A close family friend, as healthy as you’d ever imagine, suffered a heart-attack on Thanksgiving morning. He went to bed on November 21st, but did not awake on the 22nd. Survived by his wife and two kids.
My neighbor is in his 40’s and was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. I played basketball with him just a few months before. His diagnosis surprised everybody—including him.
I recently received a phone call on an otherwise normal Tuesday morning that a friend of mine had lost his teenage daughter in an automobile accident the night before. As awful a news as anyone could ever receive.
Then there is the story of my relative, who showed up to work last summer, only to find her workplace being searched by the authorities as they investigated fraud. By the end of the week, she was without work.
And my parents, just yesterday, were in a car accident. Everybody is fine, fortunately. But their automobile was totaled.
Life changes fast. This season of life you are in could end at any time. Everything could change tomorrow.
Of course, tomorrow isn’t necessarily worse than today. It may change for the better.
In early December 2001, my wife walked into our living room to share important news with me, she was pregnant with our first child. My life forever changed that day.
Our best friends down the street received a job promotion that took them back home to Texas. My cousin, simply hanging out with friends one evening was introduced to a girl, who quickly became his girlfriend, and soon became his wife.
And my life changed dramatically for the better on a Saturday morning 10 years ago when my neighbor unexpectedly introduced me to minimalism—a conversation that changed my passion and eventually, my career.
They say the only constant in life is change. They are right.
Sometimes we plan out our lives—our days, our weeks, our years—and everything falls into place. But other times, we make our plans, only to have them upended by circumstances outside of our control.
Either way, the only constant is change. Life never remains the same. Sometimes it changes for the better, sometimes it changes for the worse, but always for something different than today.
I find myself reflecting on that fact this morning as I sit alone at this empty table. My life is good, and peaceful in this moment. My family is happy, and we are all healthy. I have friends I can rely on, extended family I enjoy being with, and our financial needs are being met doing work that I love.
It is easy, I suppose, to think life will stay this way forever. But that is not the case. Everything could change as early as tomorrow.
This may cause some to worry. But I do not think the best response is to worry about the future. I mean, the change that is coming could be a positive one. Besides, worrying won’t change the future anyway. Change is going to happen whether you worry about it or not.
Instead, I think the best response is to fully appreciate this very moment, because it could change at any time.
If life is good, count your blessings, be thankful, and enjoy the moments—every single one of them. Slow down, take a deep breath, and savor this season as best you can.
If, on the other hand, your life is not in a good place, take heart, because change is coming. As the seasons change, so does life. Value love, faith, and hope. Find peace to accept the things you cannot change and courage to change the things you can. But through it all, remember, this is only a season. Things will change, they always do.
If you can only live one moment at a time, you might as well make it the present. After all, we have no idea how long “today” will last… everything could change as soon as tomorrow.
Only God is the same— yesterday, today and forever :)
AMEN!
Not everyone who reads this blog is religious.
But some are. Please be respectful of that and maybe just ignore comments that don’t resonate with you.
Thank you for the reminder to be tolerant of others.
Reading a “minimalism” blog filled with religious comments makes those of us who are not religious feel unwelcome. Save the religious comments for a religious blog and stick with the comments about the actual article, perhaps?
Yes!
amen ♥
I was thinking the same thing Judy :)
Amen! He will never leave us or forsake us.
I’ve been reading Becoming Minimalist for close to 7 years now and I think this might be my favorite article you’ve written. Thank you Joshua.
Kayla–I agree! This article is very well written. I very much appreciate it on this day when my life will be changing in heavy ways I didn’t expect.
Good article . also article on Joshua’s life change to minimalism too. Both in laws died suddenly, cousin killed in accident, friends we knew for years died of cancer and sudden heart attack. One day you get the mail and your medicare card shows up. Friends and relatives “drop off” and more funerals ahead. Shortly after fatherinlaw died and we had to get house ready to sell, junk piled by curb, etc. years back, I decluttered gradually, then mother died in ’14. Started reading minimalist websites and you tube, got rid of more. WW2 changed lives forever, mother was engaged to man who was drafted, war broke out, she left the midwest for Seattle to work in the war factories with my aunt. Married the men they never would have met if the war didn’t happen. they knew some who didn’t made it back.
