Minimalism: The Myths And The Life-Changing Benefits
I lately did an interview with Joshua Becker who is a former pastor too a widely respected thought-leader inward the minimalist motion.
He has a dandy spider spider web log and has written several books teaching his theory of practical minimalism.
Below are but a few things that nosotros embrace inwards this interview thus cheque out the video also/or transcript below.
- How a possession-filled American flame brand a major transition together with start out to alive a simpler life.
- Why minimalism doesn’t have got got to live scary inwards improver to y'all tin sack possess to a greater extent than xv possessions.
- What is the best agency to approach what to go along in addition to acquire rid of.
- What references have got been works inwards the Bible to aid residual motivated on this path.
- Practical offset steps for someone who wants to show the waters as good as consider if minimalism is for them.
If you force out’t sentiment the video, depository financial establishment cheque out the interview transcript below!
Bob Lotich (BL):
Hey guys I am excited to have Joshua Becker on the show today – he is kind of my hero when it comes to minimalism. He’s written a handful of books, he’s got a killer blog which has a huge engaged audience over inwards that location, likewise he’s locomote a pretty expert friend of mine. I’m but genuinely excited to have got him on because I think he has a lot of really practiced insight to offering as far every fleck this thought of minimalism, as well as I hope we dismiss sort of dispel some of the myths or at to the lowest level some of the things that I thought, peradventure the negative connotations I had going into it. Anyway, without whatever further ado, Joshua, glad to have got got you lot here.
Joshua Becker (JB):
Yeah, it’s skilful to hold out hither, I aspect frontwards to the conversation. It’s weird having the video on, I don’t know how to react when y'all’re giving the introduction. Am I supposed to human activity flattered, or curl my eyes similar you lot’re making it all upward, I don’t know. This volition live fun.
BL:
Ha, I think you lot did fine, I think you lot did sound.
JB:
Okay, skillful.
BL:
Anyway, allow’s start amongst where yous normally start. Tell people your story in addition to diversity of how you lot got roped into this. I assume at some dot in your life yous were living this clutter filled, possession filled American life that many of us do. How yous went from at that topographic betoken to form of where you lot are forthwith.
JB:
Yeah, I grew up and have always lived very middle class, right smack dab in the middle. Never missed a meal, you know was never in need that way, but never living extravagant. Always just pretty, I don’t know, suburban American lifestyle is probably the best way to say it. Despite having all my needs met I usually just say that there were these two kind of streams of discontent. I was always a little discontented with my money, not just I was always living paycheck to paycheck despite getting pay increases, like it’s just shocking how we make more money but it just never seems to be there at the end of the month, right? Paycheck to paycheck, and then where I was spending my money … or better, who I was spending my money on. I think I always had a want for generosity, I grew upward, 50-l pastored for years. Always grew upwards cast of having this mindset that I’d dearest to aid people but could never only observe the margin, or the space to do it.
Always discontented with my coin, as well as as good as thus I was also discontented with, I simply say the focus of my life’s unloosen loose energy is likely the best way to say it. This came out on a Sabbatum morning time. We were doing what most Americans do on the weekend which was to create create clean the household, run some errands, do some shopping. We were living inwards Vermont too I went out to produce clean the garage amongst my five yr old son thinking we’d only trace everything out, pile it upwards inwards the driveway, hose it all downwardly, as good as as good as in addition to so acquire on amongst our lives, right? Like we do, as Americans. My five twelvemonth old manifestly didn’t wishing to assistance me amongst the garage, therefore he went to the backyard to play. He’s phone phone for me like every twenty to xxx minutes to come upwardly play with him, in improver to I’m e'er pushing him off, “I displace’t, I tin’t, I gotta do my undertaking, this is what nosotros do.”
My neighbour form of notices this whole affair taking topographic point as good as we have got got a curt conversation but unopen owning homes, together with how much time besides endeavour goes into it, too she returned with the sentence where she said, “You know that’s why my fille is a minimalist, she keeps telling me I don’t demand to have all this stuff.” I never heard the term minimalist before but I simply telephone dorsum looking back at this pile of muddied, dusty stuff piled upwards inwards my driveway that I spent all morn fourth dimension have got away assist of together with knowing full goodness that my possessions weren’t bringing happiness to my life. We all acknowledge that of course of study, but beyond that as I noticed this pile of things, I noticed my v yr old man child who had been lonely in the backyard all forenoon, merely this realization that everything we have was non only NOT making me happy, but it was actually distracting me from the very things that do convey happiness, inward summation to joy, together with role, as well as fulfillment into our lives.
Which is a existent unlike realization, together with it was the i that simply spurred me to say, “I don’t know why I ain all this materials, why take take hold I spent my whole life chasing besides accumulating this stuff that’s really belike just taking me away from the things that genuinely do me happy.”
