Joshua Becker's Blog, page 138

8 Blogs on Simple Living You Will Enjoy Discovering

“You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you.” – Arthur Polotnik

I have many people to thank over the years for the growth of Becoming Minimalist. But I typically credit this post from Zen Habits on August 12, 2009 as being the first major breakthrough for this blog. His simple link at the bottom of the post brought hundreds of new readers. And I immediately began to understand some of the key principles behind growing a blog.

On a related note, I’ve been overwhelming impressed with the quality (and number) of new blogs dedicated to minimalism and simplicity that have been emerging online lately. And as one who is deeply motivated by a passion for the message of living with less, I couldn’t possibly be more excited. The more writers, the quicker the message spreads. Keep on writing and inspiring!

If I can play a small role in helping these writers introduce themselves, I’m all in. Here then, are just a few of the blogs that have popped up on my radar (and reader list) in the past several months. There is no doubt in my mind, you will enjoy them too.

8 New Blogs on Minimalism/Simplicity You Will Enjoy Reading

Slow Your Home. Brooke McAlary, who has been writing for 18 months, authors a most wonderful blog dedicated to simple living. I find her writing to be intelligent, thoughtful, and encouraging. Her wonderful series on the A-Z’s of simple living keeps me engaged… and definitely looking forward to see what she does with Q, X, and Z.

Cat’s Meow. Vappu is a beautiful artist and photographer. Her writings on minimalism, simplicity, and family are deep, insightful, and calming. And her photos keep you searching for more.

The Minimalistas. Jill Gaupin has created a beautiful virtual space celebrating the minimalist lifestyle. Whether you are already living a simpler, less distracted, less cluttered, more meaningful life or you are just curious, you’ll find inspiration there.

Brooklyn to Mars. Markus shares his story of moving from New York to Chicago, discovering minimalism, and experiencing a fire that furthered his resolve to live with less. Markus is a writer that credits minimalism with helping him eliminate debt, distractions, and dependence on a job.

Midway Simplicity. Mohamed Tohami, a motivational author, speaker, and passionate living expert, once told me, “I noticed one thing in common with all these people living passionate lives, they all used simplicity to facilitate their lifestyle.” Midway Simplicity allows him to explore simplicity, share ideas with others, and experiment in his own life.

Value of Simple. Joel Zaslofsky is not new to the world of blogging, but he has shifted focus recently to further empower people to liberate their time, money, and talent.

Minimalist Baker. John and Dana have created a website that combines each of their passions: cooking, art, design, simplicity. Every recipe consists of 10 ingredients or less, requires a single spoon or bowl, or takes 30 minutes or less to prepare. Many recipes are also vegetarian or vegan friendly. It’s a Pinterest dream come true.

The Simple Year. A simple project by a self-proclaimed pretty normal middle class family who has set out to buy nothing new for one year. They are using their public blog/journal for accountability. And I think a bit more traffic (and encouragement) would help them with their goal.

Also, just recently, I have begun enjoying Money is Not Important and Buy Nothing New for a Year. And even though they didn’t really fit my criteria of being new, I did want to mention both of them.

Image: Travis Isaacs

How to Be More Intentional about Expressing Your Feelings

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Joel Zaslofsky of Value of Simple.

“Life is less a quest than a quilt. We find meaning, love, and prosperity through the process of stitching together our bold attempts to help others find their own way in their lives. The relationships we weave become an exquisite and endless pattern.” - Keith Ferrazzi

Many people are convinced the best way to show love or appreciation is to buy someone a gift on specifically-marked days. In fact, I was one of them for three decades until a personal renaissance showed me a better way.

Where I used to buy the newest electronic gadget, I now show love with sincere words and handmade cards. Where I used to get a gift card with a surplus of credit and a deficit of thoughtfulness, I now intentionally display affection all year long to avoid focusing it on a day someone else defines as important.

Living an intentional life was something I learned the hard way and with too much resistance. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Recently, I’ve battled through the emotional struggle of how best to express my feelings for the people I care for and who care for me. This is a tribute to them.

Through it all, I’ve developed “How I’ll Express Feelings” and “How I Won’t Express Feelings” lists. They are a stripped down version of what a true gift looks like to me. I encourage you to create your own lists. I’ve even included resources at the end to help.

