Joshua Becker's Blog, page 93

The 4-Step Wardrobe Edit

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Catherine Gordon of Midlands Minimalist.

One of the best places to start on the journey toward clutterfree living is in your closet.

Think of it as ‘a room with a room.’ Decluttering this clearly-defined, tiny space will build your confidence and set you on the path to lighter, freer, and better living.

There are other benefits too. A wardrobe edit will:

Save you money and time. As you wear more of what you already own, you will spend less time feeling frustrated and exclaiming: “I have nothing to wear!!”
Give you more confidence in your day-to-day choices as you will mix and match more successfully.
Create the basis of a ‘capsule wardrobe.’ This is merely an outcome, not a rigid, prescribed goal. A wardrobe edit will help you create your own, unique collection.

Seize the opportunity with this 4-Step Wardrobe Edit.

Stage 1: Ready.

To prepare, ask yourself some key questions:

—What do I own too much of? Keep in mind that most of us wear only 20% of what we have 80% of the time.

—Why have I been holding onto things I no longer wear? Because I think it will come in handy one day… Or I can’t decide what to do with it… Or because of the nostalgic value… Or simply because I spent good money on it… Acknowledge these feelings, then let them go.

—Will I still enjoy fashion after my wardrobe edit? Absolutely! Fashion and beauty writer, Rae Ritchie says you can: “It’s a misconception to think that minimalism and fashion are incompatible. It’s still possible to remain up to date with major trends and have a small capsule wardrobe. You just have to be judicious in your choices. Treat how you dress as a fun creative hobby, a chance to play. With a foundation of versatile basics, you can easily drop in a few items that catch your eye.”

—So, am I ready? If the answer is ‘yes’, move to Stage 2.

Stage 2: Get set.

—Set aside some time, so you can really focus. Bring those old clothes down from the loft and pull out any stowed-away garments from under the bed.

—Have a good collection of hangers ready. Wooden ones enable your clothes to hang well, but you can also buy lovely felt-covered ones. When I decluttered my own wardrobe, I was astonished to discover over 20 yellow plastic dry cleaners’ hangers! Happily, they could be returned for re-cycling.

—Also, prepare some garbage bags.

—Finally, make sure you have access to a good full length mirror for trying on clothes.

Stage 3: Go!

—Review your clothes. Consider your clothes as though they were new items that you were going to buy (and spend a lot of money on). Evaluate each garment and consider the following questions:

Does this suit me? Compliment my shape? Fit (now – not when you’ve lost 10lbs!)? Work with my current lifestyle?
Is it in good condition? A color that suits me? Comfortable?
Am I happy wearing this?
Have I worn it in the last 12 months?

—Divide and conquer. Make a pile for each of the following 3 categories:

1. Items to keep

Identify, then return these to the closet, arranging by garment type, length or by colour. Hang trousers long to avoid creating a crease at the knee.

Try rolling items to be stored in drawers, KonMari style. Use shoe or gift boxes to store smaller items. As you look into the box, you’ll be able to see everything clearly.

Place hooks on the back of the wardrobe door for accessories such as necklaces.

2. ‘Maybe’ items                     

Would any of these things work with your ‘to keep’ clothes? Could they be cleaned, altered or mended? If not, relegate to ‘Items to let go’ pile.

3. Items to let go

To relinquish what no longer serves you, give them away, swish them (clothes swap), sell them (eBay/dress agency), donate them, or recycle them.

Stage 4: Maintain.

Now that you have created an edited wardrobe and clearly see what you own (and love), you’ll be surprised how easily you can imagine different combinations and identify any gaps.

To further maintain this edited wardrobe:

Store by season. Divide what you have into seasons. I have a summer/winter wardrobe, so I hang my summer clothes in small closet until I gradually swap them with my winter items when warmer weather returns. Take this a step further and try Courtney Carver’s Project 333, wearing just 33 things over a period of 3 months.

Adopt a ‘one in, one out’ approach. When you need something new, adopt the ‘one in, one out’ approach. As Gretchen Rubin writes in The Happiness Project, “It’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that if you have something you love, or there’s something you want, you’ll be happier with more.” Take the essentialist approach and keep one lovely item rather than several mediocre ones.

