imitation? (08:22) How do we find fulfilling desires? (08:48) Can a relentless desire to be debt-free actually cause adverse unintended consequences? (12:39) What are “borrowed desires”? (16:17) What costs should we consider in the pursuit of our desires? (18:13) What is a “misery tax”? (19:42) How do we recognize and address the influences, especially those online, that promote mindless consumption? (24:08) How is social media addictive? (24:39) What is “hate watching”? (26:33) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support

Joshua and Ryan talk about how to take back control of our income and our creative outcomes by making a living on our own as an aspiring creator, small business owner, artist, or entrepreneur with the CEO of Patreon, Jack Conte, and they answer the following questions: Why did Jack start Patreon? (04:40) Where do you find the most practical feedback from your audience? (13:25) How do I best prepare myself to make the jump from working full-time for others to working full-time as a small business owner with as much tranquility as possible? (15:46) What should be my primary focus as a budding entrepreneur? (18:20) How did Jack benefit from his “not be prudent” approach to his professional pursuits? (22:23) When do you know it’s time to turn your side hustle into your full-time business? (26:00) What is the first step I should take to become an online creator? (27:32) What do you mean by “add value”? (28:55) Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Support The Minimalists: minimalists.com/support