Joshua Becker's Blog, page 46

How To Declutter When You Move

Bag hovering inches above the staircase, I felt a rip. The stitches started snapping in an uncontrollable domino effect around the circumference. After moving all day, I knew nothing could stop it.

Everything promptly tumbled and spilled down the stairs. I was no longer carrying miscellaneous household goods—just two useless, plastic straps.

I suddenly felt the weight of our possessions. Literally.

I’ve moved friends and family more times than I can count. Bottom of boxes have caved in, waffle irons have fallen on feet, and someone has sworn in exasperation, “Never again! Why do we own this anyway?”

Despite these aggravations, there is a joy that remains after every move. Paring down items, packing up, and moving are lasting, growthful processes. Moving empowers us to have a healthier relationship with stuff.

I’ve moved 15 times in my life—and enjoyed each and every new location I’ve been able to call home.

When we move, we are required to physically handle each of our possessions four times: put it in a box; take it out of the house; bring it into the new home; unpack and put away.

It is, unarguably, one of the best times in life to declutter possessions.

If you’ve got a transition coming up or are right in the middle of one now, here are six ways to declutter when you move:

1. Get started early.

Packing up a home (and decluttering along the way) always takes more time than we think, so get started earlier than you think. Moving is an important time to declutter. Getting started early will keep you from the familiar panic as moving day inevitably creeps up on you.

2. Evaluate everything.

The act of picking up, packing, and lifting full boxes can provide an appreciation for what we continue to carry. Moves prompt us to consider what we’ve taken for granted. These times allow us to question our choices—our ownership. To place that thing in a box means you’ll continue to carry it. So, ask yourself, “Why do I own this? What does this object provide me? Am I ready to continue carrying this?”

3. Scan for dust.

Rub your finger along your old tupperware, unused glasses, or that extra blender you never knew you had. Does it have dust? This simple trick is something you can employ to judge usefulness. To purchase something, make room for it, and then let it collect dust should tell you whether you need it. Dust is your friend when you’re looking to own less and lighten your load going forward.

4. Challenge tendencies to collect and hoard.

Living in a space for years allows you to collect and add. Moving allows us to challenge these urges—to avoid hoarding tendencies. At some point, everything must be considered. While this might be a hoarder’s nightmare, moving forces us to refocus on what we choose to collect (today and in the future).

5. Practice letting go.

It is important to realize that consumption can never be completely quenched. We have urges. Marketers will continue to try and sell you more stuff, too. But there is much freedom to be found in getting rid of stuff and consuming less. However, subtraction doesn’t tend to be a natural part of the process when staying planted and living in one place for long periods. Moving provides a natural reason to practice letting go.

6. Donate and sell stuff.

Every move I’ve ever completed included visits to Goodwill and other non-profit organizations. Additionally, secondhand stores allow you to make a little extra money from all we declutter. These opportunities keep us grounded and allow for more generous considerations. We’re thinking about others’ needs when giving—which has benefits of its own.

7. Embrace friends and family.

Moving involves great psychological and physical effort. Friends and family have always been an incredible help in these times. Surprisingly, allowing these people in allows for an accountability of our purchases. Family can be quick to ask, “Why do you have three remotes at the back of the closet?” They’re asking the questions we need to be asking ourselves, as well. Additionally, having help can provide an appreciation and gratitude for those around you—and the burden you’re asking them to carry.

My family and I have lived in our current house for ten years now. We’ve grown to appreciate less total square footage, and found ways to stay close to the value of minimalism.

But there’s nothing quite like moving to remind us of the weight of stuff.

If you’re happy where you are, great! In that case, consider looking for ways to regularly engage in these processes whenever you can. Evaluate, scan, challenge, practice, donate, and embrace—regardless of whether you’re moving next week or never again.

18 Pieces of 3-Word Advice For The High School Graduate

Before anything else, congratulations on your graduation from high school. I don’t know if it feels like a noteworthy accomplishment to you, but it is. Your high school diploma is the culmination of 12+ years of hard work and focus.

