Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show.
The simplicity/minimalism movement is a beautiful community. It is friendly, encouraging, and helpful. There is a genuine understanding that any promotion of simplicity is good for society—and there is little concern over who gets the credit.
It is a pleasure to be part of such a wonderful group of people. And I enjoy every opportunity to promote writing that encourages people to live more by owning less.
So fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea. Find a quiet moment this weekend. And enjoy some encouraging words to inspire more simplicity in your life today.
How This 30-Year-Old Travels The World On As Little As $30,000 A Year | Forbes by Laura Shin. “It was so crazy hard to get rid of all this stuff I’d accumulated.”
How One Portlander Found Abundance and Balance by Downsizing | Portland Monthly by Tina Jeffers. Could you reduce your home’s square footage by 70% and get rid of most of your belongings?
7 Reasons Generous People Are More Likely To Be Successful | Lifehack by John Patrick Hickey. Generous people are often successful in life—not just at work or in the community, but in their personal lives as well.
9 TED Talks to Watch Instead of Shopping | TED. Forget about Black Friday. Step away from the mall and watch these talks on consumerism … and why it’s not always the best thing.
Simple Is The New Green says
I’m interested in seeing those TED talks. Another suggestion for something to watch on Black Friday is the Documentary “I AM”, by Tom Shadyac. He is a multi-multi-millionaire who gave up a life of mansions and private jets and sold his stuff to live with more meaning. You can get it on Youtube, Netflix or at the library.
Ekundayo Peter says
xup Becker, i always love reading your works, they are inspiring.
Jaclyn Nicole says
Thanks for sharing these wonderfully inspiring links!
Jaclyn
Judy says
I have no prob with secondhand clothing. I love the reduce/reuse/recycle concept. :)
Meryl @ Simple Family Home says
I love all the TED talks! Thank you for sharing. I have to say though, I disagree with the ‘Essential Non Essentials’ piece about minimalism being austere. Maybe for some, but as a family minimalism is about simplifying our lives more than it is about just simplifying our stuff.
Amy@MoreTimeThanMoney says
Great selection of articles. Colin’s is an inspiring story. I spent much of my twenties travelling and living out of a backpack. Now in my late thirties with a young family, I am well and truly settled down and that lifestyle doesn’t appeal anymore. I could really relate to Tina’s story though. The two articles together reinforced for me the variety of forms a minimalist lifestyle can take depending on your age, stage in life and objectives.
Kariane says
I’m not sure I’d want to move every four months forever, but I love how Colin has made his own way, found something that’s given him great pleasure, and found a way to inexpensively have some amazing experiences. Fantastic! One of the things we’re planning to do when our boys get a little older is to world school our boys (homeschooling while traveling the globe). We don’t have a high income, but keeping our expenses low will allow us to do this. As always, thank you for sharing.
Dan Recio says
Your boys are very fortunate! Not many families provide this opportunity to their children and I’m sure they will enjoy every moment. :)
Ana M. says
The article on generous people was very inspiring. I am able to relate to it. Thank you for sharing these interesting stories. :)
Dan Recio says
The first article about traveling the world on $30k was a beautiful read. He moves to a new country every four month–that’s amazing!! Travelling the world is a life-transforming experience I’m diligently working towards. Thank you for sharing that uplifting, inspiring link. :)