My desire with each Weekend Reads is to provide you with articles and posts that encourage simplicity and minimalist living. Below, you will find links to blog posts and news stories that I hand-picked over the last couple weeks. I hope you find inspiration and practical help inside them.
That is my goal on Becoming Minimalist: to intentionally promote simplicity in a world that needs to hear it.
My Family’s Clutter Was Stressing Me Out So I’ve Got Rid of 1,000 Things From My Home | Daily Mail by Siofra Brennan. A mom first began adopting minimalism 10 years ago after finding herself ‘overwhelmed’ with the clutter in her house.
Get Rid of Your Books | Slate by Dorie Chevlen. Couldn’t you use a little extra space?
Simple Living Tips For Everyone | No Sidebar. This journey about a simpler lifestyle isn’t about striving for perfection or rigid rules; it’s about making choices that align with your values and aspirations.
61% Of Americans Live Paycheck-To-Paycheck: Here’s The Simple Solution We’re Overlooking | Forbes by Joshua Becker. More money often just leads to more spending. The real, often overlooked solution most of are missing? Spend less.
Minimalism: The Unexpected Path to Financial Freedom | Simple Money by Richard James. Instead of obsessing over what we don’t have, minimalism encourages us to appreciate what we do have. And in doing so, we discover that we may actually need less than we think.
17 Reasons I Love Minimalism: Less Stuff Equals More Living | The Plain Simple Life by Voureen. “I started to realise that minimalism wasn’t about deprivation or living without; rather, it was about intentionality and only having what truly made me happy.”
Recently Released Inspiring Videos
8 Scientifically Proven Ways to Simplify Your Life | YouTube by Joshua Becker. Life can be complicated, but there are steps we can take to make our lives a little easier.
You Matter to Me | YouTube by Joshua Becker. You matter to me because of the bold steps you’ve taken to pursue owning less and elevate your greatest values.
Other Resources
The Curiosity Chronicle by Sahil Bloom. Sahil publishes a free email newsletter twice/week that is focused on actionable, tactical insights that can be immediately implemented for personal development and growth. I signed up for the newsletter almost 9 months ago and really enjoy it. Maybe you will too.
I loved the first article! I read a lot of the comments from it and am surprised at the backlash. This woman said their kids are happier and they are happier overall. Why do we assume she is lying and feel like she needs more stuff because her home looks “cold”? I think her home looks beautiful. Just because it’s perceived as extreme to others, doesn’t mean it’s extreme to her and her family. As long as people are happy, let’s support them in their decisions. We don’t have to agree with everything others are doing.
I agree! I greatly enjoyed the article and like her style. Many people are defined by their belongings. She is not one of them. I’m glad Joshua included this story.
The top article mentioned, “My Family’s Clutter….” is less about minimalism than about extremism. Not a great choice.
Be careful about getting rid of hard copy books. The signs of government control are increasing. It is possible that the powers that be may restrict access to ideas that conflict with the approved ideas via the internet and other means. Retaining hard copies of essentials like the Bible, Constitution, etc. is prudent.
LOL @ the idea that your bible is somehow endangered. Get a grip.
I used to have a hutch that I had filled with ornate old books I got at Goodwill little by little. The display was beautiful, but when I moved I donated them all back. I feel like books are very personal and I hate when people push their books on me—- “Here, read this!”—- I’ve learned to say no to that! I only have a few books now, but they are all meaningful to me. If I ever decide to get rid of them I will donate. But I do think books can make a great gift—- only if it’s a subject matter that the recipient would really enjoy.
What’s with the books, always?
What does that even mean?
Out of all the categories of things that one might possibly declutter, books seem to receive an undue amount of attention, and they cover such a varying range of functions in people’s lives that it seems unfair to lump anything between covers as a potential clutter varmint.
Maybe it’s just because they can take up so much space and weight? Now I have always loved “real” books, but these days they’re so readily available via libraries for free in e-book form, I have pared down to 50, 10 of which are fiction I re-read from time to time and the rest are reference books of home and garden that I use repeatedly.