Love People, Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works

by Joshua Fields Millburn

our things tend to get in the way of what’s truly essential—our relationships. Human connection is missing from our lives, and it can’t be purchased—it can only be cultivated.

Our material possessions are a physical manifestation of our internal lives.

On a long enough timeline, everything becomes obsolete.

“The mind has a great propensity to spread itself on external objects, and to conjoin with them any internal impressions.”

When did I give so much meaning to my material possessions? What is truly essential in my life? Why have I been so discontented? Who is the person I want to become? How will I define my own success?

Minimalists don’t focus on having less, less, less; they focus on making room for more: more time, more passion, more creativity, more experiences, more contribution, more contentment, more freedom. Clearing the clutter creates room for the intangibles that make life rewarding.

“You are the only person in the world who can complete and fulfill you, and ensure your happiness.

Sometimes that love is nearby; sometimes we must love from afar.