My son graduated from high school last month. And I can assure you that each person who sent you a card or stopped you in the hallway to say “Congratulations,” genuinely meant it. High school graduation may not be the end of the road or your highest achievement in life, but it is still worthy of celebration.

As you end this season of life, and rush toward your new one, no matter where your road takes you, here are 18 pieces of 3-word advice.

18 Pieces of 3-Word Advice For The High School Graduate

1. Call your mother.

Your parents love you and think about you more than you know. And they won’t be around forever. Call your mom and visit often—they’ll appreciate it and so will you.

2. Don’t chase money.

The desire for wealth is a desire that can never be satisfied—you’ll never have enough. Pursue meaning and contribution with your life instead—it’s way more fulfilling in the long run.

3. Encourage others often.

It’s easy to see life as a competition, thinking the best way to get ahead is to beat out everyone else. But this is backward thinking. The most effective way to succeed in life is to help someone else succeed in theirs. And I’m not just saying that. Be the encourager.

4. Find a mentor.

Find someone that you admire and can look up to as an example. In almost every pursuit in life, a good coach is worth their weight in gold. Find someone, ahead of you in the journey, that you can look up to in your career, in your marriage, in your parenting, and anything else you want to succeed in.

5. Find happiness today.

“If, then” thinking is common in our world and culture. It usually sounds something like this, “If I get that job, then I’ll be happy,” “If I get that husband, then I’ll be happy,” “If I make $x, then I’ll be happy.” Avoid it at all costs. Happiness isn’t an emotion that accompanies perfect circumstances. Happiness is a decision you make every day.

6. Grow in faith.

Believe in something bigger than yourself.

7. Live life intentionally.

In all aspects of your life (your time, your money, your habits, your relationships, etc.), be very intentional in what you allow in. Don’t allow society or your friends to tell you what is important, choose for yourself. Remember, the first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.

8. Look up more.

That person in front of you is more important than your phone. Look up, and at them.

9. Love your job.

There is advice in our world that sounds like this, “Do work you love.” And I don’t disagree, you should pursue your dreams. But that doesn’t mean your current job, even if it’s not your greatest passion in the world, can’t be enjoyed, appreciated, and loved. There are no perfect jobs in the world. Look for reasons to love the one you’ve got.

10. Make new friends.

I know this may be hard to hear just days after finishing high school, but most likely, you still haven’t met the greatest friends you will have in life. Appreciate your relationships from high school, but don’t let them get in the way of the new friends you are about to meet.

11. Own less stuff.

Excess possessions steal our time, money, and energy. They add stress and burden and keep us from accomplishing greater dreams. Don’t believe the messages of a consumeristic society that you need a lot of possessions to be happy. Be different, own less. And live more.

12. Pursue your dreams.

Your whole life is front of you. If you have a dream career or passion, pursue it. Nobody is going to hand it to you, it’s going to take hard work and dedication to achieve it. But victory usually belongs to those who work the hardest to achieve it. So go be the person you want to be.

13. Push yourself harder.

A good coach will always get more out of you than you thought you had. He/she will always reveal that you had more inside of you than you even thought. That remains true of your potential every day. You have more potential inside you than you realize. Push yourself to be the best you that you can be.

14. Think of others.

Don’t live life looking out only for your own interests, look out also for the interests of others.

15. Try new things.

Try new hobbies. Try new foods. Learn a new skill. Experience new cultures. I didn’t become a writer until the age of 34. You never know for sure what you are going to be best at. So keep trying new things.

16. You’ll mature more.

The best piece of advice concerning college I ever received was from a friend named Barbie. She was a few years older than me and shortly after my high school graduation, she said to me, “You’ll mature more these next few years than you think.” I remember being offended at the time thinking I already was pretty mature. But, she was entirely right. I matured and grew up as much during those four years of college as maybe the previous 12 combined. You’re going to mature and grow more in the next few years then you realize. Look forward to it.

17. Value physical health.

Your physical body is the instrument through which you will make your difference and mark in the world. Be disciplined in caring for it. Eat well, exercise, and rest sufficiently. Your future accomplishments will thank you for it.