How I’ll Express Feelings

These are some of the beliefs, actions, and tokens of appreciation I’ll provide to those I value most:

I will affirm your importance and the value of our relationship with a call, text, or in-person visit on your birthday (which combination may be a surprise).
I will make you a handmade card that’s clever, thoughtful, and will be remembered far longer than anything I could purchase.
I will take you out to dinner on a random day instead of one our culture tries to convince me I should.
I will freely give out hugs and high fives.
I will always be emotionally and mentally available when you need to talk, make tough decisions, or are having a crisis.
I will never expect you to buy me gifts on days of significance… regardless of how important society claims they are.
I will keep my Personal User Guide current so you have a window into what makes me tick and how we can have fun together.

How I Won’t Express Feelings

I won’t simply put a check in a birthday/holiday card for you. How could I quantify how much a relationship is worth anyway?
I won’t take the easy road and get you a gift on a day you expect one. Wouldn’t you rather get to hear the word “Surprise!” and see a bright smile when you don’t expect it?
I won’t sit down with you over a few beers and complain about life. Maybe you’d rather take a walk, get some exercise, or enjoy the beauty of the world with me?

Free Classes in Expression of Love

Sometimes you need more inspiration, motivation, or action steps than one person can provide. To more fully understand how to express your feelings in other ways than a default gift, here are some wonderful – yet simple – resources:

The Commodification of Love by The Minimalists (a.k.a. my original inspiration for this article). It’s so true that there’s always another holiday around the corner and that social norms push us to buy the new, shiny thing. My favorite part was Joshua’s statement that, “gift-giving is a vapid, pernicious cultural imperative in our society, and we’ve bought it (literally) hook, line, and sinker. We’ve become consumers of love.”

35 Gifts Your Children Will Never Forget from the Becoming Minimalist archives. No recap necessary as this is short and powerful.

The Case Against Buying Christmas Presents by Leo Babauta. He might be saying “Bah! Humbug!” to most people, but to me, Leo’s saying, “Please consider a different path than an unfulfilling and wasteful gift-giving one.”

Voting for Poverty by Raam Dev. This essay was like a bucket of water splashed on my face. He’s learning on the fly how to live a drastically different lifestyle; one in which he casts no votes for poverty with his spending decisions. Unless you’re Bill Gates, money spent in one place (gifts) is money not spent in other, perhaps better, places.

Getting Rid of Gifts by The Minimalists. The motivation for these heartfelt words starts and ends with them. With their influence, I now give experiences and positive feelings to people instead of presents. Would you rather get a gadget and new clothing or a home-cooked meal and the gift of undivided attention?

So if you accept my “How I Won’t Express Feelings” list and incorporate some of the lessons above, I promise the “How I’ll Express Feelings” list will always be much longer and filled with more happiness… all year long. Deal?

***

Joel Zaslofsky writes at Value of Simple and is the architect of the free Personal User Guide allowing you to celebrate and share what makes you tick. You will also enjoy following him on Twitter.

Image: Spirit-Fire

The Antidote for Selfishness is You

“Selfishness is that detestable vice which no one will forgive in others, and no one is without himself.” – Henry Ward Beecher

We live in a world of unquenchable greed and selfishness. We see it all around us. And often lament its existence:

We lash out against the greed of politicians.
We despise the self-serving culture of corporate greed.
We argue against those who spend massive resources pushing their agenda.
We protest the selfish motives of many wars and ruling parties.
We cry out against the injustice of unnecessary poverty and hunger.

With little or no effort, we recognize the ugly effects of greed and selfishness on our society, culture, and nations. The greed of others makes this world a less pleasurable place to live for all of us. We wish they would change for the sake of everyone. In some cases, we even unify and protest to pressure them to change.

All the while, our personal greed rarely goes challenged. Recognizing the negative effects of corporate selfishness is easy. But identifying our own selfish motivation is more difficult to accomplish. It is, after all, far more painful to discover and admit.

As a result, we rarely recognize how selfishness within us is…

contributing to the feelings of jealousy we experience.
causing strife in our relationships with others.
negatively impacting our relationship with our spouse.
motivating so many of the unhealthy decisions we make with our money.
preventing us from meeting the apparent needs of others.
keeping us from experiencing love, joy, hope, gratitude, generosity.
hindering us from finding true contentment.

It is healthy and wise to recognize the greed of our society in which we live. We need voices speaking out against it… loudly. And history will continue to recognize and praise the heroes who took a stand against it. May each of us be bold as we champion society’s selfless pursuits.

