2962: The Value of Fasting (from Anything). And How to Get Started by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist on Discipline

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Living Daily, Episode 2962, The Value of Fasting from Anything. And How to Get Started by Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com

[00:00:11] And Re-Narrator Justin Malik reading you blogs every day of the year.

[00:00:15] Appreciate you coming back to listen and sharing the show with others. That's how I've been able to keep doing this over the years.

[00:00:22] But with that, let's get right to our next post as we optimize your life.

[00:00:26] The Value of Fasting from Anything and How to Get Started by Joshua Becker of BecomingMinimalist.com

[00:00:37] In my mind growing up, the idea of fasting was always tied to food.

[00:00:42] My Catholic friends would fast during Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter, by not eating meat on Fridays.

[00:00:48] While my family never observed Lent in the traditional sense, I was still encouraged to consider fasting from food as a spiritual discipline

[00:00:55] by abstaining from eating for 24 hours as a means to focus more attentively on God.

[00:01:00] In many ways, my views on fasting have not changed. I still see spiritual value in removing food for a period of 24 hours.

[00:01:08] The practice does indeed heighten awareness of spiritual matters.

[00:01:11] And nothing I write beyond this point is meant to take away from that practice or the spiritual benefits of it.

[00:01:17] I only mean to add to it.

[00:01:19] You see, as I have matured in my life and my spirituality, I have begun to recognize additional value in the discipline of fasting.

[00:01:27] Moving beyond abstaining from food, I have also learned to appreciate the benefits of fasting from almost anything in moderation.

[00:01:34] Fasting, it seems to me, is ultimately about self-control.

[00:01:38] It is about the intentional removal of one external controlling factor in our lives for a period of time.

[00:01:44] It is an exercise in self-control. And self-control holds benefit for all, regardless of our faith or non-faith preferences.

[00:01:52] In college for the first time, I set out to give up one controlling factor in my life for a period of 40 days,

[00:01:58] a form of fasting that drew inspiration from my Catholic friends, although I'll be quick to admit that most world religions embrace some form of fasting.

[00:02:06] My thinking went like this. If there is any external reality in my life that I could not give up for 40 days,

[00:02:12] it has become a controlling influence on me. By definition, I have lost an element of self-control.

[00:02:19] Over the years as a result of this exercise, I have fasted from television for 40 days, eating out for 40 days,

[00:02:26] my cell phone for 40 days, and candy for 40 days.

[00:02:30] Each time I choose one thing that would be difficult to part with for a period of days

[00:02:34] and then challenge myself to go without it as an exercise in self-control.

[00:02:39] Each time it seemed, I learned more about myself and gained additional insight into finding balance in my life.

[00:02:46] I'm not alone in my practice of this discipline. The minimalist recently gave up social media for 30 days.

[00:02:52] Corny Carva has written about giving up sugar for 30 days,

[00:02:55] and almost everyone who attempts an extended shopping ban will tell you it was worth it.

[00:03:00] There is value in this practice, however you choose to embrace it.

[00:03:04] Currently, my fasting practice looks a bit different than the extended period of abstaining 30 or 40 days from a specific item.

[00:03:11] Over the past year, I have returned to the 24-hour model of intermittent fasting, choosing to abstain from coffee on Saturdays.

[00:03:18] It's not a long drawn out practice that requires pre-planning of any sort.

[00:03:22] It's just a simple reminder to me every weekend that I am in control of my habits, not coffee.

[00:03:28] Recently, I texted a friend to see if I could call her about a writing project on a Sunday evening.

[00:03:33] She said I'd have to wait until Monday. Sunday evenings are our family time. I don't do any work on purpose.

[00:03:39] Just another form of fasting, I thought to myself.

[00:03:42] There is value in this discipline. Here's a quick guide to get started.

[00:03:47] 1. Choose one external influence in your life to fast from.

[00:03:52] The best practice for testing and strengthening self-control is to choose an item you imagine would be difficult to part with.

[00:03:59] Finish this sentence, I could never go 40 days without blank.

[00:04:04] Whatever pops into your head might be a good place to start.

[00:04:08] Maybe it's chocolate or Facebook or alcohol or Netflix. You get to decide.

[00:04:14] 2. Choose a period of time or regular interval for your exercise.

[00:04:19] You may choose 7 days, 40 days, or 365.

[00:04:23] Or maybe you want to fast every Saturday, every weekend, or every first week of the month.

[00:04:28] Again, the choice is yours.

[00:04:31] But do choose a period or interval of time that would challenge you and require a measure of self-control on your end.

[00:04:38] 3. Make arrangements if necessary.

[00:04:41] If you are choosing to abstain from sugar for 30 days, it might not be wise to keep lots of sugary snacks in your pantry.

[00:04:47] If you decide to give up television for a period of time, it may be beneficial to remove the temptation entirely,

[00:04:53] assuming other members in your family do not object.

[00:04:56] When I gave up eating out for 40 days, I needed to think through and prepare adequately for brown bag lunches each day instead.

[00:05:04] 4. Embrace the discipline and expect the beginning to be the hardest.

[00:05:09] There's nothing wrong with this being difficult, especially at first.

[00:05:13] Expect it and embrace it.

[00:05:15] In fact, if the fasting is not difficult for you, you may want to consider choosing something more difficult to give up.

[00:05:21] 5. Find meaning in defeat.

[00:05:25] If you give in at some point during the experiment and succumb to the temptation, don't lose heart.

[00:05:30] Make failure your servant by examining its root, and then get back up to try again.

[00:05:36] 6. Re-enter slowly.

[00:05:39] When you complete your exercise, reintroduce the item into your life deliberately.

[00:05:44] Remember, you have not committed to giving up something for the rest of your life only for a predetermined period of time.

[00:05:50] But that doesn't mean you automatically return the element to the same level of influence it had before.

[00:05:55] Almost certainly, you will have learned something during the process that will enable you to reintroduce the item in a healthier manner.

[00:06:02] Many of the external items that subconsciously control our lives are not needs, they are wants, like coffee, dessert, television, Facebook, etc.

[00:06:11] But we have become so accustomed to having them in our lives on a daily basis, we quickly confuse our wants and our needs.

[00:06:18] Fasting from anything and or everything for a set period of time helps put these items back in proper perspective and gives us the strength to walk away when necessary.

[00:06:27] There is value in the practice of fasting. I found this to be true, so will you.

[00:06:33] You just listened to the post titled, The Value of Fasting from Anything and How to Get Started by Joshua Becker of becomingminimalist.com

[00:06:46] Hey, thank you to Joshua. I really like this one because we'll often let our compulsions do what they please without bringing mindfulness and awareness to it.

[00:06:54] To the point of one-click purchases as a dopamine hit. And like you mentioned, you don't even have to go 40 days like Joshua did.

[00:07:02] 40 days without a cell phone is pretty impressive. But why not try this on a smaller level? Like first keeping your phone away just at dinner.

[00:07:11] I did that accidentally the other day and loved it. Choose what works for you, it's really important.

[00:07:16] But I'll do it for today, have a great day, great weekend if you're listening in real time, and I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.