Very nice, Joshua. Your words gave me pause. I think I will make it a good day today. Thanks!
Amen!!!! God bless you.
So true. Excellent article. Thanks for all the inspiration you have given me over these years.
It’s very true that life is uncertain,can change on a dime,and we aren’t peomised tomorrow by anyone.Its also important when we are being thankful,to know who we are to thank,and most important to be sure we have made our preparations with God for eternity- He’s the one responsible for orchestrating our lives and blessings and is in charge.
Touched my heart 💓 wonderful article with the honest truths .
Thank you for the sharing ❣️
I agree one of the best articles of late .
Very Stoic
Reminded me of a Marcus Aurelius quote from Meditations
Keep in mind how fast things pass by and are gone – those that are now, and those to come. Existence flows past us like a river; the “what” is in constant flux, the “why” has a thousand variations. Nothing is stable, not even what’s right here. The infinity of past and future gapes before us – a chasm whose depths we cannot see.
Marcus Aurelius
Have you read “The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy”? It’s a really good overview of stoic philosophy, and this article made me think of that as well.
Love the writings of Marcus Aurelius!
Not your best post. Did not care for it.
Just curious…why didn’t you care for it?
Anon. : Find other sites you enjoy then. This article was great!
good stuff josh…thanks brother
I agree that this is an excellent article. At the moment I’m in one of those valleys where it seems there’ll be no end to stress, but having lived 76 years, I absolutely know things will change. One thing I think we’re all prone to do is look back on the bad times instead of focusing on the many good phases of life. For every death of a loved one, there are wonderful memories of time spent with that person. For every loss, we may gain strength or find friends who come forward to comfort and support us. Thanks for reminding us to appreciate the present.
Thank you for this article. It speaks to me. Recently, I lost my beloved Dad and stepmom unexpectedly one year apart. In a flash, everything changed. Life is different.
Wonderful post! Being present in each moment allows us to have Gratitude in our lives. Thank you Joshua for this beautiful reminder!
Alana Stanton
Reading this brought me to tears. My husband was riding his bike to work a few months ago and his heart stopped. Luckily there were people behind him that knew what to do. Many of his bones broke in the fall and he is still healing. Needless to say it was unsettling for us both. We are dealing with a heart issue we never knew was there even with yearly physicals, healthy diet and exercise. We don’t know what the future holds. I get up every morning and am grateful for another day with him. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Thank you Joshua.
Exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you! I’m so glad your parents are okay!!
Thank you for this reminder. My husband and I were even talking about something similar this morning. (Probably because we were on the last day of your devotional app!) I do not want the end of my life to be here wishing that I had done more. Today is the day to do more, and for me I feel that it means giving away more of my things, money and time.
I’m fairly new to your writing, but I have really appreciated your approach to life and the way you communicate all you have learned and are learning. This article in particular grabbed me this morning, and while it’s not a new idea to me, it definitely helped set the tone for my day today and days to come. We’ve been going through a lot of transition in our life lately–upheaval might be a better word. In all of it I thank you for the reminder that we really only have today. God bless you!
This post is spot on. Thank you.
Your post is timely for me. I lost a dear friend last Friday. I hold to my heart the fact she is no longer in pain. Still was a sad day.
Always be grateful and reach out when you can. You just never know.
Beautifully written. Thank you!
Just beautiful, Thankyou!
Taking the time to sit and focus on the breath, sounds as they come and go, or feelings in the body as they shift bring this idea front and center for me each day. Nothing has made me appreciate the fact that everything is constantly changing more than practicing mindfulness. Thank you for putting this important message out into the world this morning.
Wow this article fits my life right now. I lost my home to a fire 3 months ago and am going through the beginning stages of building a new home on the same site. My old has had many problems that I didn’t know how I could ever fix. Thanks to having good insurance I will have a new home that will be maintenance free. While I mourn all the things I lost I have always tried to remain optimistic that things will be better. I have always had gratitude for what I still have and know that other people have alot worse problems.