But as we do, may we begin in our own hearts. May we never neglect the pursuit of removing selfishness from our own affections. May we strive to consider not only our own interests, but also the interests of others. May we routinely place ourselves in the plight of others. And may we seek to meet their needs with the same effort we seek to meet our own.

The antidote for selfishness is you. And the battle has to begin there.

Image: Hamed Saber

10 Simple Steps to Make the Most of Every Day

“Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things.” - Booker T. Washington

Our lives are a large collection of single days one right after the other. The sun rises, the sun sets, and it rises again. And in the end, the lives we chose to live will be determined by how we chose to spend each of them.

Unfortunately, for most of my life, I embraced little intentionality in my days. I survived each new day, but made little effort to make the most of it. Instead, they simply just came and went… and many were wasted.

But over the past few years, my views have changed. I have begun to view each day as an important gift. I have sought to embrace each one individually and discover the potential that it holds. After all, some may get more days than others, but each of us have been given this one. And we ought to be making the most of it.

Here are 10 simple steps I have personally found helpful to make the most of every day:

1. Rise early. It was this article about becoming an early riser that motivated me to make this significant change in my sleeping habits. And I’ve never looked back. Early mornings are quiet, peaceful, productive, energizing… and my favorite part of the day.

 2. Eat right. The food we put into our bodies becomes the fuel on which it runs. We are wise to make sure it is the right kind of fuel at every meal. Just be sure to include some protein in your breakfast, your mind will be sharper and clearer because of it.

3. Exercise. According to recent studies, people who exercise regularly report to be happier, calmer, and better equipped to handle whatever the day decides to throw at them. Interestingly enough, the study seemed to indicate these benefits were experienced on a day-to-day basis, which means you can begin to experience them today by choosing to exercise just 20 minutes.

4. Accomplish one big task. We all have projects, work, and requirements for our time – things that we need to accomplish. Likely, your to-do list is longer than you can accomplish in one day. But to make the most of this day, choose one big thing on your list and do it first. If you finish, move on to the next.

5. Do one thing that I love. Apart from the day-to-day requirements of living life, you have dreams, goals, and hopes. You have hobbies that you love and activities that breathe life into who you are. Embrace these life-giving opportunities. And do one thing every day that you love.

6. Rest effectively. Rest is as essential to our bodies as food and water and air. Our bodies need to be refreshed on a daily basis and a weekly basis. Don’t neglect to schedule rest. And don’t feel guilty about it when you do.

7. Be present with others. Put away distractions. Engage in conversation. Ask questions. Give time for answers. And look people in the eye when you do. Their eyes reveal far more than their words.

8. Give to someone else. Your fullest joy in life will not be found living it selfishly. Rather, the periods of greatest joy and fulfillment are found in the moments and motivations when we are choosing to give to others. Invest your life in someone else everyday. Mentor a child. Help a co-worker. Fund a local charity. Or just make that phone call to a friend who needs to hear from you.

9 Nurture your soul. Our lives are more than flesh and blood. They are also mind and heart and soul. Find time each day to feed your soul by embracing gratitude, laughter, hope, and faith.

10. Reset. Tomorrow is another day with great potential and opportunity. You’ll want to begin it with a clear slate and a fresh start. Take 10 minutes each evening to clear the clutter and refresh your home for the next day. Tomorrow’s self will thank you for it.

Today is among the greatest gifts you have ever been given. Use it wisely. And don’t waste a single one.

The Parable of the Lorelei

“Do not let your eye be drawn by the false beacon lamps of wealth, or position, or fame, or possessions. Be vigilant over your will and desires, for these are the corrupt forces that dwell within, and keep you from living free.” - John of the Cross

A short time ago, I met a woman named Loralai (pronounced: “Laura-Lie”). We had a most wonderful conversation. While we were talking, I happened to comment on the beautiful sound of her name and asked about its origin. She proceeded to tell me it meant “River of Doom.” Intrigued by such a unique meaning, I asked her to continue.

She began telling me of the Rhine River and Loreley Rock which marks one of the most well-known and dangerous sections of it. As legend tells the story, a mermaid once lived on the very top of the rock. Through the fog, her seductive song would lure sailors to abandon ship in search of her… always resulting in their doom. Even those sailors who remained with the ship would become so enchanted with her song, they would often lose sight of the water and be washed ashore upon the rocks.