Change your mindset. Avoid shopping for specific occasions. Later this month, I will attend a friend’s 50th birthday party. With ‘cocktail wear’ specified, I will wear a favourite dress but certainly won’t buy anything new for the occasion. You know what? No-one actually notices what you’re wearing anyway and your bank balance will thank you for it.

Congratulate yourself on a job well done. So, now you’ve taken that first step. You’ve found confidence in your ability to declutter this little ‘room within a room’. Your journey towards clutterfree living has begun!

Most of all, enjoy seeing—and wearing—your favourite items every day.

Maybe you’ll even start thinking about which space to tackle next?

***

Based in the Midlands of England, Catherine Gordon offers perspectives on her blog, Midlands Minimalist, that are ‘mid-life’ as she is married with a teenager and owner of Ollie the Cockapoo. You can also find her on Twitter.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

There’s more to life than buying stuff.

There are many wonderful people pursuing and promoting simplicity. Fortunately, some of them are gifted in communication and choose to encourage and inspire us with their words. I enjoy reading their unique perspective. I’m sure you will too.

So fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea on this beautiful weekend. Find a quiet moment. And enjoy some encouraging words about finding more simplicity in your life today.

How an Instagram Hashtag Inspired Me to Change My Life and Save $1,800 | The Penny Hoarder by Grace Schweizer. As a devout follower of the fashion bloggers on Instagram, I constantly shopped for new clothes, trying in vain to keep up with the ever-changing trends. It was exhausting.

The Maintenance Of Everyday Things | Medium by Nition. Everything has its extra tasks. Unplug your charger , install the latest updates, turn the taps off carefully… the only real solution being to own less things.

The Curse of Stuff by Jessica Hagy. This cartoon is simple, insightful, and powerful. Minimalism creates a fourth dot!

Enough’s Enough: Buying More Stuff Isn’t Always the Answer to Happiness | The Conversation by Anthony James. If I was baking a cake, would it make sense to use as many ingredients as possible? Of course not.

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Uncluttered. If you’re looking for help trying to keep your resolution to declutter, our 12-week course will help you own less, live more, and discover the life you want. But registrations ends on Sunday, January 08.

Get Uncluttered in 2017

“The Uncluttered course is about more than removing clutter. It is about challenging you to live differently.” —Amy Slenker-Smith, Herndon, VA

Uncluttered

Uncluttered is a 12-week online course that we developed to help you own less, live more, and discover the life you’ve always wanted.

We offer the course only three times each year. And today, we are launching the January Edition.

If you want 2017 to be the year you declutter your home, own less, and save more, registration is open for the next 8 days—ending January 8.

The program includes videos, interviews, live webinars, practical articles, weekly challenges, accountability, and an engaged community.

If you are drawn to the idea of owning less, but need some extra help getting there, this course is perfect for you. Uncluttered will provide just the extra motivation you need to declutter your home and start living a better life. By the end, you will have decluttered every major living area in your home and begun changing your spending habits.

Every Monday, you will receive a video from me, an exclusive interview with one of the brightest minds in the simplicity movement, or written content prepared for the course. You will receive a weekly challenge to complete. And you will be offered significant opportunities to engage with the community in a private Facebook group and with me during live webinars and live question and answer opportunities each month.

The course offers everything a book or blog post cannot: community, accountability, and opportunity to ask questions.

To find detailed information about the content and the subjects covered in the Uncluttered Course, click here.

The Results

Last year, over 11,000 people went through the course. And the feedback has been unbelievable:

The term life-changing gets thrown around a lot, but this course really is. I went into it with a lot of shame and anxiety. Joshua gently guided us in a way that made lasting change seem possible. My home is much improved, but my mindset is also clearer. —Kathryn Wagner, Los Angeles, CA

Signing up for the Decluttering course was one of the best decisions I’ve made. —Tracy Nowak, Webster, NY

I am a better mother, a better wife, a better housekeeper, a better budgeter, a better teacher, a better neighbor and a better friend. I’m still a work in progress, but it feels good to be where I am at. —Pam L.

My credit card statement came today. $1,000.00 under my typical monthly balance! Thank you Uncluttered community. I’ve been at this for years; however, it’s clear I truly needed this group to get to that next level. —Cheyanne Morris, St. Paul, MN

The Details

We offer the course three times each year.