18. Wash your bowl.

There’s a famous zen story that goes like this:

A monk told Joshu, “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”
Joshu asked, “Have you eaten your rice porridge?
The monk replied, “I have eaten.”
Joshu said, “Then you had better wash your bowl.”
At that moment the monk was enlightened.

Learn what it means to wash your bowl.

You Can Never Escape Yourself

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

It’s been a full few weeks for me.

In April, I completed the manuscript for a new book: Things That Matter will be released in Spring 2022.

In May, my son graduated high school. We had 14 family members in town for the celebration and spent the entire week together. Following the graduation ceremony, we hosted a party in our home for our closest friends.

Immediately after, we left for a short beach vacation with just the four of us. Lying on the beach with a book for a few days was a helpful juxtaposition compared to the focused whirlwind of the previous month.

I spent the vacation trying to detach from as many things as possible. No email, no obligations, no social media… just resting and being together with family.

However, I did notice about halfway through the trip that I was never able to fully disconnect from one thing: myself.

The exact moment I had this realization was one afternoon when I was floating alone in the middle of the ocean. (Well, not technically the middle, but quite a few feet offshore).

The sun was shining, the water was warm, and I was simply being tossed to and fro by the incoming and outgoing waves. I wasn’t moving forward, wasn’t moving backward, I was just floating in relative quietness.

While floating, a work project came to my mind. Something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while but haven’t yet started. That thought led me to another thought about work… which led me to another.

I didn’t really want to be thinking about work, so I tried to push it aside and think about something else. I started to think about my son leaving home in August and if we’ve done all that we could to prepare him for life on his own. I’m proud of how we’ve raised him, but I can’t help but have some regrets along the way as well.

Some of the mistakes got me thinking about a few of my friends at home who had recently been through a similar life change and how I should probably be asking them for advice on navigating this new season of life.

That thought, somehow, morphed into thinking about a close friend who is about to be married and how they are just starting a new life together and wondering if my wife and I might be able to help in any way. Which then got me thinking about my own marriage and how I’m doing as a husband…

As I floated and my mind considered more and more aspects of my life, an important reality came to mind: No matter where you go, you can never escape yourself.

Wherever you go, however far you travel, regardless of how hard you try to disconnect, you will always be there.

I think, more than anything else, I began to realize the importance of living a life that I can be proud of. Because there is simply no escaping it.

You will always be you. You can travel to the ends of earth, but you always take yourself with you.

The wise decisions we make each day about how to invest our time and money and talents are carried with us every day forward. As are the foolish decisions we make.

The changes that we are making, whether for the positive or the negative, are the changes we will reflect upon for the rest of our lives.

The habits we form, the relationships we foster, the parenting strategies we employ, the work we choose to do, the character and integrity we pursue… all contribute to the person we spend time with in the future.

No matter where you go, you will always be there. Make sure it’s someone you want to spend time with.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

My desire with each Weekend Reads is to provide you with articles and posts that encourage simplicity and minimalist living. Below, you will find links to blog posts and news stories that I hand-picked over the last couple weeks. I hope you find inspiration and practical help inside them.

But also, if you get a chance, share these posts with others via social media. With our efforts united, not only will each of us be inspired to own less and live more, but the life-giving message of minimalism will spread further and quicker, deeper and with greater effectiveness.

And that is my goal on Becoming Minimalist: to intentionally promote simplicity in a world that needs to hear it.

Why You Might Feel the Urge to Overspend Right Now | Vox by Paulette Perhach. As the US opens back up, the impulse to spend money to alleviate tough emotions could take hold.

How Decluttering at Home Sets Healthy Boundaries for Parents | Parents by Christine Michel Carter. It’s amazing how cleaning the kitchen junk drawer or making room in the garage can become an unexpected test to a parent’s mental health—and bring up boundary issues they never knew they had.

5 Ways Minimalism Can Save You Money | The Motley Fool by Dana George. When stuff has taken over your life, minimalism puts you back in control.

