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.
Baby Boomers are Downsizing — and the kids won’t take the family heirlooms | Boston Globe by Beth Teitell. In some cases, downsizing seniors understand why their children don’t want the heirlooms they’re trying to pass down, but that doesn’t always make it easier.
The Quote That Finally Changed My Mind on Minimalism | Apartment Therapy by Taryn Williford. There’s more to minimalism than just purging yourself of stuff.
Why Kids Benefit From Fewer Toys | Think About Now by Emily Wade. Good reasons why it is best to keep toys minimal and simple.
An Overlooked Secret to Effectiveness (and Happiness) | Seth Godin by Seth Godin. More might be better for awhile, but sooner or later, it can’t always be better. Diminishing returns are the law, not an exception.
Simplify Magazine —> Issue 001 Happiness.
About Joshua Becker
Thanks for the great articles and information.
I would love to share articles in my blog as well. Do you have to get permission to include the links? How do you find all this good stuff?
Really enjoy your writing. Your thoughtfulness around our lives is a powerful and inspiring part of the intentionality you share.
The article on fewer toys is so, so true. We have lived this for a few years now, and our kids are just fine! They have great imaginations, they read a lot, they are outside a lot. They still have plenty of toys to play with. They don’t need mountains of them.
Another great list of inspiring topics to read. I liked the one about toys. We help our clients declutter their homes and toys are a huge problem. And children get a lot of new toys as gifts in every special occasion like birthdays and Christmas. We really need to change our mindset about stuff. Thank you Joshua for your great work.
There is a quote from a book I read recently that I thought you would love. “Admire without having to acquire.” I think of it every time I see something and think, ‘ I love that! How much is it?’
I spend plenty of time exploring the idea of enough. This idea certainly comes up regularly when building an online business- even in seemingly small ways (how much posting to FB is enough?) I always appreciate the articles your share, Joshua.
“Minimalism is cute and all, but not when it comes to….” from an article I read just before this one. A perfect example of the world not being friendly to this movement. One of the things I like most about minimalism is that it’s never so lacking in confidence that it has to sling off at other lifestyle choices. Minimalism isn’t a candle snuffer!
An excellent selection of articles Joshua, thank you.
Wish I could read the down-sizing baby boomers article without having to subscribe to the Boston Globe. Acquiring potential junk email and apps doesn’t feel very minimal…
It opened completely for me without subscribing.
Hmm…I was able to read the whole article…closed the popup and hit the ‘continue reading’ button. If that still isnt working for you I’ve had similar articles in my feed reader from earlier this year on the same subject…google the subject line and ‘-bostonglobe.com’
Coffee + this = my weekend mornings 😎