This program begins on Monday, January 9. Registration is open now, ending on Sunday, January 08—so don’t wait if you want to join us.

The cost for the course is $89. But you can find a 25% off discount code in the back of The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own. The book is not required—but the course is based on it. And it’s cheaper to buy the book and use the discount code than it is to pay full price—the option is yours.

I am personally involved in every aspect of the course. Helping people live more by owning less is what I am passionate about. I created the videos and the content. I host the webinars. I answer questions in the Facebook group. And I host live video chats over the course of the 12 weeks. My goal is to help and cheer you along.

Participants receive lifetime access to the course. And they can take it as many times as they need.

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Uncluttered is a 12-week online course with videos, interviews, webinars, articles, weekly challenges, accountability, and community. It is strategically packaged for one purpose: To help you unclutter your home, own less stuff, and find space to live the life you want.

If you are interested in joining us for the next 3 months, visit My Becoming Minimalist to register. Make 2017 the year you finally discover the home and life you’ve always wanted.

Becoming Minimalist’s Top Posts of 2016

A special thanks to each of you for making 2016 such an enjoyable and incredible year at Becoming Minimalist. This website continues to grow each month beyond my wildest expectations—in fact, this year represents the 8th consecutive year of consistent growth! As before, this growth has occurred entirely from the support of readers like you—thank you for helping to spread the inspiration.

Thank you for sharing this website. But even more, thank you for sharing the life-giving message of owning less.

Here are some numeric representations of our growth:

Becoming Minimalist has grown to 1.1M unique visitors/month.
The Facebook group grew from 320,000 to 560,000 followers.
Twitter followers increased from 35,000 to 44,000.
80,000 people currently receive Becoming Minimalist posts via email. Sign-up here to do the same.
In November, our book  Simplify  was #1 in Self-Help on Amazon.

But some of our most significant successes this past year are not found in the numbers above:

In late 2015, we created The Hope Effect, a non-profit designed to improve how the world cares for orphans. To date, we have raised over $300,000 for orphan care around the world including a home in Honduras and our next home to be built in San Luis, Mexico.
I released a new book, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own , to introduce the world to minimalism. It was a USA Today/iBooks/Amazon/Publisher’s Weekly bestseller and has sold over 35,000 copies.
In January, we created a 12-week course called Uncluttered  to help people own less, live more, and find the life they’ve always wanted. Over 10,000 people did the course in 2016. The next edition of Uncluttered begins on January 9 if you would like to join us.

In case you missed any, here are the top posts on Becoming Minimalist from 2016.

Most Popular Posts from 2016 (as determined by readers):

To Declutter Any Room, Ask These Two Questions. Almost all of decluttering comes down to asking ourselves only two questions.

9 Simple Tips to Thin Out Your Closet. A streamlined wardrobe offers more benefits than simple beauty. It saves time in the morning (and sometimes, the evening). It reduces stress and frustration. And it saves money.

Why Millennials are Trending Toward Minimalism. Millennials are refusing to partake in the retail game as the rules are currently constructed and why retail giants are worried about it.

One Simple Question to Ask Before Any Purchase. To counter the empty promises of consumerism, I want to offer a simple, life-transforming question—five simple words to ask before making any purchase.

Your Biggest Expense is Your Greatest Opportunity. We own too much stuff—but rather than getting rid of it, we too often just build bigger homes to store it all.

My Personal Favorite Posts from the past year:

Why Saying You Want Change is Not Enough. There is a big difference between saying you want something, and actually working to make it happen. A goal without action is not really a goal at all.

Don’t Find Joy In What You Do But How You Do It. If you are content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.

You Are Doing a Noble Thing. You are doing a noble thing with your life. Keep on keeping on.

Maybe Success Just Feels Like This. Maybe success doesn’t always feel like it looks from the outside.

Most Popular Guest Posts in 2016:

Unlock Freedom By Simplifying These 4 Key Areas by Steve Kamb. If you’ve decided this is the year you’re going to improve your life, here are the areas that had the biggest impact on my journey.

The Art of Being Easily Fascinated by Joel Zaslofsky. If you’re like most people, you’ve never even heard the term “easily-fascinated,” much less considered how the approach to life might benefit you.