Beware Of Wish-Cycling When You Go Marie Kondo On Your Stuff | Scary Mommy by Amber Leventry. Wish-cycling is a problematic practice of people recycling something that isn’t actually recyclable. The thing is trash, but people are hoping it can be reused or turned into something new.

5 Reasons to Try a Shopping Ban | Becoming Minimalist on YouTube

Minimalism Brings Abundance: How Having Less Actually Feels Like Having More

Note: This is a guest post from Jenny Lee of Hello Brio .

Since I started sharing my journey with minimalism, I noticed peoples’ definitions of minimalism can be quite extreme. This is tough to accept, because ever since I began working toward a more minimal lifestyle, I’ve only experienced more joy and fulfillment.

Let me burst your bubble here: minimalism is not a person wearing a plain t-shirt sitting in a white-walled room on one chair with one side table, reading a tattered self-development book from the library by the light of the window. Maybe with one healthy plant on said table.

This extreme image is what manifests for many when they hear the word “minimalism.” This representation screams lack, deprivation, and doing without… which, understandably, can be a big deterrent.

But minimalism is not deprivation. In fact, here’s my uncommon definition of minimalism: minimalism brings abundance.

But how can a practice that by definition means “simplicity of life” come to be misunderstood as extreme deprivation, not abundance?

Why People Think Minimalism is So Extreme

People often think that minimalism is crazy strict and scant. When I tell new friends that my family and I are minimalists, they probably look at my two young sons and think, “Poor kids, why won’t they buy you loads of toys?”

Or maybe they think that because we don’t have a lot of stuff in our house, that we must just sit around staring at one another in silence.

Our minimalist lifestyle is far from that… but I understand the confusion.

This has to do with the fact that minimalism is—honestly—poorly named.

Minimalism literally means “a person who favors a simple style or approach,” where the adjective minimalistic means “something that is stripped down to its most essential elements.”

The thought of being “stripped down” does not inspire positivity for most. In fact, “minimalism” often brings a rush of cortisol and nervousness. Usually, folks who are new to the term get very defensive right away:

“Oh, I saw a minimalist interviewed on TV once and he only owned 44 things that fit into his backpack. I could never do that.” Or…

“I just love my clothes and shoes too much. I could never get rid of 95% of my closet.” Or…

“I’ve seen people do those no-buy years on YouTube and I could never do that. Shopping is my way to de-stress and treat myself.” Or…

“My home is already mostly clear of visual clutter. Why would I need to minimize further?” 

These extreme takes are in no way what minimalism actually looks like for most people who are in pursuit of a simpler life.

Here are some different ways that minimalism can show up.

Minimalism Looks Different for Everyone

Wherever you are in your journey, whether you’re in the research phase or are years deep into your minimal lifestyle, you’ll notice that every single minimalist’s life looks different.

Once you dig deeper into what minimalism means for most, you end up with a definition similar to this: “Minimalism is removing excess so that you can make more room for what matters to you.”

Since everyone’s priorities are different, the end results will vary.

For us, as a family of four?

I have a smaller wardrobe that allows me to grab anything so that I can be showered, made up, and dressed in 15 minutes flat so that I can get started on my next writing project (and still be presentable for those intermittent Zoom client calls).We donate our broken or mismatched toys and have a curated collection of things the boys cherish and can use their imaginations to build upon.We have a smaller (though not tiny) house where we usually assemble in the family area so that we can prioritize togetherness.

While observing other minimalists, you might even start to group them into archetypes, whether they’re:

Frugal minimalists, challenging themselves to do with less in order to save moneyEnvironmental minimalists, making low-waste choices to reduce their carbon footprint, sometimes in the form of a tiny houseLuxury minimalists, only buying the highest quality, longest-lasting items, orTraveling minimalists, prioritizing portability and fitting their worldly possessions into a backpack

But here’s the thing: any given minimalist may be a blend of these or other archetypes, or may even wax and wane between types depending on what’s going on in their lives at the moment.

