There’s more to life than buying stuff.
There are many wonderful people pursuing and promoting simplicity. Fortunately, some of them are gifted in communication and choose to encourage and inspire us with their words. I enjoy reading their unique perspective. I’m sure you will too.
So fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea on this beautiful weekend. Find a quiet moment. And enjoy some encouraging words about finding more simplicity in your life today.
15 Minimalist Hacks To Maximize Your Life | BuzzFeed by Morgan Shanahan. Less is more.
Kissing Your Socks Goodbye | The New York Times by Penelope Green. Home organization advice from Marie Kondo.
Dear World: Let’s Stop Giving Our Crap to the Poor | We Are That Family by Kristen Welch. Perhaps we should look a little deeper into our hearts and wallets when we can say, I don’t have money to give to the poor, but I have a lot of stuff. Maybe we need to buy less stuff so we have more to give?
The 10 Commandments of a Clutter-Free Life | Apartment Therapy by Nancy Mitchell. Freeing your space—and your life—from overwhelmingly huge amounts of stuff doesn’t take superhuman effort. All you need is a little commitment to some basic principles.
These are my favourite posts to read all week. Love them! Thanks! :)
As usual this is a GREAT collection of minimalist ideas but I really liked the one “don’t give our crap to the poor.” I think it addresses a big reality that many of us might not have even thought of before. If we believe that giving our “junk” away to others gives us permission to keep consuming more and more and more, then we sort of miss the point. And while it’s important to repurpose anything we aren’t using, if it isn’t useable or can’t be refurbished, it’s best not to assume others should be grateful just to have it. Thanks for the provocative post! ~Kathy
Thanks for this great list!
I really like the the 10 Commandments of a Clutter-Free Life article by Nancy.
Downsizing helped my husband and me to simplify our lives. It was a lot of work, and we ran into some real bumps along the way; but when we were done, we found we were living happily with much less. You can read our story at http://www.ahhthesimplelife.com/living-more-happily-with-much-less/.
The “Don’t Give our Crap to the Poor” article was interesting. I agree about not donating anything you wouldn’t give to a friend, but the cell phone made me sad. It probably just needed a new battery, and those are cheap. We’ve had the same hand-me-down Droid phone for years and are happy to have kept it out of the landfill.
Started practising these ideas in earnest this past week (have never been a hoarder but still had way to much stuff) and have thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the experience and the result. I love using what I love, only having what I need/love and the resultant sense of peace in my home and work place. Quality not quantity and loving and using what you do have. Want not need (tricky here sometimes :) but working well on this). Thank you for all of the wonderful articles.
Attempting to minimalize….it’s hard when not everyone in the house is on board…. but small steps do lead to progress. At least it’s not getting worse… Thanks for these articles!
It is hard when not everyone is on board. I am married to a pack rat. It has taken decades for me to get him to loosen his hold on books, papers, drawers of junk, clothes he never wears. I think the key has been to be the driving force and not leave him to his own devices. Make it something fun that we do together. Keep it short and manageable. I don’t say, “Clean out the garage so I can park my car in it.” I say, “How would you like to clean out the garage together this morning after a great breakfast?” And I pitch right in and hold up things and ask “Can we throw this away?” I come up with clever ways to corral his stuff: a shelf by the back door for his sunglasses, a key box on the wall, a landing zone by the front door with drawers. He eventually notices his life is easier with less clutter and more organization. He will never be a Less is More, but he sees validity to streamlining for function. Good luck!
Fun reads! Great videos and gorgeous house pictures! The head opener winner is “Don’t Give Our Crap to the Poor”. More like this, please. Nothing better than turning your head 180 degrees and seeing things in a whole new perspective. I met a couple of men from Kenya who hit the big end of season 75% off sales at KOHL’S department stores every year and sent BRAND NEW with the tags on clothes to their families in Kenya. They had a list of sizes in their hands as they shopped. Happy shoppers and happy recipients!
Use it or lose it. – love it
What wonderful reads! So excited to get Marie Kondo’s book — her approach to organizing is fascinating!!