Loralai ended the conversation by saying, “And that’s why you just don’t here the name very often.” But the legend of the Lorelei had me hooked. The metaphor for life was so apparent I could not shake it from my mind. I meditated on the story for the rest of our time together and on into the evening… little did I know the most well-known poem about the Lorelei begins with a similar thought about its seductive nature, “The legend haunts me and will not depart.”

Here is the full English translation of the German poem by Heinrich Heine, 1824.

The Lorelei

Translated by A.Z. Foreman

I know not if there is a reason

Why I am so sad at heart.

A legend of bygone ages

Haunts me and will not depart.

The air is cool under nightfall.

The calm Rhine courses its way.

The peak of the mountain is sparkling

With evening’s final ray.

The fairest of maidens is sitting

Unwittingly wondrous up there,

Her golden jewels are shining,

She’s combing her golden hair.

The comb she holds is golden,

She sings a song as well

Whose melody binds an enthralling

And overpowering spell.

In his little boat, the boatman

Is seized with a savage woe,

He’d rather look up at the mountain

Than down at the rocks below.

I think that the waves will devour

The boatman and boat as one;

And this by her song’s sheer power

Fair Lorelei has done.

To me, this poem serves as a metaphor and an enchanting reminder of the trappings of this world. This world can indeed be very seductive. And many have been caught up in its offerings, its temptations, and its passions for power. The world, its riches, and its fleeting pleasures call for our attention from mountaintops all around us. And often times in our zeal to achieve them, we lose sight of the very hazards before us.

We were designed to live for far greater pursuits than the passions of this world. And with that as the metaphor, may the legend of the Lorelei always haunt our affections.

***

It’s been a busy several months here at Becoming Minimalist.

We released a new book for high school students, college students, and young adults.
We launched a brand-new avenue to book Joshua for public speaking events (conferences, colleges, churches, schools, workshops, etc.)
We started a newsletter aimed at intentionally promoting the message of minimalism.
We have put together a SXSW presentation on minimalism and entrepreneurship. For which, we’d love your vote.

If you missed any of our newly released endeavors, take a minute to check them out. We’re very excited about the future of Becoming Minimalist. And we look forward to having you on-board with us.

Image: Cat Sidh

Maybe You Don’t Really Need More Money

“He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.” – Benjamin Franklin

I’ve never been one to employ large sweeping generalities. I try to recognize that everyone lives unique lives with unique backgrounds focused on unique passions. We are different in our nationality, our heritage, our gender, our family status, our religion, our culture, and our worldview. But I am becoming increasingly convinced there is one characteristic that unites each of us:

We don’t need more money.

I admit that some have stumbled upon this blog post today who do need money for legitimate survival. But it is probably not you. After all, you clearly have access to the Internet… which doesn’t guarantee you have everything you need for survival, but it sure increases the probability. Add to that the reality that 6 billion people live on less than $13,000/year and Daniel Suelo has survived the past 12 years with no money at all and I’d say chances are pretty good your basic needs are already taken care of.

We don’t really need more money.

But most of us still want it. We’d like more cash in our pocket. We want a bigger paycheck each week. We want a larger balance in our checking account, savings account, or retirement account. And many of us have tied our happiness to this pursuit of money.

Even though our basic needs have been met, our desire for money persists. Far too often, this desire begins to take root as a need inside of us. Before we know it, we forget that we were talking about a want and begin confusing it with a need. But what we need and what we want are rarely the same.

We don’t really need more money. Instead…

We need to show more spending restraint.
We need to discover gratitude and contentment.
We need to practice generosity.
We need to stop comparing our lives to others.
We need to change our view of money.
We need to realize our lives are far more valuable than the amount of money we possess.

Again, we don’t really need more money. Maybe what we really need is far more difficult to discover… but also, far more valuable.

 

Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness

Today, we released a brand-new book. It is our first book in over two years. It is our first traditionally published work. It combines two of our greatest passions. And we couldn’t be happier with how it came out. I think you are really going to enjoy it.

Currently, it is available for the Kindle and in Paperback (Note: The paperback is available, but still being processed by Amazon. You can also order direct from the publisher).

The book has been endorsed by Tsh Oxenreider (Simple Mom), Dave Bruno (), Josh Griffin (Saddleback Church), Scott Rubin (Willow Creek Community Church), Courtney Carver (Be More With Less), Mark Oestreicher (Youth Cartel), and numerous others available for view inside the book.