Leo Babauta of Zen Habits moved his family, including his wife and their six children, from Guam to the US with each family member carrying one backpack of belongings. Leo’s family’s life looks much different now in California in their home complete with furniture, but that just goes to show you how the outward appearance of minimalism can change for people over time.

No matter how someone may self-identify in these archetypes or as a blend of categories, minimalists tend to have a key value in common.

The Value All Minimalists Have in Common

I hesitate in saying this, but I believe it to be true. All minimalists are somewhat counter-cultural, in that they live an anti-consumerism lifestyle.

But not in an extreme way. Us minimalists still shop for things we need and want… and we buy necessities like toilet paper… so don’t think we’re picketing in front of Target.

In the US, the bulk of the population is driven by consumerism. We are compelled to purchase the latest gadget, shop for clothes on the regular, and fill our homes with tchotchkes from Home Goods.

It is a very consumerism-driven economy.

Minimalists, on the other hand, tend to be very picky about what they bring into their lives and keep in their lives and by nature will shop and consume less in order to be free of the vicious cycle.

Every minimalist will have a very specific set of reasons why they began and are continuing on in their minimalism journey, and they are very clear on their passions and impact.

They remove varying forms of clutter from their lives: physical, mental, spiritual, social, technological, etc, in order to make room for what really matters to them. By going against the grain and choosing to live a “less is more” lifestyle, minimalists can live a life full of purpose.

Minimalism Brings Abundance

Let me repeat: minimalism is not an extreme lifestyle that strips people down to the very essentials.

It is not deprivation.

By removing visual and mental excess, you waste less time and energy buying, organizing, and maintaining your stuff so that you can focus on your mission, whatever that may be.

Since I’ve progressed upon my minimalism journey, I have a clearer mind that isn’t clouded by drama or anxiety, I have a strong cohort of friends and family that feed my soul instead of drain it, and I am able to focus more on my passion for writing and creating content. I feel true to myself and have an inner sense of peace, both of which I searched for desperately during my teens and 20’s.

Because minimalism clears clutter, it allows room for abundance: abundance of time, energy, thought, ideas, and connection. These all bring depth of existence, peace of mind, and contentment, which are all keys to living a life full of joy.

***

Jenny Lee blogs at Hello Brio where she uses minimalist principles to help the motivated discover wholeness and true identity by changing their inner narrative to transform their outer world into one of abundance. You can also find her promoting minimalism on YouTube.

The Most Important Home Buying Advice You’ll Ever Hear

I’ve moved five times since college. With each move, I have sought the advice of a local realtor. They have provided important insights into neighborhoods, housing trends, and home prices. And each time, they have taken a genuine self-interest in my family’s well-being. In fact, I’m still friends with almost all of them.

Our interaction typically begins with a series of questions: What are you looking for in a home? Are there any specific locations you have in mind? Are you pre-approved for a loan? How much are you looking to spend?

With this information, a realtor is prepared to make recommendations and offer advice—usually based on the dollar amount a buyer wants to spend.

Too often in this scenario, “What can you afford?” replaces “What do you actually need?” as the starting point for most home buyers. Rarely do people begin the home buying experience with a list of needs alone. Instead, they come armed with a pre-approved dollar amount, set by the bank, of how much they can afford to pay each month. This rationale has gotten us into deep over-housing problems, on both a macro and micro-economic level.

The housing market today in the USA is pushing prices to an all-time high. If you are in the market to purchase a home, I want to offer you the most important piece of home buying advice you’ll ever hear:

Buy only the home you need, not the house you can afford.

Too often, when people begin the home buying experience, the mantra of our society comes calling, “buy as much and as big as possible.” It seems, whatever dollar amount the financial institution has approved to spend on a home becomes the price range they begin searching in—usually choosing a home at the upper limit of the range.

For example, if based on income, a buyer is pre-approved for a $250,000 loan, most buyers begin searching for the biggest house they can find for exactly $250,000. This thinking can even be encouraged by the realtor and the financial institution. And why not? The larger the sale, the greater their profit.

Buyers soon create a list of “wants” for their new home while “actual need” is quickly erased from the formula. Once you tour a $350,000 home, it’s really difficult to be content buying a $250,000 one.