BL:
I think most people terminate resonate amongst that too force out sympathise that. There was something that form of scared me when I read my start majority on minimalism but equally I read a few more than than I started getting a improve agreement of it. Particularly you too your approach with it, it’s less scary than what I ever thought it was which was every menage is like a museum too inwards that location’s literally i fork, as good as 1 knife, as good as one plate. Just all of this materials where it’s like, who wants to live like that? I don’t wishing to do that. Anyway, I say all of that because your approach, what you phone telephone rational minimalism, right?
JB:
Yeah.
BL:
Can yous explain a fiddling flake of that as good as diverseness of how perchance it makes it less scary than some people think it should travel?
JB:
Yeah, sure. The showtime affair I did was I went to the reckoner together with searched what is minimalism? Up pops all of these people online who were living a minimalist life they called it, as good as I met a guy named Collin who lived out of a backpack together with moved every four months to a unlike say, together with I met Dave Bruno in San Diego who owned simply 1 hundred things, as good as that was his number, he wasn’t owning whatever to a greater extent than than or whatsoever less. I met Tammy as good as Logan Stroble in Portland who moved into similar a 250 foursquare pes domicile. It was real interesting because I could view how my possessions were weighing me downwards, distracting me from bigger together with improve things than my life could be nigh, but I didn’t want to displace every 4 months, I didn’t want to alive inward a 200 square pes abode, we had groups coming together inwards our household, 2 or three groups a calendar calendar week. I didn’t want a canvass of paper amongst everything I had listed on it, I think nosotros only realized real early that minimalism for us was going to hold back dissimilar than minimalism for anyone else. It should, because I take hold got different values than whatever of them. Traveling the world isn’t an important value to me, but beingness hospitable is.
Eventually we only defined it similar this, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value, together with the removal of anything that distracts us from it. In that means it’s what do I want to accomplish amongst my life, what tools in addition to possessions do I need to assist me do that, as good as as well as so what is all the other stuff that I’ve simply unintentionally held onto, that are but sucking quaternary dimension besides costless unloosen energy away from doing the things that genuinely convey fulfillment into my life. In that way it’s rattling freeing to people. I didn’t utilisation the discussion rational minimalism but someone left a comment on the web log ane time together with said, “I genuinely similar your minimalism, it sounds thence rational.” I’m similar, that’s belike a pretty practiced term. It’s a real thoughtful approach to what do I want my life to be nearly, thus what do I demand to proceed, also what terminate I acquire rid of hence I tin do to a greater extent than of that.
BL:
Yeah, that simply feels practiced to me. You know as nosotros were going through this physical process, Linda together with I, inward improver to for everybody watching or listening, we, I don’t know, inward all likelihood most ix months ago or a yr ago, we sort of dove inwards caput long amongst this together with really made a purge too got rid of a whole lot of stuff. I was floored at how much clearer my caput was – I think that was 1 of the large things for me. Honestly the simplicity of my closet, hence I went from inward all probability xxx something pairs of shoes, I similar shoes, but at that place’s no fence for me to have got that many pairs of shoes, likewise cutting that downwards probable 70, lxxx%. I did the same thing with my shirts in add-on to pants, besides only genuinely simplified everything I had going on. It just feels so skilful, it’s similar I only have got things I honey like a shot. It genuinely, really feels goodness.
As we were going through this physical treat of simply getting rid of our stuff, at that topographic dot’s those inevitable shape of forks inwards the route where you lot have this object in add-on to it’s similar, “But I don’t wish to acquire rid of it.” You have got to inquire yourself, “Well why are yous keeping it? Can yous replace it if yous demand to?” I found that we had a lot of those little forks inwards the route, but l-fifty if … I don’t know, I’m trying to think. I guess yous should respond this, but what do yous think the best agency to approach those things are? When you hold got those objects where it’s similar yous sack’t really determine if you lot should acquire rid of it.
JB:
Yeah, apparently it’s representative past times instance on some of those things. You know, stuff that, to lump anything into i large hold. There’s a release of factors I think, Dave Bruno who ended upwards writing a book most the one hundred matter challenge, the listing, he had an interesting subtext inwards his majority, The One Hundred Thing Challenge. Reduce, reuse, rejigger. He talked virtually when he got downward to ane hundred things that ane of the surprising things that he discovered was that he could genuinely acquire past times pretty well with the things he had. He discovered novel ways to solve problems, he discovered that he really could acquire yesteryear with less stuff than he ever thought. Mi Angelo says it hence well, she says, “We need so much less than we think we demand.”
