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.
‘I could live simpler’: Floods and fires make Americans rethink their love affair with stuff | Washington Post* by Lisa Bonos and Jura Koncius. “I think the coverage has affected people. It reminds them to think, ‘What do I have in my house and how would I gather those things and put them in my car and leave?’ ”
Lowering Your Life’s Requirements | Mnmlist by Leo Babauta. When something becomes a need, a requirement, it locks us in. We have to have it, which means we start structuring our lives around it.
Understanding The Marginal Utility of New Gadgets | Simple Living Daily by James. I used to be a big sucker for new electronics…
Albert Einstein’s Theory of Happiness Sold For $1.5m | The Independent by Maya Oppenheim. “A quiet and modest life brings more joy than a pursuit of success bound with constant unrest.” —Albert Einstein
Fall Wardrobe Challenge: 10 Pieces, 10 Outfits, 10 Days | Unfancy by Caroline Joy Rector. Here’s how it works: Pick 10 items of clothing from your closet. Include tops, bottoms, and shoes for your everyday life. Then, for 10 days, create a new outfit each day using your 10 items.
*Editor’s note: The Washington Post limits the number of free Post articles nonsubscribers can read to 10 per month.
Donna Rodgers says
Your articles are so inspiring! I had no idea what ‘minimalism was’ but have been striving for it for years. We went from housing the furniture for 3 adult kids in changing stages of life, down to one set. My husband and I cut our clothes down to the bare minimum. We sold and sold pieces of furniture. (For some reason I find to much joy in small pieces of furniture.) We got our bookshelves down to three! Now it only has the books I love and boy do I love books! Finally, I realized that stuff was not the only problem. I said Yes way too often and was over-doing all the time. I took the plunge and began to ‘unvolunteer’. I was doing things no one in their right mind would keep doing. Today, I got rid of the last ‘volunteer’ job. It took months to find a replacement for me. Now I have time to sculpt–a life long dream. My father sculpted and I’ve always been drawn to it. I’m pursuing an art education degree. The ‘extra’ bedroom that used to be full of misc. stuff is now my art studio. I’ve always had many many hobbies but I finally realized I had to let go of the old pursuits to make room for a new one. Tim and I are just reveling in the beauty of our ‘new’ old home in the country. Thank you for your constant inspiration. Your approach to realistic minimalism really appeals to us. We raised five kids and have 11 grandkids now. Less stuff means more living!