In purchasing homes, we are told repeatedly (in both subtle and not so subtle ways) that “bigger” and “more” is better. As a result, the average American home has tripled in size in the last 50 years—and they only continue to expand. With little regard for the negative consequences, buyers continue to purchase bigger and bigger homes, whatever size their income allows.

But the impact of this thinking has detrimental effects on our well-being. We typically use only 40% of our living space with any regularity. Meanwhile, the increased debt contributes to mental and emotional distress. And the excess space carries additional financial costs—whether we are using the square footage or not.

More is not always better. There are actually some fabulous benefits to living in a smaller home. A smaller home is easier to maintain, less expensive, assumes less financial risk, results in less environmental impact, and frees up our resources to pursue other passions in life.

We made the mistake of buying bigger and bigger houses with each pay increase during the first decade of our marriage. It wasn’t until I was introduced to the benefits of minimalism that we eventually downsized into a smaller home—a decision we have never ever regretted.

Buying a home is a very personal decision that weighs a large number of factors. And only you know all the variables that come into play when making that decision.

But too often, the most important piece of home buying advice is the one we never hear: 

Buy only the home you need, not the house you can afford.

The Perfect Way of Saying “No”

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Hilary Barnett.

My three-year old is better than me at some things. Yes, it’s tough to admit. I so often focus on what I need to be teaching my daughter, it’s easy to overlook what she teaches me.

As we were having lunch one day, I asked her if she wanted her favorite lunchmeat: salami. Out of her mouth came three words I had never before heard her utter, “No, thank you.” As I picked my jaw up off the floor, I asked her where she heard that. “From myself, mama.”

That sounds about right, since she certainly hadn’t heard it from me.

The nonchalance with which she said those three words struck me. She just stated it, plain and simple, no strings attached, no emotional baggage behind it.

She didn’t say “Oh I’m so sorry, but I’m just not in the mood for salami today, I hope that’s okay?” She didn’t say, “I’m not sure, let me think about that salami option and get back to you in a few hours.” She didn’t say, “Well not really, but if you want me to have the salami then I guess I will.”

She has heard me say each of those phrases too many times to count.

Something tells me if you are someone who takes risks, enjoys adventure, and invests in people, then you might find yourself saying them quite often also.

We need to reconsider the power of saying “No, thank you”.

I wouldn’t recommend just saying “no” —that’s just rude. If you live in the South as I do, you aren’t going to get away with that type of behavior if you want any friends.

But “no, thank you” has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

It adds a touch of civility to the whole interaction, and lets the other party know you at least appreciate the offer.

Sadly, even this perfectly affable statement has become taboo in our culture.

We have forgotten how to say it and just leave it out there. Let it hang thick in the air, and bask in the awkwardness it inevitably produces.

We have to justify it, to give our reasons, to run down our laundry list of obligations. This constant desire to keep everyone happy around us is killing us, and keeping us running in a thousand different directions.

In life, in business, in creativity, in relationships—saying “no, thank you” is vital. Without it, we can’t say yes to what truly matters. We can’t simplify anything.

How do we say “no, thank you” more often?

1. Know your values.

Values aren’t just things the Moral Majority liked to sling around in the ‘80s. Even if you don’t think you have them, you do. Your calendar and your bank statement will give you a pretty good idea of what they are.

Once you know them, you can decide if they are taking you where you want to go. If you don’t know what matters most to you, if there is no true north, then saying yes and no is going to be a daunting task.

2. Be aware of the season you are in right now.

Did you just start a new business? Have a new baby? Are you charging full speed ahead with a project, or currently sailing with the breeze?

Take a moment to assess where you are, and allow your values to reflect that. Sometimes “no, thank you” can simply mean, “not right now.”

3. Identify what is draining you and what is feeding you.

It’s important to ask yourself this often. It applies across the board. What people in your life are encouraging, helpful, and reliable?

What clients do you simply love working with? What projects do you love working on, and cannot believe how fast time has flown by when you are in the flow of it? Focus on those things, and begin to say “no, thank you” to the rest.