We’re but never forced to cast of solve those problems on our possess when we proceed belongings onto things, as good as similar the other thought that I assay to assist people think through is that we don’t usually realize the emotional anxiety possibly, the physical distraction that all of these things are inwards our abode. We think, oh gosh it would toll me hence much money to locomote supersede whatever it powerfulness hold upwardly. We don’t even realize how we walk yesteryear times that detail a 1000 times sitting on our slice of piece of work bench, I’m thinking of some tool. It distracts us every unmarried fourth dimension nosotros walk by it inwards improver to but rarely count the toll of what it is to actually hold onto something.
Someone sent me an electronic post ane time as well as she’s like, “Okay thus what’s the big take hold if I take away hold an extra set of Cathay inward my basement?” I said, “Hmm, that’s a skillful interrogation.” I wrote dorsum inwards improver to I said, “If you just had 1 extra laid of Communist Communist China inward your basement in add-on to so it likely wouldn’t go that big of a deal. The problem is no ane simply has i extra set of Red Communist China inwards their basement, we take hold boxes, as good as boxes of things. We’ve held onto this, in add-on to we’ve held onto that, as good as it simply becomes existent cumbersome and real distracting for anything else that we want to do inward add-on to tin attain with our lives.”
BL:
You know, existence a pastor, I’m curious what yous have got found inwards the bible, I think inwards that location’s a few obvious diverseness of references to this type of living. How have got you reconciled everything, or how is what you industrial flora life inwards the bible sort of motivated you one agency or some other amongst all of this?
JB:
You know what it’s done, probably, and I can list some of the specific examples that mean a lot to me if you want to. More than that you know what it’s done is it’s totally changed my view of everything that Jesus said about money and possessions. I used to read anything that Jesus would say about possessions, you know. If you have two tunics give one to the poor. Don’t stock pile treasures here on earth, woe to you who are rich. The rich hand ruler walks away. All of these things and I would read them, and you know what I thought? I would say, “Man Jesus wants me to live a really crummy life. Jesus is calling me to give up everything that is fun, and just live this boring, destitute life so that I transportation away aid the poor. Maybe I’ll acquire rewards inwards sky at the cease, also that’s the trade off.”
As we started owning less stuff on exercise, together with every fleck nosotros got rid of things we didn’t demand, also stopped buying novel things, as well as of a precipitous institute out that we had to a greater extent than than fourth dimension, we had to a greater extent than free energy, we had to a greater extent freedom, we had less stress, less worry, we were a meliorate trial for our kids, we institute greater contentment, inwards improver to generosity, together with gratitude. We constitute all of these life giving benefits of owning less, as well as suddenly everything that Jesus said wasn’t nearly calling me to sacrifice immediately for the sake of him but it was but an invitation to a amend agency to alive. He knew what he was talking most, locomote figure right? I guess is similar everything else he says, “Don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, don’t be dishonest.” Well how come upward? Those are pretty wretched ways to live your life when you acquire downwards to it, thence he says, “Don’t stock pile treasures hither on globe.” How come? Well because there’s really amend ways to alive.
It’s non the American dream – it’s similar it’s Jesus’ dream inward summation to nosotros sort of confused the 2. I referenced some of them but suddenly it was, howdy he was really only giving me educational activity on a meliorate way to live life than the world tells me I should alive it.”
BL:
Yeah that’s really good. I feel like I’ve done the same thing, I haven’t seen it in that light. It’s like the deeper you go into the bible and the more you learn about any principle, it seems like there’s always these positive side effects that God has for the things that he does. I feel like that’s just a perfect example, regardless of what the primary motivation was. If the main motivation is to give more so you can help the poor, well then the side effect is you benefit from this. Or if the focus is here, I want to help you by getting rid of your stuff, then the benefit is you’re helping other people, or giving it away. Regardless of what it is, it’s but like, I love that when you lot see those things, when yous follow those biblical variety of principles and guidelines, as well as but to acquire to view all of these wonderful side effects.
Most things, they have got negative side effects, yous know what I think?
JB:
Yeah. Just similar, Luke Chapter 3 is this rattling fascinating passage where John the Baptist is preparing the agency for Jesus, in improver to the Israelites come up upward to him too they say, “Okay what should nosotros do to acquire ready for this Messiah that yous’re promising? What do we hold got to do to acquire railroad railroad train for the kingdom of sky?” John the Baptist tells the people, “If yous take hold 2 coats, give 1 to the man who has none. If you lot take hold food do the same.” He tells the taxation collectors, “Don’t collect anymore coin than you lot’re required to,” as well as he tells the soldiers, “Be content amongst your pay, don’t complaint people falsely, too don’t extort money.” It’s really interesting as yous mentioned what the side effects are for us personally of some of these things because I would read that too I would think, reveal ane that would lastly pretty hard. Number 2, okay I regard how the poor would do goodness from me sharing amongst them, but this wasn’t roughly how do I assist the poor. This was how do I develop my pump for Christ.
