The More of Less Quotes

“These, in review, are the baby steps to owning less: • Write down your goals. • Start decluttering with the easy targets in your lived-in areas. • Then go room by room, tossing out and tidying up. • Eliminate duplicates as you make your circuit. • Share your story with others to keep yourself motivated during and beyond the first steps.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“William Morris says it this way: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” 4”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“So this very day, donate clothing you don’t wear, sporting equipment you don’t use, books you aren’t going to read, or furniture needlessly taking up space. Make a financial donation to a charity you support. Be generous with your time by volunteering at your local school, a homeless shelter, or the nonprofit of your choice. It’s the quickest shortcut I can suggest to having a life of impact.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“as your minimizing frees up resources you can share, go ahead and give them away with freedom and joy. Your heart will feel warmer. The world will be a better place. And you will discover you never even needed the stuff in the first place.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Generosity is an act of bravery.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Often it is those who live quietly, modestly, and contentedly with a simple life who are the happiest.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“The American Dream has been defined in dollar signs and square footage.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“There is more joy to be found in owning less than can ever be found in pursuing more. In”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Will Rogers once said, “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” 1”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“The Bengali poet, Rabindrananth Tagore, wrote 'I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and, behold, service was joy.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“In keeping fewer of Grandma Irene’s things, we have brought greater value to her memory. More importantly, we have exalted the values that Irene possessed and that we desire to reflect.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Liberation from the need to possess.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“The way to avoid these kinds of mistakes is to live intentionally. That is, we examine our options and make choices with larger purposes and longer-term goals in mind.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Remind yourself today that talking about change is not the same as implementing change.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“toys,” I told Santiago. “Think about it this way. When you were young, you only had three toys. But more importantly, you knew that wasn’t going to change. You had three, that’s it. So you were forced to make do with what you had and find happiness in it. That was your only choice.” My friend was nodding, so I knew he was with me so far. I went on: “Your daughter, on the other hand, is in a completely different circumstance. Whenever she wants something new, whether it’s something she saw in a commercial or something her friend has, she just asks for it and then she gets it. You allow her to keep looking for happiness in the next toy, the next game, the next purchase. Heck, you practically encourage it. Maybe if she was forced to find happiness in the toys she already has, she just might find it. But for now, she is able to live under the impression that the next toy is going to bring it.” My friend’s face grew sadder because he knew that what I was saying was true. His own decisions were contributing greatly to the unhealthy relationship his daughter had formed with possessions. This is a reminder all of us parents need: Our kids need boundaries! If we don’t give them a sense of how much is too much, they’ll just keep wanting more. And if we let them grow up without considering the downsides of overaccumulation, we could be dooming them to repeat the errors of excess that are so common in our world today. Don’t you want to spare your kids the bondage that comes with having too much stuff? Start early to teach them that less is more — more fun, that is! It’s one of the best ways you can show them your love.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Many people fear that if they remove an item from their home they will regret it in the future. So they keep it “just in case.” This is a major cause of clutter, even though we rarely find ourselves needing the thing we have kept “just in case.” If the fear that you will regret removing things is hindering you as you go from room to room to declutter, try this easy method to get around it: get rid of duplicate items. The beauty of eliminating duplicates is that you know there will always be one available “just in case.” To”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“we haven’t updated the countertops yet. We are getting embarrassed over all the wrong things! Social norms and acceptance are not really what we should be embarrassed about. What if, instead of being embarrassed over the brand of our clothing, we became embarrassed over the enormity of our walk-in closet? What if, instead of being embarrassed over the type of car we drive, we became embarrassed over how often we take the luxury of automobile ownership for granted? What if, instead of being embarrassed because our house seems too small, we became embarrassed over the amount of unused space within it? What if, instead of being embarrassed over the quality and quantity of our possessions, we became embarrassed over how much money we have spent on our own selfish pursuits? What if excess became the cause of embarrassment? And responsible living that championed generosity became the norm? Maybe then we could become a little more proud of “normal.” Are you buying too many things and spending too much money because you want others to like and accept you? Change your view of what’s acceptable and what’s normal, and you will be freed from embarrassment and freed to make more of a positive difference in this”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“With all things in life, it is important not to confuse a desire to change with actual change. Thinking about decluttering or talking about decluttering won't result in any positive benefits.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Early in our minimizing journey, my wife and I began to define clutter as (a) too much stuff in too small a space, (b) anything that we no longer used or loved, and (c) anything that led to a feeling of disorganization.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Some people buy more than they should because they have a sense of inadequacy and try to compensate for it with accumulation. Others are jealous of friends or acquaintances and are trying to keep up with them.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Why is that? Because consumption never fully delivers on its promise of fulfillment or happiness. Instead, it steals our freedom and results only in an unquenchable desire for more. It brings burden and regret. It distracts us from the very things that do bring us joy.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“In a world where six billion people live on less than $13,000 per year,7 most of our financial-related stress occurs because of artificially manufactured need.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“If you’re getting rid of things to simplify your lifestyle, don’t try selling them. It’s not worth the trouble.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Objects are not people. Rarely does an object’s absence make the heart grow fonder.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Remember, your memories are not stored in the object; the memories are in you. The object only helps you recall them. A photo, therefore, can serve the same purpose as the physical object.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Don’t engage in when-and-then thinking: When I get _________, then I will be happy. Instead, remember that your happiness does not depend on your acquisition of any possession. Your happiness is based solely on your decision to be happy — and this may be one of the most important life lessons you can ever learn.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Organizing doesn’t turn back our desire for more. The act of organizing our things into boxes, plastic bins, or extra closets is all about holding on to our excess accumulation. As such, it rarely thwarts our culture-driven inclination to find happiness in our possessions.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Organizing doesn’t solve our debt problems. It never addresses the underlying issue that we buy too much stuff. In fact, many times, the act of rearranging our stuff costs us even more as we purchase containers, storage units, or larger homes to house it.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“Organizing has its place. But it’s not the same as minimizing. Think about it. Organizing our stuff (without removing the excess) is only a temporary solution. We have to repeat it over and over. As my fellow minimalist Courtney Carver puts it, “If organizing your stuff worked, wouldn’t you be done by now?” At its heart, organizing is simply rearranging. And though we may find storage solutions today, we will be forced to find new ones as early as tomorrow.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own

“I encourage people to get rid of what isn’t necessary so they can better pursue their goals in life.”
― Joshua Becker, The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own