3 Steps to End Closet Chaos by Courtney Carver. If you can relate to a stressful closet scenario, or you are overwhelmed with closet chaos for other reasons, consider this three step process to end the chaos.

Most Popular Outgoing Links from the past year:

30 Things I’ve Done To Simplify My Life | Mind Body Green by Tyson Popplestone. Now I’m experimenting with a simpler way of living—one that’s less stressful and more fulfilling, I’m improving every day. Here are 30 of the most helpful tips I’ve picked up.

4 Absurdly Easy Things I Do That Make Life Disproportionately Better | Raptitude by David Cain. Lots of the things we spend our energy on are worthwhile, but some are a better deal than others.

The Benefit of Simple Living That No One Talks About | No Sidebar by Erica Layne. A simple life allows the gift of being present.

My Year of No Spending is Over—Here’s How I Got Through It | The Guardian by Michelle McGagh. The first six months were hard, but I found a new way of living and the challenge has left me wealthier and wiser.

Whether you have been reading Becoming Minimalist for one week, one month, one year or longer, thank you. This blog owes its success to the support of its readers. Thank you for reading. And thank you for sharing these posts with others.

We look forward to an exciting 2017. I will be completing another book—this one on the subject of challenging the assumptions we make about money.

Also, as I mentioned, Uncluttered will be launched three times this year. The first edition of 2017 begins on January 9th. You can sign-up now to receive an email notification when we open registration on January 1st.

No doubt, in the coming year, Becoming Minimalist will continue to evolve and be redefined. But it will always stay true to its core message that there is more joy to be found in owning less than can be found in pursuing more.

We will continue to invite as many as possible to discover this truth in their lives. And I hope you will join us.

The Best Gift You Can Give This Christmas (and Where to Find It)

The holiday season is marked by many things: family, tradition, food, and decoration (just to name a few).

Gift-giving is also an important part of the season as we seek to show love and appreciation to others. Many, in search of the perfect gift will invest countless hours and dollars hunting for that one treasure to best communicate their gratitude and admiration.

But this holiday season, that gift may be closer than you think.

The holidays often provide opportunity to spend time with loved ones. For some, this is the only time of year when everyone gathers. So maybe the greatest gift we can give this year to those we love the most, is our undivided and focused attention.

Rather than paying dollars to secure the perfect present, work hard to pay attention instead.

These days, with the advent of increased technological distraction, paying attention has never seemed to come at a higher price.

When we remove distraction from our life and choose to focus intently on another person, we communicate they are the most important thing in our life at that moment. And isn’t that what most of us want? Isn’t that the very thing we are hoping to convey with the gifts that we give? That we cherish our relationships? And are willing to make sacrifices for it?

Paying attention is costly not in dollars, but something greater. When attention is paid to someone or something, we sacrifice every other thing in the world that we could be paying attention to. That is why it is such a valued commodity these days—and why it may be the best thing we can offer others this Christmas season.

Make a point this Christmas season, whether with family, friends, or co-workers, to give the gift of focused attention to the people around you.

How to Give the Gift of Attention this Holiday Season

Turn off notifications. Before family traditions, dinners, and get-togethers, turn off the notifications from your cellphone. All those dings and rings and vibrations are created for one purpose—to capture your attention. You don’t have to turn them off the entire holiday season, just at the most strategic of opportunities.

Remove yourself from distractions. It is not uncommon for the television to be on when visiting with extended family—it seems to be a societal norm at this point and getting permission to turn it off may be out of the question. But that doesn’t mean you can’t remove yourself from the distraction. If possible, choose to hang out in areas away from the television—maybe in a separate room or a separate area in the home where you can focus on the conversation in front of you rather than the football game on the other side of the planet.

Ask questions. The best conversation advice I ever got was around a dinner table 20 years ago when a friend of mine made this statement, “I used to be really bad at conversation, but then I learned a simple trick: just ask a lot of questions.” For the past two decades I have incorporated that advice countless times. When catching up with your family members this Christmas, ask lots of questions and listen to all the answers.

Lean forward. While seeking to give the gift of attention, our physical posture matters. Leaning forward and maintaining eye contact in a natural way communicates nonverbally to others we are interested in them. Additionally, the physical posture we take communicates to our brain that we are interested in the conversation—heightening our ability to listen and process information.