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In Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness, we invite teenagers and young adults to discover the practical benefits of living with fewer possessions. It is a stage of life full of opportunity and promise. And I believe the minimalist message has great opportunity to influence their future decision-making before they buy the big house… the fancy cars… or pursue the dead-end job just because it comes with a large paycheck. I believe most young adults desperately long for greater achievements in their life.

Living With Less is far more spiritually grounded than any of our previous books (or the focus of this blog). It is a book that finds its introduction, its conclusion, and its foundation in the teachings of Jesus. After working with teenagers and young adults in Christian nonprofit organizations for the past 14 years, I had become tired of books on materialism just discussing the evils of seeking possessions. I wanted to write a book that also articulated the practical benefits of owning fewer possessions: less debt, less distraction, more freedom, more opportunity, more intentionality, more passion. I wanted to invite teenagers to embrace a more abundant way to live. I wanted to write a book that went so far as to believe that Jesus actually meant everything He taught.

I work hard keeping Becoming Minimalist free from specific religious philosophies and will continue to do so. I understand the message of minimalism holds benefit to all who accept it… regardless of spiritual preference. Because of that, I may allude to spirituality on this website, but I always steer clear of speaking in specific terms concerning it.

But again, this new book is different. It embraces many of the spiritual conversations and beliefs concerning Jesus Christ. If you hold to the same, you will greatly enjoy this book. If you are unfamiliar with Jesus’ teachings on possessions, you’ll probably enjoy seeing how they have shaped my view of minimalism. But if you are hostile towards religion, this book is probably not for you. 

Relying heavily on the teachings of Jesus and our personal experience of minimizing our possessions, we argue there is absolutely greater joy to be found in owning fewer possessions than can be found in pursuing more. The book concludes with very practical steps that any college student, high school student, or middle school student could implement today to experience the same joy.

SPECIFICS

The book is published by Group Publishing based in Loveland, CO. It is a smidge over 100 pages of highly-readable content filled with practical truth and engaging stories. It is short enough that teenagers and young adults who pick it up will be able to finish it quickly. But it is long enough to cover all facets of the conversation that I believe to be necessary.

The physical copy sells for $7.99 while the Kindle version sells for $6.39. (Nook version to be released shortly).

Living With Less is based heavily on our first book, Simplify. And while it contains some material that can be found elsewhere (previous books, blog posts), almost 50% of the book is entirely new. And the sections that can be found elsewhere have been rephrased to connect with a younger audience. Plus, as I mentioned previously, the spiritual background to our minimalist journey has not been told anywhere else before this book.

WHAT IF I’M NOT A CHRISTIAN TEENAGER?

Well, then, you have two options:

1) Don’t purchase the new book. No worries. We’ll catch you with the next one. We’re not done writing books. And I’d never recommend you buy something you don’t need… that would defeat the whole purpose of what we’re doing here.

2) Learn something new by buying the book anyway. If you are familiar with the life and/or teachings of Jesus, you’ll find this book to be highly informative and challenging in your understanding of His message. If you have teenagers in your life, you’ll discover a new framework with which to engage them in conversation about the role of possessions in their lives. And lastly, you’ll be supporting us. Your purchase puts us in a far better position to pursue publishers for future projects.

HOW CAN I HELP?

1) You can buy the book. I’m steering my audience towards Amazon.

2) You can share this announcement with your friends by posting on Twitter, sharing on Facebook, pinning to Pinterest, e-mailing a friend, or just talking it up in conversation with others. You are this book’s marketing campaign. Thanks for taking a moment to spread the word.

3) You can post a review on Amazon. Your reviews are very helpful as they prove the message in the book connects with its readers. After you read the book, posting your review would be really helpful.

But mostly, thanks for being part of the Becoming Minimalist community. You make sharing our words with the world possible and highly enjoyable.

When Everything is Taken Away, We See Who We Truly Are

 Last week, I had the most engaging opportunity to meet Gracia Burnham.

Gracia and her husband were kidnapped by gunpoint on the night of their 18th anniversary. They were taken hostage by the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamist terrorist group operating in the southern Philippines. For the next year, they would live in the jungle alongside their captors routinely relocating to new areas avoiding (and engaging) the Philippine military. She would eventually be rescued by the national army on June 7, 2002. However, her husband Martin would be killed by three gunshots in the chest during the rescue attempt. You can read her captivating story in her New York Times Bestselling Book, In the Presence of My Enemies.

While I was listening to Gracia recount her horrific story, she made a statement that immediately engaged my heart. She said, “When everything is taken away, we begin to see who we truly are.”