4. Focus on where you want to go.

Visualize your life in five years from now. Where are you? Who are you with? What are you working on? How are you spending your free time?

Once you know where you are headed, you can much more easily identify what is helping you, and what is hindering you. Then you can give the heave-ho to the things that are holding you back from stepping into that future.

Let’s all practice together… say it with me now, out loud. “No, thank you.”

Say it in the mirror while you are brushing your teeth. Say it while you are walking the dog. Before you have to say it to anyone in real life, let the words roll around in your mouth. Get comfortable with it.

Then try it out. Say it to someone, and just wait. See what happens. Something tells me they will be less disappointed or hurt than you imagined, and you may just feel a newfound sense of exhilaration and purpose.

And most importantly, you will now be able to say YES to what truly matters.

You Can Give Hope to a Child for One Dollar a Day

Several years ago, I had a life-changing realization: Money is only as valuable as what you choose to spend it on. This has not only changed how I view money, but also how I spend it.

When we spend money on possessions—like clothes or the newest gadgets—that’s all our money is worth. But when we use our money to help others or solve a problem that we see in the world, our money holds potential to genuinely change the world for the better.

That is one of the reasons I started The Hope Effect in 2015. I knew that the money I make online and from book sales could serve a greater potential if it was being used to help others. You can do the same. In fact, what if you could help an orphaned child find a loving family… for just one dollar a day?

The Hope Effect

A few years ago, with incredible support from the Becoming Minimalist community, we launched The Hope Effect, a nonprofit organization devoted to changing the way the world cares for orphans.

Millions of children around the world are growing up without parents, and less than 1% get adopted each year. As a result, in many developing countries, orphans are raised in institutional care, which has damaging long-term effects on children. It’s downright tragic.

When children grow up in orphanages, they don’t receive the love, support, and personal interaction found within the structure of a family. Development is stunted, learning abilities are delayed (or lost altogether), and many children age out to face a future of crime, prostitution, or trafficking.

There’s no question… no child should grow up in an orphanage. Kids need to be in families.

The Hope Effect is working to provide family-style care to orphaned and vulnerable children around the world. Our innovative model of care allows children to receive more individual attention while learning what it means to be part of a loving family.

The Becoming Minimalist community has been critical in the growth and success of The Hope Effect from the very beginning, and I am so grateful. Together, this community is successfully solving a really big problem—it’s one of my greatest honors in life to be able to lead it.

Currently, The Hope Effect is pioneering and expanding family-style care in several locations in Mexico and Honduras.

Earlier this month, we announced our sixth location—Morelia, Michoacán! We are thrilled to be the first and only nonprofit to provide family-style care in this city, which is located in the central part of Mexico.

And make no mistake, we can make a big impact in a short amount of time!

Thanks to our generous supporters, we believe we can see every child in Morelia under age three living in a loving family within the next three years… and every orphanage in the city empty by the year 2030. You can watch a short video about our work in Morelia here.

This is all possible because of you and this generous community—you are changing the way the world cares for orphans! If you’d like to join the team, you can be one of the first to help kids in Morelia find loving families—for just one dollar a day.

Give Hope For One Dollar A Day

Incredibly, just one dollar a day is all it takes to get a child out of an orphanage and into a loving family. One dollar a day changes a child’s life forever.

This month is National Foster Care Month, and we’d love for you to partner with us in this important work by joining our Dollar A Day Team. Your support will make such a difference in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children. You can help kids like Lucy, Joel, and Raphael find loving families.

The Hope Effect is a 501(c)(3) organization, so your donation is tax-deductible within the U.S. And because we know you want your donation to be used for the reason it was given, you can choose to direct 100% of your gift for orphan care work. That’s right, every penny you give, will be used directly to help find families for orphaned children.

Your money holds amazing potential to change the life of a child and set them on a course for stability and success. And who knows what potential lies inside each life you change?

Thank you so much for embracing the mission of The Hope Effect over the years. You truly are changing the way the world cares for orphans.