Offer to help. Whether washing dishes, wrapping presents, baking cookies, or shoveling the driveway, there is no lack of small chores and duties that need to happen over the holidays to facilitate a gathering of people. Look for those opportunities and offer to help the host or the hostess whenever possible. Sometimes the best conversations happen when a task brings people together.

This Christmas, put down the phone, turn off the television, and give the gift of attention to those you love the most.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

There’s more to life than buying stuff.

There are many wonderful people pursuing and promoting simplicity. Fortunately, some of them are gifted in communication and choose to encourage and inspire us with their words. I enjoy reading their unique perspective. I’m sure you will too.

So fix yourself a nice warm cup of coffee or tea on this beautiful weekend. Find a quiet moment. And enjoy some encouraging words about finding more simplicity in your life today.

Dreaming of a frugal Christmas? Meet the people who’ve stopped shopping | The Guardian by Donna Ferguson. There is a growing ‘minimalism movement’ that puts less emphasis on buying things, and more on people, places and happiness

30 Things I’ve Done To Simplify My Life | Mind Body Green by Tyson Popplestone. Now I’m experimenting with a simpler way of living—one that’s less stressful and more fulfilling, I’m improving every day. Here are 30 of the most helpful tips I’ve picked up.

Lock the Door! Your Boomer Parents Have Decided to Downsize | Wall Street Journal by Jennifer Levitz. Giant generation has gobs of ‘heirlooms’ … but no one wants them.

10 Simple Ways to Help You Say No | Be More With Less by Courtney Carver. It’s a busy season of the year. If you need some saying “no,” here you go.

How Working at a Fashion Magazine Taught Me to Shop Less | InStyle by Olivia Bahou. “Somehow, since transitioning from a college student to an fashion writer living in Manhattan, my monthly credit card bills have gone down.” Some interesting perspectives here.

10 Children’s Books to Inspire Simplicity in Kids

As the parent of two children, I work hard to instill values of simplicity and minimalism in their lives. The formula is the same as teaching any value we desire to pass on: lead by example, look for teachable moments, and hope for the best. Because ultimately, in the end, they will make their own choices.

But if passing along the value of simplicity to your children is important to you, here are 10 children’s books that will help (arranged by age).

Ten Children’s Books to Inspire Simplicity

A Squash and A Squeeze by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler. (Ages: 3-5). When a little old lady can’t stand her tiny house any longer, a wise old man gives her some strange advice asking her to bring the farm animals indoors. Quickly she makes an important realization: her house is not too small, she just needs fewer animals inside it.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister & J Alison James. (Ages: 3-8). This international bestseller has been adapted into an animated television series. But it is best known for its simple story about a beautiful fish who learns to make friends by sharing his most prized possessions.

The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies (Ages: 4-8) and Old Hat New Hat (Ages: 4-6) by Stan Berenstain & Jan Berenstain. Many parents are aware of The Berenstain Bear series. If you are looking for two books out of the series specifically addressing the lesson that happiness cannot be found in consumerism, these two should do the trick.

The Biggest House in the World by Leo Lionni. (Ages: 4-7). A beautiful story about a snail who dreams of a bigger house, but soon realizes there are more important things in life. Not only does this story draw attention to the personal burden of overconsumption, it also highlights the benefit and freedom of owning less.

Too Many Toys by David Shannon. (Ages: 4-8). Spencer has too many toys and they’ve become a hazard to his family. But when his mom tries to help him get rid of a few, Spencer experiences all the emotions you might expect. If your child has a hard time getting rid of unused toys, he or she will quickly identify with the young boy.

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch & Michael Martchenko. (Ages: 4-8). Elizabeth, a beautiful princess, lives in a castle and wears fancy clothes. But when an unfortunate turn of events requires her to save the prince wearing nothing more than a plain, brown bag, she discovers where true beauty is found. The book is short, cute, and terribly empowering.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. (Ages: 4-8). With his trademark, whimsical characters and classically brilliant rhymes, Dr. Seuss communicates an important, not-so-subtle message, “There is danger in mindless consumption. Not just for the earth, but for ourselves.”