Well, said, Joshua. We’ve experienced and observed so many unforeseen life-changing events that you’d think we’d be used to it by now. But, no, change is hard–even good changes. I’ve adopted the motto, Embrace change. Or, I should say, I’m attempting to adopt that motto!
Hey! Here Jaír,
Thank you very much for your article. We must be content with being dissatisfied (resilience).
I just happened to read this little essay first thing this morning, and it has set such a good tone of gratitude for my day and the week ahead. Thank you for your thoughtful writing!
Excellent article. I have many faults but lack of gratitude is not one of them. At almost 80 I am constantly amazed at how fortunate I am and I am eagerly looking forward to see what is ahead. Years ago I heard a speaker describe the Aristocracy of the Capable, how precious it is to be a member and how quickly it can be lost, and how important it is to treasure every moment.
Thanks Josh. I just read your article and was very moved. My life changed two years ago I became very ill and had to have surgery that took 5 months to recover from. I had to leave my job and had to learn to walk again. Now I am so much better. What I learned is that we cam be very adaptable. I learned to adjust to each change with grace and gratitude. You don’t know how strong you are until you are go are tested.
This is so true and so needed right now. I just found out Thursday that the baby I am varying died at 8 weeks and now I am waiting for the miscarriage to start. Enjoy the time you have with loved ones because you never know why tomorrow holds.
My heart hurts for you. Blessings
My heart hurts for you. Blessings and care.
Cathy D. My sympathies to you. I had the same experience. I am so sorry for your loss. Hugs.
So sorry for your loss. My sister lost her baby at 8 months. Unfortunately, she never got over it. Please don’t be bitter and know that everything happens for a reason. God bless you.
Thanks for this article. And I wish to point out the fact to a few of the nay sayers within the comments … within your lifetime, just know, whether of change planned or thrown upon you, change happens to us all and is not just a fact for religious audiences, but is a fact we all need to understand.
My father was a child raised within the period impacted by the depression. He lived simply, was content with what he had, but he had a deep fear of “not having” so he kept everything…because he just never knew when he would need it. When he died, it took a lot of people and many days of 24/7 processing to address his “treasures”. I made the decision to process my own treasures, so I would not burden my own children.
18 years earlier my mother had died. She had experienced the same period of the Great Depression as a child, but she had also lost her father at age 5. She had 3 other siblings and they all had few things in a small space and a mother who had to go to work in a factory to support them. She learned to care for a few things. So when my mother died, she had very few things. It took only an afternoon to process my mother’s possessions. And only my sister and I did it, at my father’s request.
My point is, this article helped me to get my head on straight. I knew immediately what my mom treasured. I really had no clue in many cases what importance was placed on the thousands of things my dad had. Some I did. So his children slowly and carefully processed every single item. What did he want us to learn or take from this item? Everything was processed.
Lol, but I became an organized pack rat. Last year, a friend helped me by sharing Joshua’s Becoming Minimalist email. I’m a work in progress.
I hope to own less and live more!
Thank you Joshua Becker for this article.
An Excellent perspective, thanks for this reminder!
Very beautifully said. Your words just added to my morning Bible study. Thank you for another wonderful reminder that we are all in this world together. We can either be a comfort or a pain to others. It is what we do with each day, joy, concern, that determines our happiness.
This article came at just the right moment for me. My sister just passed away from cancer on January 20 and it makes me think of the times we spent together just talking over the passed year and a half. She never worried about the future, just the now. She was inspiring and even though things didn’t go as we all hoped and planned, life has a plan and god had one for us too. I’ve been on this minimalist journey now for only two months but it is changing my life and my family’s life. Thank you for helping me do it!
Wow. This article is so totally correct. Thanks for sharing your writing. I am sharing it with my family and friends.
Thanks Joshua.
I have learned a couple of lessons from the unexpected changes in my own life, and from seeing people who have lost their homes in natural disasters.
We should hold our possessions lightly, and hold family and friends closely.
