“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.” —Wayne Dyer
Eight years ago, on May 26, 2008, my life changed forever.
After spending most of my Memorial Day Weekend cleaning the garage, I struck up a conversation with my neighbor. As I recall, we were lamenting the fact that our day had been wasted taking care of things we owned.
It wasn’t a long conversation, but it was long enough for her to introduce me to the idea of minimalism—that there is more joy to be found owning less than we can ever discover pursuing more.
I actually needed very little convincing. My 5-year old son playing alone in the backyard was all the proof I needed that I owned too much stuff—and it was getting in the way of the life I wanted to live.
Over the course of the next 9 months, my wife and I went through every room in our home getting rid of anything and everything we didn’t need. In total, roughly 2/3 of our possessions were recycled, donated, or thrown away.
To journal the progress, I started a blog, Becoming Minimalist. Now, eight years into its existence, it has reached millions of people around the world with the life-giving message of owning less.
Little did I know, at the time, how much my life would change. But as I look back at the last eight years, I can see how becoming a minimalist has caused my perspective on life to change in very significant ways.
Here are eight that come to mind:
Money. Like most people, growing up, I wanted to be rich. I used to think about it, dream about it, and pursue it. But now, after finding contentment with less, I no longer have a desire for riches. Henry David Thoreau said it like this “I make myself rich by making my wants few.” Now, not only do I no longer desire to be wealthy, I plainly see the temptation and the trap that often ensnares those who do.
Work. Some people view work as a means to get rich—and that’s too bad. Others, on the other hand, can’t wait to escape work, even embracing minimalism as a means to that end. But I see it differently. Minimalism has allowed me to see work as a means to personal fulfillment—not because of the paycheck that it produces, but in the good I can bring to society through it.
Generosity. I now understand that the most fulfilling thing we can ever do with our money is give it away. Most of us desire to be generous people. Buying less makes that possible.
Culture. Minimalism has allowed me to see the world around me in a new way. Very early in my minimalist journey, while doing research for this blog, I stumbled upon The Story of Stuff on YouTube. It changed my perspective on society almost immediately. I began to see how overconsumption is encouraged in every aspect of our economy—from fashion and furnishings to food and housing. And once you see it, you can never unsee it.
Spirituality. There is little doubt that almost every respected religious leader that has stood the test of time has espoused the value and importance of simplicity. For most of my life, I considered this a call to sacrifice—that I should give up “the good life” so others might benefit. However, since discovering and experiencing the benefits of minimalism, I have begun to recognize these teachings are not burdensome at all. They are invitations to a better way of life unburdened with needless weight.
Happiness. I’ve studied quite a bit about happiness over the past eight years. But if I could sum up everything I’ve learned into one sentence, it would be this, “Happiness is not something to be chased or discovered through external circumstances, happiness is a decision we make every single day.” And that makes experiencing it so much easier.
Relationships. I’ve always understood the importance of strong relationships—minimalism has not changed that. But minimalism has caused me to recognize how often we sacrifice those relationships for less important pursuits. And recognizing how those pursuits often distract from the more important ones is the very foundation of minimalism.
Success and Competition. For most of my life, I viewed the opportunity for success as finite—that every time somebody else reached a height of success, it was one less opportunity for me. This often resulted in jealousy and envy. Today, I see it differently. There are countless opportunities to succeed in living meaningful lives. And often times, the quickest way for each of us to succeed in life is to help someone else succeed in theirs.
It’s been a pretty crazy eight years. Looking back on that Saturday morning, I never would have imagined that it would eventually lead to writing books, founding nonprofits, and being on television and in newspapers.
But then again, I had no idea how minimalism would change everything about me—in both my practice and my perspective.
Kalie @ Pretend to Be Poor says
Beautiful reflections. I agree that giving away money is the best thing that we can do with it, and that owning less is freedom, not a sacrifice. I’m not claiming to have mastered these, but I definitely see these points from this new perspective.
Judy says
Joshua—
Always grateful for this blog :)
Thank you!
Aditi says
A big time thankyou to you Joshua Becker, for providing an inspiration with your journey.
Every time I feel “I am a minimalist” , I feel grateful to you. :)
Emma - a simple living journey says
I recently bought your new book on kindle, I really loved it!
It spoke so deeply to me, and your gentle christian message throughout it resonates with me and our families reasons as to why we are simplifying, de-cluttering and on this journey to live more simply, more gently.
I am exploring ministry and I know there is going to be a cost to this, time wise, energy wise and the rest. So part of the work we are trying to do is to make our home life as simple as possible, so we can focus our home time with our young family, rather then worrying about mortgages, excess cleaning and “stuff”.
I love the message and call throughout the book to care for others, to walk with them. That’s what its all about.
