Going Minimal Means a More Abundant Life

When you embrace the minimalist lifestyle, less truly is more.  

by Michael Corthell

Paring it down. Finding out that you really don't need all this 'stuff'. But, being a minimalist doesn't mean that you are poor or have to live poorly. It is not a life of poverty.

As you can see below, minimalism is not a new idea. One of America's founding fathers and prolific over-achievers was spot on...

''There are two ways to increase your wealth.
Increase your means or decrease your wants.

The best is to do both at the same time.'' 

―Benjamin Franklin

People more and MORE are adopting a minimalist approach to life. They are cutting back on consumption and investing in experiences. They are turning away from being told what they need by an insatiable media. Minimalism can be a nasty word in the age of high-impact advertising and glutinous consumerism. It still isn't cool to de-clutter and live with less—at least not yet.

The living with less movement is gaining momentum, however it has taken some time to take root.

Henry David Thoreau moved to a very small cabin on Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts over 170 years ago on July 4, 1845, Intent on living as simply as he could, Thoreau fit all his wants and needs into a dwelling the size of a storage shed.

''Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!'' he exclaimed in Walden, his account of his two year stay at the pond. ''I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million, count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.''

Thoreau did mention on the very first page of Walden that he didn’t mean that his method was for everyone. He advised his readers to only ''accept such portions as apply to them.'' Like any pioneer, he was testing the limits of what was possible. He wanted to more clearly understand what the limits of simple living were.

''I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life,
to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life…''

―Henry David Thoreau

Are you looking for an abundant, joy filled life? A less stressful life rich in an abundance of things that really matter? Yes, are you looking for a different kind of rich life? A LIFE that’s full of happiness, memories, laughter and love? An existence that is calm full of contentment? Do you want to cherish things, and not be attached to them by a leash? Do you want your home to be a sanctuary, and not a hoarders heaven? Embrace minimalism.

Do you want a carefully crafted life, centered around purposely gathering valuable experiences, and goals? Because that is minimalism. Living a life of minimalism gives us a way to more― more experiences, more of life's joy, with more purpose, more human connections, more not less independence, and more and more passion for life. Minimalism is the best kind of more.

If you will surround yourself with only the things you truly love, you can let the rest of it go. If it's not contributing to your happiness, you don't need it. Another article you might like is Positive Life Satisfaction.

What are the key benefits of becoming a minimalist? Consider some of these:

You Will Spend Less By Choosing Just The Essentials.

You Will Experience Lower Stress 

You Will Have A Home That's Easier To Clean

You Will Enjoy Increased Freedom

You Will Be Good To The  Environment

You Will Be More Productive

You Will Teach By Example

You Will Be Able To Support Other Causes

You Will Be Able Own Higher Quality Stuff

You Yourself Will Be 'Lower Maintenance' (for someone else) 

You Will Be Happier

You Will Do Work You Love

You Will Find Freedom From the Comparison Game (keep up with your neighbor) 

You Will Have Time For The Things That Matter Most

You Will Make Your Home More Visually Appealing

You Will Not Be Tied to the Past

You Will Have More Room For Places In Your Heart

You Will Have More Opportunity for Rest

You Will Find Life Easier

You Will Live In A Smaller (less costly) Space

You Will Show The World What Is Important To You

All of these benefits are all available to you right now, and please realize that there is more than one way to get to the minimalist lifestyle. You don’t have to be privileged to be a minimalist, and you certainly don't have to do it overnight. For many folks it takes years with many starts and stops.

There is no right way or even wrong way to do minimalism, but you will be able to live life your way―free.

Minimalism gives you freedom where the traditional way of working and living may not.

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The Minimalists on Minimalism

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, better known to their 2 million readers as The Minimalists, are the authors of several bestselling books, including EVERYTHING THAT REMAINS. They spoke at TEDxWhitefish about minimalism, the value of community, and discovering what makes people rich. For more info about The Minimalists visit http://theminimalists.com