3131: Things We Are Never Meant to Know by Ali Cornish of Everthrive on Finding Balance & Embracing Minimalism

[00:00:00] This episode is brought to you by Shopify, whether you're selling a little or a lot.

[00:00:06] Shopify helps you do your thing, however you chitching. From the launch your online shop stage,

[00:00:12] all the way to the, we just hit a million orders stage. No matter what stage you're in,

[00:00:17] Shopify's there to help you grow. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at Shopify.com slash special offer,

[00:00:24] or lower case. That's shopify.com slash special offer.

[00:00:54] That's O-L-L-Y.com

[00:01:24] This phrase struck a chord in me. It was catchy. It was intriguing. It could very well be a best seller with a trendy,

[00:01:44] many daring, haggar cover at an airport Barnes and Noble. Hashtag, things we are never meant to know

[00:01:49] could mean many different things to different people. For many the phrase could conjure things like

[00:01:54] how I was conceived or how many chemicals are leaching from my plastic water bottle into my drinking water

[00:01:59] or how many people use this shopping cart before me. But for me, things we are never meant to know

[00:02:04] brings up something totally different. I believe that there are things that we are never meant to know.

[00:02:09] I think that we need to force ourselves to remain in the dark with regards to certain things.

[00:02:14] No, I don't believe in ignorance. I don't think we should choose to remain oblivious in the face of scientific knowledge.

[00:02:19] I believe in the practice of protecting ourselves from too much information.

[00:02:24] As an aspiring minimalist, I take measures to filter out unnecessary things from my life.

[00:02:29] I curate my phone apps to only the essentials. I get rid of one item of clothing for each new item I purchase.

[00:02:36] I buy only what our family will eat at the store and I try to stick to one task or hobby at a time instead of multitasking.

[00:02:43] I filter out the essential from the too much. Here are some examples on my sources of too much.

[00:02:49] Maybe you can relate?

[00:02:51] No.1 I'm often overwhelmed by the internet. I'm not a good browser so I have to limit myself to certain sites only.

[00:02:57] Bookmarks come in handy here.

[00:03:00] No.2 When visiting a library or bookstore, I have to focus on finding one book pre-researched and pre-selected

[00:03:07] or else I mentally crumble under the massive weight of the millions of books in front of me.

[00:03:11] No.3 I can't go to large grocery stores. There are just too many products.

[00:03:16] I prefer going to smaller grocery stores where there are only one or two types of catch up instead of 21.

[00:03:21] No.4 When I look up at the night sky, I'm overcome by the fact that each star is the center of its own galaxy

[00:03:28] and that I'm just a tiny speck of dust on a planet within one of those galaxies.

[00:03:32] I can't cope with the reality that I'm basically inconsequential so I don't allow myself to drift into existentialist thought too often.

[00:03:39] No.5 Being the mother of a toddler, I always keep my eye open for things that could ignite a tantrum.

[00:03:45] Therefore I try to keep a tidy home and store all the trigger items away, computer mice, measuring tape, compelling kitchen tools, phones, and other personal technology.

[00:03:54] I'll also keep my son's toys and books organized and only have a small amount available for him.

[00:03:59] Too much can be mentally and physically damaging.

[00:04:03] All day long we encounter data. We are offered more TV channels, more sources of celebrity gossip, and more products promising happiness and everlasting youth than ever before.

[00:04:13] We are persuaded to Netflix and chill in our downtime.

[00:04:16] binge-watching has been normalized even Disney tells us it's okay.

[00:04:20] Society says you always must be plugged in.

[00:04:24] To use the language of this digital age people only have so much bandwidth.

[00:04:27] When offered too much data or irrelevant data our systems can overload resulting in errors.

[00:04:33] These errors reveal themselves in the form of anxiety, attention deficit disorders, stress, trauma, and a variety of physical ailments.

[00:04:41] We have to learn how much data we can personally compute and filter out the rest so that it becomes white noise in the background.

[00:04:47] But how do we know what to ignore? How can we protect ourselves?

[00:04:51] I found that moderation is the key to success.

[00:04:54] Drafts such as cutting out TV entirely, placing extreme limits on screen time and blocking certain websites can always be reversed.

[00:05:01] I can't tell you how many times I've deleted and then added the Facebook app to my phone.

[00:05:05] Changing our habits with regards to managing digital information is the key to lasting change. Here are some tips.

[00:05:13] Number 1. Place a blocker on your computer's Facebook feed.

[00:05:16] The one for Chrome is called newsfeed eradicator.

[00:05:19] This way you can check Facebook but not be devoured by the bottomless pit that is the newsfeed.

[00:05:23] Alternatively, you can bookmark your pages feed to show only the pages and groups you follow bypassing your newsfeed altogether.

[00:05:30] Number 2. Unfollow people in pages that don't serve you.

