Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.
The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.
For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.
Take a Look at the Outfit This DC Woman Has Worn Every Day This Year | Washingtonian by Hayley Garrison Phillips. While the idea of dressing in uniform isn’t new, the practice has undergone a renaissance of sorts in recent years.
The Art of Enough | Experience Life by Elizabeth Millard. How consuming less can help you enjoy life more.
6 Minimalist Morning Routines That Will Calm The Chaos In Your Life | The Huffington Post by Michele Lian. Mornings are the perfect time to head into life with a fresh start: A new chance to change directions. A new opportunity to think differently than you did yesterday. A new day to be healthier.
Overwhelmed? 10 Ways to Feel Less Busy | The Guardian by Oliver Burkeman. You can’t do it all.
A glaring omission –
Ahem… let us not forget Coco Chanel, The lady, entrepreneur and artist who invented the modern woman’s “uniform” and defined perhaps the most timeless of all style guides. To whom we owe the “little black dress”, the two-piece, ”flat chested” suit and the more frequent use of grays and black in women’s clothes. You know, the house that Karl Lagerfeld is creative director for?
AND the fact that at one time everyone wore one outfit because that was all you had and it was made at home. Affluence and the advent of “ready to wear” clothing made possible by mass manufacturing (and relentless) marketing inspired a more covetous approach to dressing as well as the loathsome habit of acquiring far too many articles of clothing.
I loved all of these EXCEPT the first one. Who can REALLY afford to spend that ridiculous kind of money on an outfit? The total cost of that one outfit is over $1100!!! I’m a teacher for goodness sake…if I spent that kind of money on ONE OUTFIT I would HAVE to wear it every day as it would be all I would own and I’d likely be divorced!!!
One can have a “capsule wardrobe” or daily uniform of sorts MUCH more cheaply than this. I’m sorry but when I saw the cost of that I was not even able to finish reading that article as I was so offended by the outrageous consumerism.
To me, one of the aspects of minimalism is NOT spending outrageous amounts of money on things like clothing. It is totally possible to buy a high quality outfit of that caliber for less than HALF of that price and look polished and professional.
On the other hand, I really liked “The Art of Enough” and the “6 Minimalist Morning Routines” pieces. Both had solid ideas, many of which I already know (but just don’t put into practice like I should) so they were both inspiring and motivational.
Overall, thanks for sharing great info, just keep in mind that many of us do not have the kind of budget to spend like the author of that first piece and even if I DID…I wouldn’t do so.
I really liked that piece and I rather liked her uniform. I simply keep in mind that that is her price point, not mine. If one happened to like the overall outfit, of course it could be put together for less.
I simply appreciate reading about women who go against the grain regarding fashion and the need to be constantly “on-trend”. That she spends more or differently than I would doesn’t take away from the larger message.
I definitely need the morning routine one!
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He came out of an empty tomb, to fill our empty hearts! <3
Happy Easter!
I especially enjoyed The Art of Enough! :)
I am currently reading up on miminalism and am very excited about it. It’s something I wish I had done years ago. Actually, ever since my sister passed away almost 20 years ago, I’ve been telling myself I need to get rid of all this stuff so nobody else will have to when I’m gone and wonder why on earth I was holding on to some of it.
I really enjoyed the article on morning routines. I love the idea of putting myself first, but my pets won’t allow it.
I’m slowly working my way through the archives and am really enjoying them and I have to say I think I’ve talked my husband into getting on board with becoming a minimalist.
Thanks for the inspiration. There are a lot of us out here who really need it.
Joshua, thank you so much for helping beginner minimalists like me move forward with clarity and confidence, knowing that there isn’t a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ when it comes to living with more awareness and intention, and less distraction. I also wanted to let you know that I’m really enjoying your Facebook Live sessions and looking forward to more!
-Michele
P.S: Thank you for sharing my Huffington Post article–I’m so honored that you did.
Michele that was my fave of all of the ones he shared…great ideas. If you are a beginner at this than I am truly a beginner as you are light years ahead of me. But I’m learning that minimalism is something that does not have to be acheived all at once and I’m taking baby steps every day!
Hi Tracey, thank you for your kind words and for reading…that means so much to me! I’m still stumbling and experiencing impulse shopping fails now and then, but I do feel so much better about how I’m living now than I did say…5 years ago. So yes, you’re so right that it takes plenty of baby steps to achieve those milestones we’re after. I’m so grateful to be a part of this community and to be able to offer and receive the support that we all need along our journey :)
Great articles again this week. One that reasonated was the mention of being content. This is the number one philosophy we promote in our designs. Contentment is different for everyone but certainly achievable. Thanks for the reminders to hunt for it!-Laurel Bledsoe