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.
Can you shop your way to happiness? | The Guardian by Oliver Burkeman. That new item expresses something about who you want to be. So you buy it.
Technology is not ruining our kids. Parents (and their technology) are ruining them. | Quartz by Jenny Anderson. Many of us worry what technology is doing to our kids. So we parents set timers, lock away devices and drone on about the importance of actual real-live human interaction. And then we check our phones.
TV Ads Are About to Get Personal With New Targeting Tools | Bloomberg Business by Gerry Smith. As brands shift more of their spending to the Web where ads are more precise, the TV industry is pushing back.
The Money Spent Selling Sugar to Americans Is Staggering | The Atlantic by James Hamblin. Why do we eat what we eat?
I Live In My Car | Dear Buzzfeed (YouTube) with Chris Sawey. Such an interesting perspective. (3:32)
Interesting reads, as always. The piece on how we are ‘ruining our children’ with technology seems a bit grim. We are ‘low tech’ parents but I don’t think children are ruined by technology – maybe I just haven’t seen those families where it has taken over.
Reference the “shopping your way to happiness” article: I went to school in Miami and had a friend whose mom ran a high-end estate sale business. Sometimes I would help at the sales and the homes were huge and full of expensive furniture and artwork, lots and lots of clothes in the closets, many with the tags still on. All these things, I marveled one day, brand new and never used. My friend’s mom paused while lining up boxes of expensive shoes that had never been worn and said “Yeah, people here buy things to make themselves feel better. When it doesn’t work, they get rid of it all and do it again.” I still think about that comment and it has shaped a lot of my consumer behavior as an adult.
For another positive story you might want to read about a retired woman living in a Prius: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/other-conversions/living-prius/ You don’t have to be young to desire freedom.
We just got done cleaning garage, it seemed overwhelming, but we got rid of a small cabinet, two old doors that a friend is taking, old shovel. Repurposed microwave cart into tool storage. Hung up bikes, took dead plants to dump. I am adopting a cleaner less cluttered look outside. I think it’s important to show a less cluttered, easy to maintain exterior when trying to sell house, even if it isn’t listed yet.
The perspective from the “I live in my car” article is indeed interesting. It doesn’t sound that much different than living out of a backpack for a year while I traveling the world. It’s just doing it in his home country. And he’s even go a solar panel. Fantastic!
Hi Joshua! :)
Chris, I know someone just like you! He’ll settle in and rent an apartment for about a year (usually just to help someone) then he’s off on the road again for a few years. He loves it best when he’s living from his car. He got a job in Alaska on a commercial crab boat for a season!!! He just left Illinois last week and is headed west. Who knows what’s next?! :) Good luck to both of you!!! :) :) :)
—Also just wanted to defend Gatorade a bit… (from the selling sugar article) even doctors recommend it sometimes. It’s not all bad. Everything in moderation.
I love the Saturday compilation blog. Thanks. I enjoyed the first and the fifth the most.