“Amid an endless sea of stuff, simplifying our lives keeps us from drowning.”
—The Minimalists
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Living with Intent
Why minimalism has staying power in modern times
By Nicholas Hallows
Just over a year ago, after hearing Joshua Fields Millburn on the Rich Roll podcast and subsequently devouring every episode by The Minimalists to date, I began my own journey into minimalism.
I was profoundly affected by Josh’s words and subsequently spent many days clearing out my mother’s dark and dusty attic. Hordes of childhood toys and memorabilia were sorted through and considered. It was like a museum of my life that no one would ever visit.
I began the lengthy process of listing anything of value on eBay while everything else was either donated, recycled, or trashed. After a few months, I’d made enough money from vintage toys and t-shirts to fund a holiday to Vietnam.
But what if one day I realize this ‘ism’ is just a fad and I regret letting go of all of my keepsakes? Will I wish I still had my collection of over-sized vintage band t-shirts? The guitar I never played? What about my childhood toy collection? My hundreds of DVDs? CDs? What about my impressive library of books? Could minimalism be a curse? I don’t think so.
Minimalism trains us how to let go through the art of non-attachment. It has also been around for over 2,500 years through the teachings of Buddhism and the Stoics. But, in a time of widespread excess, it is arguably more relevant than ever.
Buddhism teaches us that everything is temporary and subject to change: our health, our appearance, our environment, and also our beliefs. That’s not to say our beliefs will weaken; they may become stronger. It’s more that they won’t always be exactly the same. So, even if our view of minimalism changes in the future, that doesn’t negate the benefits it’s given us in the here and now.
A quick inventory of my life over the past year should be enough evidence that currently, minimalism is holding up on its end of the bargain.
Since embracing it, I have shed the stress of all my superfluous possessions, I exercise regularly, and am in the best shape of my life. I meditate daily and am as emotionally stable as I have ever been. I have a more positive outlook on life and its challenges. After veganism, it is probably the best change I have made to my life.
But minimalism isn’t just useful on an individual level, it is useful on a global scale. We currently have a climate emergency, driven in large by a capitalist, consumerist agenda where economic growth out ranks all other concerns. Never has it been so important to minimize our consumption.
Whether you want to curb your consumerism to save money, reduce your carbon footprint, live a nomadic existence, or just want to make the housework easier, there is something to gain from living simply.
Minimalism has served me very well and continues to do so. It’s no longer as much about clearing the clutter but about living intentionally and appropriately. I’m not sure when that could ever be a bad thing. It’s adding value to my life in a way that extra possessions and added distractions never could, so I will continue to hold on to minimalism. Just not too tightly.
The Slow Grow
Why planting is enchanting
By George Maguire
“While you’re outside, can you grab me some rosemary for the potatoes?” asks my girlfriend, yelling from the kitchen. This is a common request when we cook together. No matter what is on the menu, we wrestle some of our herb garden residents into the dish.
It’s a modest cohort containing bay, rosemary, lavender, thyme, sage, mint, and parsley. Their vastly differing tastes supplement anything we can think of in the kitchen—lavender, mint, watermelon, and feta, anyone? Try it.
Minimalism is about reducing the influx of needs and stimuli that you do not want. It opens doors and gives you time back to cultivate interests that, moments before, lay dormant in your mind. I have found growing to be a deeply satisfying hobby. It attracts and bolsters my values. I now spend more time in nature, I learn something every day, and have become more aware of the importance of regional reliance.
At the same time, I have taken positive steps in areas that are increasingly meaningful to me; reducing plastics, food-miles, and stress. Growing plants is mostly easy—the hard work is done by the sun—and it strikes a common intersection in my adopted (and then sustained) hobbies. It makes more sense to me on some fundamental level. It’s sustainable, yet endless.
It begins with small steps—a pinch of seeds, a basil cutting, or a food book/TV show. You will fall in love with the process. Think back to your childhood; there were moments where new pathways suddenly became visible in your imagination.
Walking down a modern supermarket is a surreal experience. Oranges from Florida, water from Fiji, and Tuscan biscuits from Florence. We can see the world. We can touch it. We can buy it. The colors and tangibility are mesmerizing, but there are hidden costs—we lose our locality, our grandparents’ gardening practices, our appreciation of the weather, and the process of cultivating nature.
All it takes is one step. Stick something in the ground and see what happens.
A Little More of Less
A few other articles we think you might enjoy…
Rushing out of Time by Filipe Corrêa
Channel Surfing by The Minimalists
Practicing with the Fear & Pain of Missing Out on Opportunities by Leo Babauta
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