Simplicity, Impulse, and the Art of Not Losing Your Mind

Joe Lee

— 2 min read

Ever notice how the more you want something, the dumber your decisions get?

We’re taught to chase goals, desires, and high-speed ambitions like they’re tickets to freedom. But ironically, the more we chase, the more trapped we feel—by our own cravings, expectations, and... subscriptions we forgot to cancel.

Let me tell you a secret that shouldn’t be a secret:
Most of our desires are illusions.

Greed Isn’t Just About Money—It’s About Dopamine

We usually imagine “greedy people” as the rich guy in the suit yelling into two phones. But greed shows up in smaller, sneakier ways—like that itch to check your phone again, or to impress people who don’t even like you.

Greed is just impulse in a business suit. And impulse? That stuff will get you wrecked—mentally, financially, emotionally.

Impulse doesn’t pause to think.
It just wants relief. Now.

And if you live by your impulses, you become predictable, controllable, and exhausted.

So, What’s the Alternative?

Here’s the boring answer no one wants to hear:
Simplicity. Solitude. Boundaries.

And here’s the surprising part:
They’re actually not boring at all—once you stop panicking in the silence.

Let’s break it down.

1. Simplicity isn’t poverty. It’s power.

The fewer decisions you need to make, the more brain energy you save for things that actually matter.
Minimal input = maximum clarity.

2. Solitude isn’t loneliness. It’s alignment.

Alone time lets you tune out the noise and remember who you are when nobody’s watching. (Spoiler: you’re not your TikTok feed.)

3. Boundaries aren’t walls. They’re doorways with locks.

You can be kind and firm at the same time. Think of boundaries as a “Wi-Fi password” for your energy. Not everyone needs the code.

Why Saying “No” Feels So Hard

This part’s personal. I’ve often struggled to walk away from people—even when it was clearly time.
Why? Because somewhere deep inside, I felt responsible for staying connected.

Maybe it came from childhood. Maybe it came from watching someone close to me do the same.
But here’s what I know now:

Feeling responsible for other people’s feelings is not kindness.
It’s a trap dressed up as virtue.

You don’t have to explain your exit. You don’t have to earn your peace. You just have to stop letting guilt do your scheduling.

Here's What Actually Brings Peace (Spoiler: Not Your Dream Car)

At some point, I realized something strange.
The more I “achieved” the things I craved—whether it was a new skill, a certain body, a romantic high, or an expensive plate of keto-friendly sushi—the less satisfying it felt afterward.

Dopamine tricked me. Every time.

You chase, you get it, you crash.
It’s like dating a very attractive person who makes you feel worse every time you see them. (We’ve all been there.)

Okay, So What Do You Do With All This?

You don’t need a 10-step plan. Just try this:

Choose 1 or 2 meaningful things you want to focus on this season.

Mine are simple:

  • Write a blog post every morning.
  • Practice piano.

Use the rest of your time to protect your peace:

  • Move your body.
  • Eat well.
  • Take a walk without your phone.
  • Sit and stare at a wall like a philosopher who forgot his shoes.

Final Thought

The world doesn’t need more noise.
It needs more people who can stay calm in silence.
People who aren’t run by desire, pressure, or urgency.

That’s real freedom.

And weirdly, it’s also where joy lives.

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