The Modern Taoist

Weekend Check-In: Desire vs Need

We spend a surprising amount of life treating desires like needs. Not because wanting things is wrong, but because somewhere along the way we begin believing peace can only arrive once the next thing does. In this Taoist Check-In, we explore the difference between desire and need, why modern life constantly blurs the line between them, and how attachment quietly turns ordinary wants into sources of suffering. This isn’t about giving things up or pretending not to care. It’s about learning how to pursue what matters without making your inner stability dependent on the outcome. A short reflection on sufficiency, attachment, and one simple question that can change the way you move through life. Listen now and join the conversation.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

What makes waiting so painful? Not just bad news. Not failure. The space before knowing. In this episode, we explore the uniquely difficult experience of living in uncertainty — waiting for answers, outcomes, decisions, change, or the next version of your life to begin. From pending medical results to major life transitions, Taoism offers a perspective that goes far beyond “just be present” or “let go.” This episode looks at why the mind runs endless scenarios during uncertain periods, how waiting exposes our lack of control, and what the Tao Te Ching actually means when it speaks about attachment to outcomes. Not abstract philosophy. Real life. Real uncertainty. And a grounded Taoist approach to moving through it without losing yourself in the process. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and all major podcast platforms. https://linktr.ee/daoananda [https://linktr.ee/daoananda]

Weekend Check-in: Do Without Depending

Chapter Two of the Tao Te Ching contains a simple line that becomes harder and harder to ignore once you really understand it: “Do without depending.” In this Taoist Check-In, we look at how modern life trains us to attach our peace to outcomes, validation, praise, attention, and control. Laozi points in another direction entirely. This episode explores the difference between caring and depending, why emotional attachment to results exhausts people, and how Taoism teaches us to move through life with more steadiness and less grasping. Not passive. Not detached. Just no longer emotionally chained to every outcome. Follow The Modern Taoist for new episodes every Tuesday morning and additional Taoist Check-Ins throughout the week. https://linktr.ee/daoananda [https://linktr.ee/daoananda]

Is Forgiveness Always Required?

For years, we’ve been told the same thing: You have to forgive in order to heal. But what if that isn’t always true? In this episode, Kit takes a direct and deeply honest look at forgiveness, emotional healing, and the pressure people feel to “move on” before they’re actually ready. Instead of treating forgiveness like a moral requirement or spiritual achievement, this conversation explores a more grounded Taoist perspective: What if healing isn’t about forcing forgiveness at all? What if there’s a difference between forgiving… and simply releasing? This episode examines the danger of performative forgiveness, the natural role of anger and grief, and why some wounds change us permanently. It also explores the difference between healthy processing and resentment that has calcified into identity. No clichés. No forced positivity. Just an honest conversation about pain, healing, and allowing inner processes to move at their own pace. Topics include: • The cultural pressure to forgive • Releasing vs. forgiving • When anger is still serving a purpose • The Taoist view of emotional healing • How resentment quietly spreads into unrelated parts of life • Why some healing cannot be rushed Plus: A listener question from Camilla in Erie, PA about whether we ever truly get “through” suffering, and this week’s Taoist Assignment focused on breath, awareness, and carrying emotional weight without forcing resolution. New episodes every Tuesday. Follow, share, and connect with the community at: https://linktr.ee/daoananda [https://linktr.ee/daoananda]

Weekend Check In - Do What You Have To Do

Most people are not exhausted from doing too much. They’re exhausted from resisting what they already know needs to be done. In this weekend’s Taoist Check-In, we explore how avoidance, distraction, and endless internal negotiation create unnecessary suffering in modern life. From unfinished tasks to constant phone scrolling, we’ve become experts at delaying direct participation in our own lives. This episode looks at the Taoist idea of simplicity through action. Not hustle culture. Not grinding. Just learning how to stop fighting reality long enough to handle the next right thing cleanly and directly. Because peace is often closer than we think. Sometimes it begins the moment we stop avoiding our lives and finally step back into them.