Encouraging Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Never underestimate the importance of removing stuff you don’t need.

Encouragement provides us with motivation to persevere. It invites us to dream dreams of significance for our lives. And it begs us to work diligently with optimism and promise.

Overcoming the pull of consumerism is a difficult challenge regardless of our stage in life. Simplicity requires encouragement. To that end, I hope you will find motivation in these articles below.

Each post was intentionally chosen to inspire simplicity in your life. For maximum effect, find a quiet moment this weekend and enjoy them with a fresh cup of coffee or tea.

The Minimalist Awakening: How it Became ‘In’ to Buy Less | Ponder with Maria by Maria Collinge. Minimalism is a philosophy teaching us to be happier with less. But how did the ethics of having less become a luxury trend we buy into?

The Secret to Happiness? Thinking About Death. | Outside Magazine by Michael Easter. Journalist Michael Easter travels to Bhutan to learn about how confronting death head-on can lead to a more fulfilled life.

A Well Lived Life of Purpose | Zen Habits by Leo Babauta. Most of the people I know and work with want a life of meaning and purpose, not a life where we just get by…

10 Simple Tricks For Keeping Your Kids’ Room Tidy | Moms by Simon Brooks. Cleaning up after the kids is an endless task. Here are a few tricks to simplify the dreaded chore.

Ten Tips for a Minimalist Wardrobe | No Sidebar by Bridie Leah. A classic, simple and cohesive wardrobe is definitely something I aspire to, although creating one has been a work in progress (but won’t our wardrobe’s always be?)

Someone Has More Than You. Get Used to It. | Joshua Becker on YouTube

10 Money Questions To Ask Your Best Friend

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“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin

The statistics concerning our personal use of money are not particularly good:

Nearly 70% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings.25% of Americans have no savings at all.The average U.S. household owes $7,149 in credit card debt.40% of Americans spend up to half of their income servicing debt.Less than 1/3 of Americans use a budget.

No wonder money remains the most common conflict for American couples and a leading cause of stress.

The statistics concerning our personal financial habits are downright sad. And yet, nobody is talking about it… at least, not in personal terms.

Money remains one of the least-discussed topics of conversation in our society. We have been conditioned, it seems, from a young age to not talk about it. We fear looking foolish in our personal decision-making. We worry about stirring up envy or comparison among our friends and family. Or we are concerned about how we will be perceived.

So it seems easier to not talk about it. As a result, we often go at it alone hoping our own judgment will serve us well in our personal financial decisions.

However, based on the numbers above, it is not.

Our silence is ruining us. Not having this conversation is negatively affecting us as persons, as families, and as a society. Personal finance is a conversation we need to be having with our closest and trusted friends. We have so much to learn from one another in all aspects of life—finances included.

While many people do not have financial advisers they meet with often, almost all of us have friends and relationships with people we look up to. Next time you are with somebody you admire, bring up the topic of personal finance with a spirit of curiosity and humility. Try asking some important questions.

Here are ten money questions to ask your best friend.

The conversation will help you, and probably them, make better financial decisions.

1. Can I ask you a money question… About what percentage of your income do you spend on housing? How did you decide on that amount?

2. Do you have a monthly payment on your car? When you bought the vehicle, how did you decide how much you were going to spend?

3. I have a personal question for you if you don’t mind… Are you currently saving money for retirement? Are you happy with how much you are saving? When did you start?

4. Do you have health insurance? Can I ask how much you pay for it?

5. Did you have to take out a loan for school? If so, are you doing anything to pay it off early?

6. Do you and your spouse set a financial budget for your home? Do you have good tips on how to find something that works?

7. Is there a thought process that you use when making large purchases?

8. Do you invest any money in the stock market? Where do you go to find advice?

9. What is the best piece of financial advice you’ve ever received?

10. Are you doing anything specific to teach your kids about personal finance?

Now, I’m not assuming your friend will have all the perfect answers to these questions. But sometimes, the first step to finding the correct answer is simply beginning the conversation.

What other financial questions do you think would be helpful to ask a trusted friend?

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