Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscience decision. It is a counter-cultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption we live in.
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.
Why I Decided to Sell Everything I Owned | Relevant Magazine by Allison Vesterfelt. As I rounded the corner toward the end of my twenties, I realized I had a lot of stuff I didn’t need, didn’t want, and was weighing me down. I was feeling sort of stuck.
We Can Still Save Thanksgiving | Boston Globe by G. Jeffrey MacDonald. All it takes is remembering what it’s like to feel satisfied.
So You Need that Smart Cuckoo Clock for Christmas, Do You? | The Guardian by George Monbiot. Is this the western world’s society, spending ridiculous sums of money on conspicuously useless gifts to enhance our social status?
A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day | New York Times by John Tierney. An insightful, well-researched article on the importance of gratitude with or without the presence of a season to celebrate it.
Eight Things You Can Live Without | Medium by Lindsay Schauer. Want to declutter your life? Start here.
Image: Angelo González
Minimal Girl says
The Guardian article is fantastic. I always enjoy your lists of links.
Jan says
Well said, Joshua. Minimalism does require a conscious decision and definitely is a counter-cultural lifestyle.
Thanks for the thought-provoking articles, the great reads and the ongoing encouragement to get rid of “stuff” in order to be able focus on priorities.
jill britz says
i look forward to your posts like none other. & especially at this time, the permission to be counter-cultural. bless you, sir!!
Gladys (The Pinay Mom) says
I’m so glad to find your website, it’s really motivating to live a simple life.
Sandi Hohn says
I just want to thank you for the work you do with minimizing. I have been working towards this for the last two years and have been stuck, not really knowing what to do or how to get there. Then I found you and you have been a catalyst for me. I am so inspired and way more focused on what I want to do and how the achieve it. Thank you so much and I will continue to follow you and look forward to learning and growing even more through living with less.
Robert Redus says
Thanks for the readings. I know what part of my weekend will be. I have been working on downsizing for the last few years, and now I am getting close to my minimal goal. I recite this mantra when I question my method….
The less I have the more I can appreciate what I have.
Thanks again, be well.
Robert
Cheryl Magyar says
Consumerism does not favor simple and natural things. The brighter the dyes, the more buttons and functions an object has the more desirable it is… We go against the mainstream vision of the way the world “should be” because we see the beauty in simplicity, we understand the emotion in handmade clothing and the knowledge of growing and gathering food. Thank you for sharing the visions of others.
Ana says
Thanks for the reading