[00:05:33] In the natural world, people in acquaintances come into our lives for a reason and leave in the same way.

[00:05:39] We are never meant to know what our friends are doing all the time.

[00:05:42] By unfollowing, we can protect ourselves from the danger of comparison.

[00:05:46] Additionally, we can also conserve energy wasted on things that we were never meant to know, such as what route did John take for his morning jog yesterday?

[00:05:53] This frees up mental capacity to use for the things that matter most.

[00:05:57] Number 3. Unsubscribe from email lists.

[00:06:00] You can usually do this from your email clients.

[00:06:02] I'm a old school and use hotmail where it's easy to filter out unnecessary subscriptions.

[00:06:07] Number 4. Avoid unnecessary sources of celebrity news and gossip.

[00:06:11] We are never meant to know what Chrissy Teigen is cooking.

[00:06:14] She's great and our kids are super cute, but we shouldn't have to create a spot in our brains to log her family's activities, although she wants you to.

[00:06:21] And number 5. Place realistic limits on social media time.

[00:06:25] This can be tough if your job requires a social media presence.

[00:06:28] My current conundrum is Instagram. Instagram stories offer a big distraction to users since it isn't necessary to toggle or scroll to.

[00:06:36] The next story, they just keep on going.

[00:06:38] Is there a way to block the steady stream of stories? If you know the answer please share.

[00:06:43] There really are things we are never meant to know.

[00:06:46] Aside from how many microscopic organisms are living in our living room carpets, there are other intangible things we don't need to be aware of.

[00:06:53] Too much unnecessary data consumption can disrupt our lives, steer us away from our goals and make life harder.

[00:06:59] When we practice self-control, moderation and cultivate good habits around data consumption, we can more easily live our lives and achieve our goals.

[00:07:12] You just listen to the post titled Things We Are Never meant to Know by Ali Cornish of EverThrive.org

[00:07:18] And I'll be right back with my commentary.

[00:07:21] Being in control of my health means being super mindful of what I put in my body, which is why I'm so excited to tell you all about Thorn.

[00:07:28] Thorn takes up personalized and scientific approach to health and wellness with their supplements.

[00:07:33] They manufacture all their supplements in the US using top notch ingredients sourced globally.

[00:07:38] Plus they team up with leading medical professionals to bring highly effective nutritional supplements to over 5 million customers, 47,000 healthcare pros,

[00:07:48] and 100 plus pro sports teams including multiple US national teams.

[00:07:53] I got their product GI relief, which has ingredients shown to help gastrointestinal discomfort and it's helping me.

[00:07:59] And I particularly love that all the Thorn supplements I checked which were independently tested were approved or even ranked as the lab's top choice.

[00:08:07] Give your body what it really needs with Thorn.

[00:08:10] Go to Thorn.fit slash optimal and use code optimal for 10% off your first order.

[00:08:16] That's THORNE.FIT slash optimal code optimal for 10% off your first order.

[00:08:24] Thorn.fit slash optimal code optimal.

[00:08:28] These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

[00:08:31] This product is not limited to diagnosed, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[00:08:37] Making everyone happy on vacation is an easy.

[00:08:40] But you know what is? Going to Aruba. All you have to do is walk out your door to find pristine pools, relaxing white sand beaches and an island teaming with outdoor activities that will put a smile on any face.

[00:08:52] You won't just feel great, you'll all feel great.

[00:08:55] Filled with a calmer, more peaceful vibe that radiates Aruba's warmth.

[00:08:59] And the best part is it never fades.

[00:09:02] That's the Aruba effect. Plan your family trip at aruba.com

[00:09:07] Bake it to Ali. An interesting list that she put together of sources of too much for her.

[00:09:13] I've never thought about how existentialist thought could be a bit overwhelming, but I get where she's coming from.

[00:09:20] When it comes to libraries and grocery stores on the same way, actually pretty much any store,

[00:09:27] it's incredibly rare that I'll go to a store without a specific agenda in mind.

[00:09:32] For libraries, I already have a book or topic that I'm looking for.

[00:09:37] And then with groceries, I always have a list. Clothing stores. I know what I want to buy.

[00:09:43] This comes naturally to me. Personally, I don't get a lot of pleasure out of window shopping.

[00:09:49] But that's just me. You could be different and that's totally okay.

[00:09:52] But recognizing if it causes you to buy more than you need or causes extra stress,

[00:09:58] well then maybe it's something to consider.

[00:10:01] I do agree that too much can be mentally and physically taxing,

[00:10:05] so anywhere that we can take a baby step in the right direction is a great place to start.

[00:10:10] So with that, do you take that baby step today? Have a great start to your week?

[00:10:15] And I'll see you tomorrow where you're optimal life.

[00:10:17] Oh wait.