“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” —Wayne Dyer
Eight years ago, on May 26, 2008, my life changed forever.
After spending most of my Memorial Day Weekend cleaning the garage, I struck up a conversation with my neighbor. As I recall, we were lamenting the fact that our day had been wasted taking care of things we owned.
It wasn’t a long conversation, but it was long enough for her to introduce me to the idea of minimalism—that there is more joy to be found owning less than we can ever discover pursuing more.
I actually needed very little convincing. My 5-year old son playing alone in the backyard was all the proof I needed that I owned too much stuff—and it was getting in the way of the life I wanted to live.
Over the course of the next 9 months, my wife and I went through every room in our home getting rid of anything and everything we didn’t need. In total, roughly 2/3 of our possessions were recycled, donated, or thrown away.
To journal the progress, I started a blog, Becoming Minimalist. Now, eight years into its existence, it has reached millions of people around the world with the life-giving message of owning less.
Little did I know, at the time, how much my life would change. But as I look back at the last eight years, I can see how becoming a minimalist has caused my perspective on life to change in very significant ways.
Here are eight that come to mind:
Money. Like most people, growing up, I wanted to be rich. I used to think about it, dream about it, and pursue it. But now, after finding contentment with less, I no longer have a desire for riches. Henry David Thoreau said it like this “I make myself rich by making my wants few.” Now, not only do I no longer desire to be wealthy, I plainly see the temptation and the trap that often ensnares those who do.
Work. Some people view work as a means to get rich—and that’s too bad. Others, on the other hand, can’t wait to escape work, even embracing minimalism as a means to that end. But I see it differently. Minimalism has allowed me to see work as a means to personal fulfillment—not because of the paycheck that it produces, but in the good I can bring to society through it.
Generosity. I now understand that the most fulfilling thing we can ever do with our money is give it away. Most of us desire to be generous people. Buying less makes that possible.
Culture. Minimalism has allowed me to see the world around me in a new way. Very early in my minimalist journey, while doing research for this blog, I stumbled upon The Story of Stuff on YouTube. It changed my perspective on society almost immediately. I began to see how overconsumption is encouraged in every aspect of our economy—from fashion and furnishings to food and housing. And once you see it, you can never unsee it.
Spirituality. There is little doubt that almost every respected religious leader that has stood the test of time has espoused the value and importance of simplicity. For most of my life, I considered this a call to sacrifice—that I should give up “the good life” so others might benefit. However, since discovering and experiencing the benefits of minimalism, I have begun to recognize these teachings are not burdensome at all. They are invitations to a better way of life unburdened with needless weight.
Happiness. I’ve studied quite a bit about happiness over the past eight years. But if I could sum up everything I’ve learned into one sentence, it would be this, “Happiness is not something to be chased or discovered through external circumstances, happiness is a decision we make every single day.” And that makes experiencing it so much easier.
Relationships. I’ve always understood the importance of strong relationships—minimalism has not changed that. But minimalism has caused me to recognize how often we sacrifice those relationships for less important pursuits. And recognizing how those pursuits often distract from the more important ones is the very foundation of minimalism.
Success and Competition. For most of my life, I viewed the opportunity for success as finite—that every time somebody else reached a height of success, it was one less opportunity for me. This often resulted in jealousy and envy. Today, I see it differently. There are countless opportunities to succeed in living meaningful lives. And often times, the quickest way for each of us to succeed in life is to help someone else succeed in theirs.
It’s been a pretty crazy eight years. Looking back on that Saturday morning, I never would have imagined that it would eventually lead to writing books, founding nonprofits, and being on television and in newspapers.
But then again, I had no idea how minimalism would change everything about me—in both my practice and my perspective.
John says
It’s interesting to consider that the last 10+ years of my photos only exist digitally but I have a reluctance to eliminating all the previous hard copies. Even now I see the color and clarity fade. Digitizing would in fact stop the deterioration.
Mansab Ali Shah says
The Spirituality one is really the truth. In our Islamic Faith, there are tons of examples from the lives of Prophet Muhammad, Caliph Omar, Caliph Ali, Abu Dhar Al-Ghiffari, Abd Allah ibne Masood, Abd Allah ibne Omar and such great personalities had adopted minimalistic approach to Life to find spirituality.
Jacquelyn Baker says
I’m wondering about things from our past, that bring good memories. Like photo albums, pictures, and souvenirs? Keep or toss?
Peggy Sabau says
Those are the things that I hang onto. They hold the stories of my family history to pass on to future generations and record of significant moments in my life. I can get rid of everything else in my house as long as I have that.
joshua becker says
Keep only the best.
Sheryl says
♥️Agree.. It makes you feel better it ok it’s OK
Gail says
Letting go of photos was an option I chose not to do. My thinking was that, if one of us was diagnosed with alzheimer or lost our memory from an accident, etc, it might be one of those pictures that would trigger our memory, even though they mean little to us right now! However, I had painfully and methodically kept up on photos all my life in labeled photo albums, etc. but, when making a move across the sea, I emptied all those albums, including framed ones on the wall to condense space and now rhey are stored in a plastic bin, probably never to be seen but they are there! Yes, I could scan all of them but a tangible photo is better for someone struggling with a memory problem. A great example this week is that a friend sent us a photo ornament from an old photo we had taken about 10 yrs ago. My husband can’t put it down! He had forgotten about that photo and has been fascinated by it! If he were to lose his memory, something like that might trigger something! Just like a birth or wedding certificate, etc. Some things you just don’t throw away even though you may never need to refer bsck to them!
Bee Morgan says
I had to go one step further as was travelling back to UK from 50 years in Australia.
I didn’t know where I would live & had only 2 suitcases.
95% of photos I snapped onto my phone ( & up into icloud)
and they are safe.
It was a weird feeling putting the actual photos in the bin, but they were just a lot of bits of paper & quite heavy.
As a travelling pet/house sitter now back in UK ( die to rental crisis) I find I can easily print a fresh copy of any photo when needed.
I see I habitually filled any spaces I had.
Bee Morgan says
(*due)
Ellen Krohn Solvik-olsen Espedal says
Agree. Photos are a big No. I will keep them all. I have alot of albums and still make new ones. I do throw away pictures of parties and friends that my kids do not have knowledge off. So they would not care to have those.
Julia says
Love to see specifics of the results of minimum rather than general statements.
Naiara Aramburu says
Finding a specific book quickly as opossed to not at all and buying again; not having to decide which jeans to wear.