Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show.
The simplicity/minimalism movement is a beautiful community. It is friendly, encouraging, and helpful. There is a genuine understanding that any promotion of simplicity is good for society—and there is little concern over who gets the credit for it.
It is a pleasure to be part of such a wonderful group of people. And I enjoy every opportunity to promote writing that encourages people to live more by owning less.
So fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea. Find a quiet moment this weekend. And enjoy some encouraging words to inspire more simplicity in your life today.
Great! Another Thing to Hate About Ourselves | The New York Times by Jennifer Weiner. Show me a body part, I’ll show you someone who’s making money by telling women that theirs looks wrong.
Do You Care What I Wear? | Frugaling by Sam Lustgarten. My high school and college days were fraught with an insecurity that prompted me to spend. Now, as I’ve slowed my purchases and become more minimalist, I’ve learned some important takeaways.
Can You Quit Your Job as Stuff Manager? | BlogHer by Jess Townes. I hope you find that forty days is ample notice to find a replacement for the position or to restructure as necessary.
Becoming a Soul Minimalist | Chatting at the Sky by Emily Freeman. Stillness is to the soul as de-cluttering is to the home.
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I spent this past weekend in Orlando, FL addressing the National Association of Senior Move Managers. I was so wonderfully impressed. If there is a senior in your life going the process of downsizing and moving to a new residence, I highly recommend the work they do. They are good people with big hearts. And I just wanted you to know the resource is out there.
i have always enjoyed your blog, but must say that I was a bit offended by the first article on this post.
Thanks for the link to Emily Freeman’s thought-provoking article on stillness and soul clutter. It’s good to be reminded that physical decluttering is only one part of a simpler, ‘becoming minimalist’ life – I’m sure we could all benefit from moving more towards a decluttered soul.
With regard Jennifer Weiner’s article, could you add some sort of warning alerting us to mature content? As I began reading, I didn’t know what some of those terms were and when I googled them…well, I’m lucky my kids were in a different room. Or my wife for that matter.
(and for the record, I stopped googling unfamiliar terms, there are some things I don’t need to know. That’s another example of minimalism.)
Thanks for sharing. Jennifer Weiner’s article is brilliant. Ps- I agree with Linda. When blogs bombard me with subscribe boxes before I can even assess the content, I leave pretty quickly.
Happy to be included in this great mix of articles!
Thanks for sharing. :)
lol! Hi Joshua—
Hope your weekend goes well. :)
Great suggestions! Here are some from a woman’s point of view: “3 Easy Steps To a Simple Stylish Wardrobe” at http://www.ahhthesimplelife.com/3-easy-steps-simple-stylish-wardrobe/, a post on http://www.ahhthesimplelife.com.
I tried to visit your link to the Chatting at the Sky blog, only to find a large banner slapped in my face. It would not allow me to read any of the content unless I first gave them my email address and susbscribed to more issues. How would I know if I want to subscribe if I can’t even peruse a sample article? And this is a blog about serene living??? How rude!
Thanks for the comment Linda. There is a “close” button on the top of that banner, but it is hard to read sometimes. Most bloggers write because they want their words to be read, and each has a different strategy on how to accomplish that.
I cannot put in words how much I have gained from your posts, including these weekend reads of guests.
It is brilliant and I have come a long long way from a cluttered mind and home to a person with a clean and minimalist home, with few priorities and a clear focus.
Thanks
I just read the NYT piece and am equal parts horrified and laughing. Part of my frugal/minimalist journey has been to increasingly divorce my self-worth from my appearance (which I’ve accomplished through not buying any clothes for over a year, ceasing to wear make-up, cutting my own hair, etc). But, none of us are immune to the images society inundates us with and I hate the constant diatribe against women’s appearances. All that so say, thank you for sharing these links! Great stuff.