Blessings,
Emma
Ces says
I love being a Minimalist and I only have what I need as I have sold or given away so much. My debt is low and I scraped the cable bill years ago.I Sold my house a few years ago in AZ and I am renting for now but I haven’t figured out a way to lower that fixed expense without living in a bad area? Would love to see an article somewhere on that so I can truly live happily. Great article!! Thank you.
Carrie Harding says
So many great points in this – and this is exactly why I want to move to a more minimalist lifestyle. I know that it takes time to get there but I am very inspired by how it has impacted you in so many positive ways. Thank you for sharing your experience and motivating others to follow suit.
By the way – The Story of Stuff is very impactful, and I think it is great that you are giving it a shout out – I feel like a lot of people can benefit from the message of that story.
Carina says
Great post, Joshua. Thank you.
John says
Who could have predicted that an innocuous conversation would lead to such a life changing trajectory. Congrats on the changes made and amplification of the message of less!
Margaret Moloney says
In 2011 I had given away most of my unused possessions. Except my excessive book collection gotten, I had gotten to the point of owning minimal stuff.
Well, my mom just passed away, and I inherited a lot of stuff, and furniture to house the stuff too.
I have spent the last 8 weekends driving 2 hours each way to clear out and clean her house after she passed. Apart from furniture, dishes, etc, most of it was donated to Goodwill, but a good amount also made its way back to my house. :-(
Yes, 8 weekends of grueling hard work, becoming exhausted, fried, burnt out, cranky. Now I have too much of her stuff in my house.
It is true that less is more when it comes to managing ‘stuff’, but some stuff helps to forget relationships, like having a comfortable guest room. Some stuff is good. But nonetheless, I am miserable with all this crap!! How the heck did this happen? How do I have a comfortable place and still have zero crap?
Naomi Alexander says
Going through family belongings can be an ordeal – especially when you are grieving.
A couple of things can help. Take pictures of the items before giving them away – you are just as likely to view the pictures as the actual objects, particularly if you have to store them away in boxes out of sight.
And secondly, when you give the items away, remind yourself that someone else will get use from them and be grateful for them.
It’s so much easier to let things go if you know they are being put to good use by someone else, often someone less fortunate than you.
Jeanne says
Don’t beat yourself up about your mom’s things. Coping with the loss of a family member is hard. It doesn’t make you a failure as a minimalist. You can continue to practice minimalism in other areas of your life and deal with the rest of your mom’s stuff when you feel ready.
Stephanie L says
I was de-cluttering one day and came across my grandmother’s egg beater, which I had never used. Reflexively, I put it in a drawer for no other reason than “it was Grandma’s.”
When I realized she probably never thought twice about it unless she was making meringue, I donated it. I have her china, which I love and associate with visits to her house. I have some of her good jewelry, and a few kitchen pieces I use regularly. No need for the inconsequential stuff.
Andrew says
I have made it a personal goal to not try and keep my memories in a box. I don’t mean pictures I mean stuff that we get over the years like that weird souvenir hat you got on vacation to remember it by. I think it’s important to realize things are not memories. We will have the memories regardless if they are in a box or not. My mother had all her mother’s dishes when she died. She even said why do I have these. I don’t need them to remind me of my mother. They were hers but there is no connection to them besides that. why keep them.
Linda says
I absolutely agree with this!
Cait Flanders says
Eight years… what an incredible milestone, friend! Work is the area of my life I’m “working” on most, these days. I’ve figured out how to say “no” to things that don’t align with my values, and now work to live rather than live to work. The greatest lesson for me, personally, has been that your salary should never be part of your self-worth. That’s a topic I’m diving a little deeper into right now, but is one I’m sure you can already relate to on this path of ours. :)
Tom J. says
“…your salary should never be part of your self-worth.”
Brilliant! Just brilliant!
For so long, in so many ways I, and I’m sure others have overlooked this simple little truism.
Sadly, many of us, myself included, have made the mistake of thinking that we are our salary or our job title. Aren’t we more than our job title?
Ms. Flanders’ post reminded me of what an old friend once told me when I was letting work and job titles and all that sort of thing get me down: You should never confuse who you are with what you are doing for a living.
It was helpful advice then and still is today.
Thanks for reminding me of these things.
Judy says
Hi Cait! :) :) :)
Tyson Popplestone says
Hey Cait,
I’m really similar on the subject of ‘work’. I find it super easy to try and be a ‘hero’ by taking on more than I can do well. Usually making me more stressed than I need to be! lol. I find the quality of each thing I take on improves when I slow down and focus on one thing at a time.
Emily says
I have a notebook in which I write quotes that inspire me. “your salary should never be part of your self-worth” is now written down – with your name under it :-) . thanks for being inspiring!