I've quit alcohol and cannabis. Kicked my energy drink habit that was costing me $150-200 a month. But I still can't stop buying ice cream at the end of brutal work days. And I'm obsessed with making this podcast perfect, going back to edit old episodes when I should just let them be.

This episode is about attachment, desire, and why we can't stop wanting things even when we know they're not making us happy. It's not about becoming a monk or renouncing everything—it's about nothing owning you. We explore the difference between healthy desires (like wanting to help people) and the burning attachments that enslave us (scrolling, shopping therapy, substances, perfectionism).

I break down what "sin" and "repentance" actually meant in Aramaic and Greek (spoiler: they're directional statements about being off-center, not moral failures). We look at why the relief from buying something comes from the cessation of wanting it, not the object itself. And I share practical experiments for letting go: delaying cravings, befriending your withdrawals, and the "don't tell the devil your plans" strategy that actually works.

Featuring wisdom from James and Ecclesiastes on the vapor of things, Krishna's ocean metaphor in the Bhagavad Gita, the Buddha on unshaken mind, Meister Eckhart and John of the Cross on divine union, Rumi's furnace of stress, and Paul's secret of contentment. Plus my own ongoing struggle with frozen pizza and productivity addiction—because I'm not perfect either.

If you're trapped in any cycle of wanting—substances, screens, food, achievement, perfection—this one's for you.

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