In her context, she spoke about her living conditions for that year in the jungle. “We were taken with nothing but the clothes on our backs. We no longer had our comfortable home, suitable clothing, warm food, or even shoes to wear. And there was no place for my heart to hide.” She began to tell us about the utter hate she felt for the terrorists. She experienced deep levels of jealousy and envy when others would eat more food than her. She struggled to find hope… much less love. And in her own words, “I didn’t like what I saw deep in my heart. But because we had nothing, there was nowhere to hide these feelings. We had to confront them head-on.”

I would never, ever compare my self-chosen journey into minimalism with the story of the Burnham’s. But on the surface, I do recognize some valuable opportunities identified in her story. Namely, as our possessions have been stripped away, we do encounter new heart areas that would not necessarily have been engaged before:

1. Motivations. When we began delivering van loads of things to Goodwill, the first trip was easy – so was the second. But on the third or fourth trip to Goodwill, we began asking ourselves some pretty hard questions such as, “If we didn’t really need this thing in the first place, what was our ulterior motive for purchasing it?”

2. Values. Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. To accomplish this journey successfully and intentionality, we were forced early in the process to clearly identify and articulate our most important values and pursuits.

3. Contribution. As we chose to no longer live as consumers, we had to identify what other contributions we would be able to offer this world.

4. Interests. Jules Renard once said, “Being bored is an insult to oneself.” With fewer possessions in my life, I have had fewer places to find cheap entertainment (and consumption). I have learned to engage my mind and creativity in other areas. As a result, boredom is a word that has been removed from my vocabulary.

Done correctly, minimalism is far more than just an outward journey focused on possessions. It is also the ultimate journey inward resulting in valuable self-exploration and self-discovery. And when everything is taken away, we begin to see who we truly are.

Thank you, Gracia, for sharing your story with me/us.

Photo Credit: Oscar E.

Go Ahead. Start Your Decluttering with the Easiest Step.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Whenever I have opportunity to speak on the benefits of minimalism, I allow time at the end for some question and answer with the participants. I believe strongly the journey of minimalism is a personal journey. And as a result, I always expect there to be unique, specific circumstances in the audience which could not possibly have been addressed from upfront.

And while each setting, venue, and audience vary from presentation to presentation, the first few questions from any audience are nearly identical. Depending on who I call on first, I will receive one of these questions: What about my sentimental items and family heirlooms? What about my books? What about my kids’ toys? My husband/wife will never go along with this idea, what should I do with their clutter?

Interestingly enough, each of these questions sound unique. And in some ways they are, they do represent different personalities and/or family dynamics. But there is one great similarity in each of these questions. And it is this similarity that causes too many people to get stuck in their journey towards a clutter-free home.

Notice, each of these questions represent the apparent “toughest” thing in their homes to declutter: books, heirlooms, or clutter from someone else in the family. Each of their minds has quickly raced to the most difficult area in their home to declutter. And the thought of removing those items from their home seems daunting.

My response to their question is always the same: Take heart. You don’t need to start with the hard stuff. Instead, start at the easiest place possible in your home. Build up little victories and momentum by clearing the clutter from your automobile, a drawer, your living room, or maybe your bathroom cupboard. You’ll quickly begin to experience the benefits of living with less… and you’ll know what to do when you finally arrive at the seemingly impossible areas in your home.

A few years back, I ran a marathon. It was the fulfillment of a life dream. I had always wanted to run one as an exercise in self-discipline and focus, but the challenge always seemed to difficult. How would I ever run 26.2 miles?  What about that stretch of mile 20 to mile 26? Where would I find the mental strength to run through the “wall” as I neared the end?

The fear of running 26.2 miles kept me from even trying.

That was, until I picked up a book titled, Run Your First Marathon. While I ultimately found conversations with other marathon runners to be a bit more helpful in my training, this book by Grete Waitz provided me with all the motivation to get started. Specifically, it was the training guide that motivated me the most. It read:

Day 1: Run 1 mile.
Day 2: Rest.
Day 3: Run 1.5 miles.
Day 4: Rest.

I found great motivation in this training plan. You see, I knew I could run one mile – that was an easy step. I even knew I could probably run two miles… and that would get me all the way through almost the whole first week. Suddenly, I stopped worrying about miles 20-26.2 and I just stayed focused on accomplishing what I knew I could accomplish. Ultimately, the lessons I learned while running 1, 2, and 5 miles prepared me to run 10, 12, 14. And the lessons I learned running 10, 12, and 14 miles prepared me to run 18, 20, and eventually 26.2.

