Podcast Summary: The 3-Word Phrase That Ends Feeling Stuck

Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick ("The Dragon") — Episode 152
Date: March 13, 2026

Overview

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. JC Doornick dives into the concept of feeling “stuck” in life and reveals a transformative three-word phrase—“at this time”—that can break the illusion of permanent identity and fixed limitations. Dr. Doornick blends personal anecdotes, psychological insights, and practical exercises to guide listeners toward self-liberation, encouraging a mindset of curiosity, grounded optimism, and continuous evolution.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Our Brain as a Prediction Machine

• The brain builds stories and blueprints about our identity based on past experiences.
• Much of what we believe about ourselves (“I’m not good at that,” “I’m always anxious”) are stories conditioned by the outside world and accepted as permanent facts.
• Quote: “Your brain—my brain—is a prediction making machine. It takes past experiences, turns them into a blueprint and a story about who you are. If you’re not careful, that story becomes what we call our identity.” (01:05)

2. The Prison of Permanent Identities

• Most people (including Dr. Doornick) unknowingly imprison themselves with labels and “exclamation points” about who they are.
• These identities are rooted in a need for certainty and foundation but become barriers to growth.
• Comparing the mind to an “elephant on a chain”—held back by conditioned beliefs that are actually easy to break.

3. The Transformative Three-Word Phrase: “At This Time”

• Adding “at this time” to limiting self-statements radically shifts them from permanent to temporary.
  • Examples:
    • “I’m not confident” → “I’m not confident at this time.”
    • “I’m overwhelmed” → “I’m overwhelmed at this time.”
• This shift opens up space for possibility and creates “psychological freedom.”
• Quote: “When you add those three words at this time…suddenly that identity transforms from permanent to temporary.” (14:38)
• It allows us to approach change with incremental practice (“praction”—the combination of practice and action).

4. Coping with a Rapidly Changing World

• Life and technology are advancing faster than our identities can adapt, creating friction and a sense of being “stuck.”
• The ability to think in terms of “at this time” makes transitions less daunting and promotes curiosity.

5. The Lifeline Exercise: Re-examining the Past

• Visualizing life as a timeline (birth to average life expectancy) helps contextualize experiences and promotes empathy for past selves.
• Past actions and reactions were tied to who you were “at that time,” not who you are now.
• Quote: “When you look at your past and say, ‘I should never have done that before,’ only the version of who you are now would have been able to not do that thing.” (20:25 approx.)
• This exercise can replace self-judgment with compassion, and blame with understanding.

6. Living with Grounded Optimism

• Success, struggle, pain, and certainty are all temporary.
• Practicing “grounded optimism” means acknowledging life’s hardship but choosing to find meaning within temporary struggles.
• Quote: “Practicing grounded optimism is a voluntary choice to change the way that you look at things.” (26:09)

7. Prioritizing What Matters Most—Right Now

• Life evolves, and so do your priorities. Use a “sorting filter” to determine what matters most “at this time.”
• Identify your current focus (health, career, relationships, etc.) and allow yourself to update priorities without shame or fear of judgment.
• “Changing your mind is not failure. We could look at it as an update and a congruent adjustment that's relevant to your awareness of who you are and what you desire and why—at this time.” (32:33)

8. Letting Go of Rigidity and Embracing Change

• Life is not a rigid script but an ongoing draft—written in pencil, erasable and adaptable.
• The most empowered people are those who can say, “That used to matter to me at that time, but it doesn’t fit my life at this time.” (38:18)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On identity as illusion:
  “Sometimes we have things that we’ve been brought up to believe are the way that they are. And, you know, I love to say that what you see is what you get, but it doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily what actually is.” (04:25)

• On psychological freedom:
  “That tiny little shift creates something powerful. And I call it psychological freedom. I love the idea of psychological freedom.” (14:57)

• On the illusion of fixed past:
  “When you look at your lifeline…identify how long you have been alive at this time…then you recognize how much you’ve evolved and shifted as a person. Totally different. It’s miraculous.” (20:10)

• On compassion replacing judgment:
  “Once you do that and acknowledge who you were at that time, who you are at this time, compassion replaces judgment. Understanding replaces shame.” (21:49)

• An impactful anecdote:
  Dr. Doornick recounts offering healthcare to prisoners, reflecting on the difference between a “prison” and a “correction facility,” tying it back to the episode’s theme of change and redemption.

  • Quote: “This is not a prison, it’s a correction facility…those people were in jail to correct themselves. Not to say that what they did didn’t matter anymore, but to correct themselves. I just love that.” (24:01)

• The optimism shift:
  “If you don’t learn how to enjoy the difficult and the suck of life, well, you’re not going to have a good life. You’re just going to have some great moments in life.” (26:52)

• Action Invitation:
  “Take one current belief that you have about yourself…just start adding the three words at the end of it—at this time. Notice what happens when you say that.” (38:40)

Important Timestamps

• [01:05] — Introduction of identity as a story in the brain
• [07:30] — The metaphor of the elephant on a chain
• [13:53] — Introduction of the phrase “at this time”
• [17:56] — The practice of “praction” and building the skill
• [19:10] — The Lifeline Exercise (timeline of life events)
• [21:30] — Compassion and empathy replacing shame and judgment
• [24:01] — Story from St. Vincent maximum security prison
• [26:09] — Grounded optimism and seeing days as unique
• [32:33] — Changing your mind is not failure
• [38:18] — Life as an ongoing draft, written in pencil
• [38:40] — Invitation to add “at this time” to self-beliefs

Practical Takeaways

• Use “at this time” to convert permanent self-judgments into temporary states, opening space for growth.
• Practice the Lifeline Exercise to revisit your past with empathy, separating past actions from current identity.
• Embrace change as an ongoing draft, not a rigid script—allow priorities to update and evolve.
• Adopt grounded optimism by recognizing that even pain and struggle are temporary, and evolution is always possible.
• Allow yourself permission to change—changing your mind is not failure but a natural, wise adjustment.

Tone & Style

Dr. Doornick’s tone throughout the episode is both motivational and compassionate, speaking as a guide for listeners’ self-inquiry and transformation. He frequently uses metaphors and anecdotes to illustrate psychological concepts, balancing science, philosophy, and personal experience.

Concluding Note:
This episode serves as a practical, mindset-shifting toolkit for anyone who feels anchored by their past or immobilized by fixed beliefs. By learning to append “at this time” to your inner dialogue, you can unlock the freedom to evolve and become the chief architect of your own ever-changing story.