King Midas and the Golden Touch by Charlotte Craft & Kinuko Craft. (Ages: 5-9). Based on the classic story from Greek mythology, the tale of King Midas continues to warn children (and adults) about the dangers of greed and gold, and the reality that what may seem to be a great blessing, may actually be a great danger.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau & Gail de Marcken. (Ages: 5-10). A greedy king learns an important lesson from a generous, humble quiltmaker. And in the end, the greatest gift she gives to him may not be what’s expected.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery & Richard Howard. (Ages: 11-13). First published in 1943, The Little Prince is the best-selling children’s book of all time. And while its allegorical story addresses a wide number of life lessons, the emptiness of consumerism is certainly one of them.

If you are looking for a meaningful gift idea during the holiday and/or birthday season, I recommend any of the books above.

You can also find many of them read aloud on YouTube or available at your local library.

For an additional list of book ideas, check out Rachel Jonat’s 10 Great Books to Teach & Inspire Simplicity in Kids.

Is That Why We’re Doing This?

It was a salutation unique to me, “Take good care of that car!”

The young man behind the register said it just as I turned to leave the gas station. With my back turned, a puzzled look emerged on my face, “Take good care of that car?”

What an odd thing to say I thought as I pushed open the door… I mean, I’d expect to hear “Have a nice evening” or even “Take care,” but not “Take good care of that car.”

Immediately, however, everything began to make sense as I walked outside and remembered the shiny, black, 2016 Chevrolet Camaro I had just driven to the gas station. He was complimenting me on it.

“This must be what it feels like…” was the thought racing through my mind as I stepped on the gas and sped away into the quiet night.

At this point, I should probably back up.

This past Saturday, my Southwest flight landed on the dark runway of an airport in the middle of a snowy, blizzardy Omaha, NE. Snow plows worked tirelessly removing the wet, heavy snow. The temperature was not cold, 33 degrees F to be exact, but the temps were dropping and snow was definitely sticking to the pavement.

I had arrived in Omaha that evening to speak at a church the next morning 45 minutes away in Lincoln, NE. Around 10pm, when I approached the weary airport employee at the car rental counter, I was the only customer in sight—probably his last one of the night.

I’m guessing because the man’s shift was almost over (or maybe because of the frequency with which I have rented cars from this particular company), upon arrival, the gentleman asked if I was interested in an upgrade on my reserved vehicle.

“Sure,” I responded. Why would any traveler turn down a free upgrade?

“Great. How ‘bout I give you the Camaro?” he asked.

“For free?” I clarified. I mean, knowing me, my original reservation was for the cheapest car in their database and a Camaro seemed like a pretty significant upgrade.

“Yes, for free. Nobody else seems interested in it today.”

I remembered the wet, December snow falling outside. “Sure, I’ll take it. I learned to drive in North Dakota—a little snow doesn’t worry me.”

Before I knew it, I was off the lot heading to my night’s lodging with plenty of time to make final preparations for my busy Sunday morning. On my way, I stopped at a small gas station to pick up some Chap Stick.

In that particular gas station, I was met with that unfamiliar greeting by the young cashier with the dark hair, “Take good care of that car.”

Why he thought wishing my car well was more important than wishing me well, I’ll never know…

But maybe that’s because I’ve never been much of a car-guy. I know there are some who find great enjoyment in the pursuit, but it’s always seemed like an expensive hobby to me. Not to mention, I’ve seen countless financial lives burdened (or even ruined) by too ambitious of a monthly car payment. So I almost consider it a blessing that I’ve never been particular drawn to expensive vehicles.

It’s probably because of that “noncar-guy status” that the gas station attendant’s salutation sounded so strange to me. When a middle-age man drives up in a white 2005 Honda Accord, nobody rushes to compliment him on his car. They must save those greetings for the folks in the Camaros and Mustangs.

For the first time in my life, somebody went out of their way to compliment me on the car they assumed I owned.

So you’ll have to excuse me for being surprised by it. And you’ll have to forgive me for my internal reaction to it as well.

You see, when I climbed back into that car—a car that I don’t even own—I experienced a rush of pride. It was brief. But nevertheless, there was a distinct feeling of arrogance that caused me to prop my head up a little bit higher and step on the gas a little bit harder… I was driving an expensive car—nicer, I assume, than the car driven by that man behind the counter.