So go ahead. Start your decluttering journey with the easiest step – just pick one drawer. And leave your toughest questions for mile 20. You’ll get there when you are ready.

Everything You Need to Know about Our New Book.

On Wednesday August 15, our new book, Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness, will officially launch. Needless to say, I’m really excited. And with less than two weeks before its release, I wanted to take a moment and explain everything you need to know about the new book… and then give away a few advance copies to help with its promotion.

The Background

Publishers are very interested in the existing audience of their authors. They want to know the size of a potential author’s platform and the specific demographics. Publishers are, after all, in the money-making business and want to know their investment is going to result in profit. In this way, many publishers just pay authors for access to their audience.

But this book is completely different.

Group Publishing first approached me last spring. They had heard our story and the work we were doing at Becoming Minimalist. They believed in the message. And saw a valuable partnership opportunity. Over one year ago, they asked if I’d consider writing a book about minimalism for Christian teenagers – an entirely new demographic for me.

Shortly after the initial conversation, with little hesitation, I said yes. And I did so for several reasons:

The invitation of minimalism is important for teenagers and young adults. The practical benefits are highly relevant to their lives today and in the future. And finding life in owning less at an early age will save many heartaches down the road.
The book provides great opportunity to expand the reach of this life-giving message. Statistically speaking, Christian teenagers and young adults make up an incredibly small percentage of readers on this site. But utilizing the size and reach of Group Publishing’s network, Living With Less will provide an avenue to bring inspiration to a brand-new segment of the population.
I feel uniquely qualified to write this book. In many ways, I have been preparing to write this book for years. I have worked with Christian teenagers in a variety of churches over the years (most recently leading one of the largest youth ministries in New England). I have communicated with teens specifically for the last 13 years. I have intentionally lived with fewer possessions for the last 4 years. And this book will combine both my full-time job and my favorite part-time hobby for the very first time.

The Book

Description: As I mentioned previously, Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness, is written for a brand-new, relatively unreached market: Christian teens and young adults. The book invites teenagers and young adults to discover the practical benefits of living with fewer possessions. And I believe it approaches the subject from a fresh, new angle.

Most religious books written on the topic of materialism discuss the evils of consumerism and seeking the world’s pleasures. I wanted to write a book that didn’t just discuss materialism from a negative view, but praised minimalism from a positive view by clearly articulating the practical benefits of owning fewer possessions: less debt, less distraction, more freedom, more opportunity. I wanted to invite teenagers to embrace a more abundant way to live. I wanted to encourage them to rethink the teachings of Jesus Christ. And I wanted to use it as a springboard to call the American Church to start taking Jesus’ teaching on money and possessions more seriously.

It is important for me to note that the spiritual/religious undertones of this book are very prevalent throughout. I work hard keeping Becoming Minimalist free from specific religious philosophies and will continue to do so. I understand the message of minimalism holds benefit to all who accept it… regardless of spiritual preference. Because of that, I may allude to spirituality on this website, but I always steer clear of speaking in specific terms concerning it.

But again, this new book is different. It embraces many of the spiritual conversations and beliefs concerning Jesus Christ. If you hold to the same, you will greatly enjoy this book. If you are unfamiliar with Jesus’ teachings on possessions, you’ll probably enjoy seeing how they have shaped my view of minimalism. But if you are hostile towards religion, this book is probably not for you. And that’s perfectly okay.

Length: Living With Less contains 16,000 words which translates to 100+ pages in the physical book. It is short enough that teenagers and young adults who pick it up will be able to finish it quickly. But it is long enough to cover all facets of the conversation that I believe to be necessary. While it contains some material that can be found elsewhere (previous books, blog posts), almost 50% of the book is entirely new. And the sections that can be found elsewhere have been rephrased to connect with a younger audience.

Publisher: Group Publishing is based in Loveland, CO. Group Publishing is a respected leader among publishers who seek to equip and train church leaders and youth around the world.

Distribution/Price: Along with other book distributors, Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness will be available through Amazon as both a physical copy (paperback) and a digital download (Kindle). The physical copy of the book will sell for $7.99 while the digital download will sell for $6.39.

Release Date: Living With Less: An Unexpected Key to Happiness will be released on Wednesday, August 15.

Video Trailer:

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