You are so right. After Hurricane Katrina, I decided to start collecting friends instead of things.
Joshua, this was a beautiful article that reminded me of a phrase the Lord dropped into my spirit about 10 years ago. I was at work, not thinking of anything similar to this, when the thought came strongly to my mind, “LIFE AS WE KNOW IT CAN CHANGE AT ANY MINUTE”. It ran through my head for months and still comes to me.
It makes me try to be mentally ready for anything and know with the help of God, I can make it.
So true, Joshua. Many years ago, a co-worker shared a quote with me. “Nothing is permanent. Everything changes”. It changed my whole way of looking at life.
As I woke up this morning, this very thought was on my mind. Especially after 3 cardiac tests came back abnormal last week!
But more importantly, it reminded me of how my life changed forever 18 months ago. One Saturday in July, my husband and I were working in the yard, then met friends for dinner that evening. We had recently moved back to our hometown after being gone for 27 years, and had just celebrated our 32nd anniversary three days prior. The next morning, thinking he was still sleeping, I got up with the dogs and sat outside on the patio. When he didn’t get up, I went to check on him. That’s when I realized he had never moved—he had passed away peacefully in his sleep. He had had heart problems, and was almost 75, but losing him was definitely the most devastating event of my life!
Thankyou I worry too much about what ifs. You reminded me of my brother who stuck at a job for 20 years, that he hated. We would go every sunday for tea and he would say when I retired I will have enough money to do this….. Well he died the day before his retirement age.
My friend Cythia was a shining example of living in the moment, having survived a difficult operation, she knew she was borrowed time and lived each moment. Many times I would try to approach the subject when she was planning a trip or an adventure. She would reply I will get home some how even in a bin liner. She didnt care and was an absolute joy x
The older I get the more precious each moment becomes. In spite of ongoing difficulties, life can be so beautiful…I love breathing, seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, imagining, hoping, reading, recovering, celebrating, working, doing nothing, reading, cooking, doing the dishes, doing the laundry, calling my mother, visiting with my mother, dancing, visiting with friends, listening to music!
The gratitude list goes on, including even suffering.
My mother told me, “there is one thing you can be CERTAIN of…CHANGE”. It’s something I’ve always struggled with and she knew it, since losing her 10 years ago (a very difficult change in my life) I’ve tried to embrace ‘change’, because there is no getting around it.. it’s going to happen! With going through difficult times with children, wonderful times with family and friends and not so wonderful- life is a blessing, that should be our focus. Joshua, I think you hit it spot on…I’ve followed your blog for quite some time and always enjoy it🙂
I lost my best friend 2 summers ago to a mountain climbing accident. Someone fit, smart & lovely gone forever over a weekend. I was devastated. I had completed Joshua’s program. My house was in order, my freezer full of ready made meals. At a time when even breathing was hard, all that we had done served us in a way that was unimaginable. Taking care of yourself today can treat you kindly tomorrow & get you through the tough times. My prayers go out to all that are grieving. Your work remains in high regard, Joshua. I thank you often.
I recently began getting rid of things out of my life and this does indeed help very much so
Great reminder! thanks for sharing! I don’t always have tome to read everything in my inbox, but I always make a point to read yours! As usual this one didnt’ disappoint! JB
Thank. you. for. TRUTH.
Thanks for this article. I already share it.
This article made me actually think of a conversation I had with a friend about a TED-talk. We discussed how life flies by and how much is out of control. But also how much we CAN change but don’t because we hope that the change will come to us.
Thank you for the reminder! We get into a ‘groove’ of our present reality (be it good or not so good), and can completely forget to be ‘present’. Being mindful and acknowledging what is going well, and the people that are positive influences in our lives is important (and ignoring the negative). Even if we are just able to focus on the simple things and slow down for a few minutes…time flies and we will miss our own life otherwise.
Excellent and very deep.
Minimalism requires deep thinking . You need to know why one should not hoard or keep piling stuff….minimalism is a life style and life changer..its a way of thinking.
I am from Pakistan and live in KSA..yet this article resonates with me.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
The man says : time passes by. The time says : man passes by.