I asked myself in that moment, “Is this what it feels like to drive a sports car? To know that people look at you and your car when you pull up next to them at a red light or into your parking spot at the gas station? This must be part of the appeal.” Is this what draws people to expensive cars? Is this why they buy them?

I know, of course, there are other reasons people are drawn to expensive vehicles. They enjoy the speed, the craftsmanship, the hobby, or the memories conjured up because of them.

But is it also the case, in many circumstances, that these feelings and this appearance of superiority are also part of the draw?

Because if that’s the case, what a shame. There are far more important things I’d like to be known for than the model of vehicle I park in my garage.

I’m so glad I’m not a car-guy…

And yet, I can’t help but believe this appeal extends beyond the cars that we drive. Maybe I am not a car-guy, per se… but that doesn’t mean I may not be trying to impress others with the things that I own in other ways.

Sometimes we seek these feelings of pride in the houses that we live in… the clothes that we wear… the technology that we carry… or the vacations that we take. Too often, we pursue these things not because of the value they offer to our lives, but because we crave the attention and acclamation of others.

Which makes me wonder, “Is that why we’re doing all this? Is this one of the reasons we keep buying all this stuff we don’t need?”

Just to impress our family, our friends, our neighbors, or the cashier at the gas station?

Because if so, what a shame.

Our lives hold far greater potential than that.

Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it. It requires a conscious decision because it is a countercultural lifestyle that stands against the culture of overconsumption that surrounds us.

The world we live in is not friendly to the pursuit of minimalism. Its tendencies and relentless advertising campaigns call us to acquire more, better, faster, and newer. The journey of finding simplicity requires consistent inspiration.

For that reason, I hope you will make an effort this weekend to find a quiet moment with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy some of these hand-picked articles to encourage more simplicity in your life.

The White Envelope by Nancy W. Gavin. This inspirational story needs to be read and shared a million times.

7 Simple Strategies to Avoid Overspending this Holiday Season | Forbes. Americans spend 9X the amount of money retail shopping during the Christmas season than any other season of the year.

My Year of No Spending is Over—Here’s How I Got Through It | The Guardian by Michelle McGagh. The first six months were hard, but I found a new way of living and the challenge has left me wealthier and wiser.

Minimalism, Marriage, and Parenting | YouTube (42:57) by Mina Irfan. Earlier this week, I sat down with Mina to chat about minimalism as a family. If you have a family, you might find the conversation helpful.

‘Tis the Season to Share Your Story

Becoming Minimalist unites people around a common, life-giving pursuit. We have discovered there is more to be found in owning less than we can ever discover pursuing more.

Regardless of where we find ourselves on this journey, we are resolved to live by these ideals and make it true in our lives.

This is an important worldview because it provides potential and opportunity to all who embrace it. And it offers joy. And joy is best experienced when it is shared.

All around the world, family and friends will gather together to celebrate various holidays. We will take time to catch up with loved ones. And for those whose lives have been changed by the adoption of minimalist ideas, the season represents a golden opportunity to share your story and newfound approach to life with those you love the most.

If you are actively pursuing simplicity, you are living a counter-cultural lifestyle. You have a personal story of discovering simplicity in a world that champions consumerism. Almost by default, your story is unique, interesting, and compelling. People will be interested to hear it.

Over the years, I’ve heard countless stories of people discovering minimalism. Some found it through their upbringing. Some were introduced through disaster (fire, burglary, downsizing). Some were introduced by a friend. While others picked up just the right book or stumbled onto the right website at the right moment .

Regardless of how you personally discovered it, your story has the power to inspire others and further the message of finding more life by owning fewer possessions.

So share your story with friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors this holiday season. Look for opportunities to retell it over coffee, around the dinner table, or during a family tradition. Be bold with the truth of simplicity and owning less.

Of course, when you do, tell your story in humility, motivated by love, without confrontation. Be patient with your family (especially if some of their traditions run contrary to your pursuit). Refrain from attitudes and words that communicate any hint of superiority.

Our message may not be fully embraced by those who hear it the first time. But that’s okay. Our job is not to change someone’s life for them.

Our role is to simply offer the invitation.