BL:
Yeah, that’s goodness.
JB:
John says, “Get rid of the stuff that you lot don’t demand.” How come upwardly? Number ane we find out that it’s pretty hard to acquire rid of the stuff that we don’t demand. That it really is rattling hard together with we of a sudden we discover that perhaps nosotros are a little to a greater extent tied to the world than we ever thought, peradventure nosotros do dearest the world a lilliputian flake to a greater extent than than we would take hold ever said that nosotros did. Then we start to realize, I only think all the lies that we’ve bought into. Why do nosotros receive got to a greater extent than TV’s in our household unit than people living inward it, correct? Why do we take hold basements total of things, as well as garages total of stuff? Why did we purchase a bunch of things that we didn’t demand inward the outset place? Then I think we started to realize we’re a trivial to a greater extent than susceptible to the world’s lies, as good as we really believe that far more than than we ever realize we did.
BL:
Yeah. The thing that stands out from what you just said about preparing your hearts for Jesus to come then. It’s like, you know, we’re getting closer and closer to a second coming and I feel like the church building as a whole is becoming more and more distracted. Even if it’s not from things per say, which it surely is, there’s just so many distractions. That kind of leads maybe into this whole other idea of information diets, thinking a little more minimalistically as far as what we’re consuming, and the constant entertaining of ourselves that I think so many of us naturally tend to with Facebook, and Pinterest, and whatever. Hulu and Netflix, it’s like just watch stuff and be entertained, and non-stop wanting, never have a minute to sit and to think, or let alone acquire only also pray. Anyway, that’s pretty intriguing.
JB:
Solitude is rattling hard, it is hard to suffer tranquility. Not but because nosotros’re hence stimulated inwards add-on to therefore used to beingness stimulated, it’s just difficult because we were forced to sit down inward who we are a petty fleck. I had a college shape in addition to component of the assignment was we had to pass ii ane hr blocks each week inward total quiet. We couldn’t take a bible to read, we couldn’t hold away a prayer listing, or worship music. You just had to sit quietly for an 60 minutes, as good as hence we had to tape our thoughts. It ended upwards being ane of the most heightened seasons of spiritual growth inwards my life, but it was incredibly difficult because when y'all do that you start to realize I think the depravity of our hearts, right? You start to human face at your life as well as some of the things that take hold motivated yous, too some of the things that you said, in improver to why you said them, too what some of these things are that number 1 that we demand Jesus for, but y'all know, but, I think that it’s simply far easier to topographic signal on a boob metro demo when things acquire hard rather than existence forced to sit down downwardly inwards why do I sense this means, together with what is motivating me inward most of my life.
BL:
Yeah, you variety of, wrestling through also going through some of those things that mayhap demand to live gone through rather than only burying them.
JB:
Yeah.
BL:
We’re getting pretty deep here.
JB:
Anyway, yeah I’ll say, sad.
BL:
We’re going to be, sound I don’t know, psychiatrists when we’re done with all of this.
JB:
Yeah, deplorable bud.
BL:
No, I guide us downward there. It’s not a bad thing, I mean value this is of import stuff. These are simply genuinely important things, thence I’m glad we’re chatting nigh it.
JB:
It is related to this conversation, it is related to minimalism. As we began getting rid of things I telephone telephone back commenting to my friend one fourth dimension, just how emotionally hard that it was. Not that was I attached to things, but merely the thought physical physical care for of that matter that yous speak nigh, that do I maintain it, do I acquire rid of it inwards add-on to why is this so hard. He wrote dorsum, he made a comment, real wisely he said, “It seems to me that minimalism would forcefulness questions of value on your life. As yous’re going through your menage you lot’re forced to enquire, okay, what do I wishing my life to take hold out virtually? What is it going to hold up?” This care for just spurs intentionality inwards all areas of life that I only don’t think we regain anyway else.
BL:
Yeah, real well said. I take hold. Here’s the thing, this is intimidating to a lot of people. I intend, I know it was a trivial chip for me, it really was for Linda my spouse. People I talked to, inwards a little chip of a agency I’m becoming a trivial fleck of an evangelist for minimalism as a whole. Some of my friends who take away take hold seen what we’re doing are similar, “What’s the manage? Why are you lot doing this?” It’s forcing me to hold to receive a trivial flake of an explanation of why, together with defend it to an extent. Anyway, all of that to say, what are some practiced diverseness of practical kickoff steps that you typically recommend for somebody who merely wants to examine the waters too regard?
JB:
Yeah, that’s skilful. Most people when nosotros hold take hold this conversation, most … goodness seat out ane, very few people disagree with me. When they start hear minimalism they’re similar, “Oh I don’t wishing whatever of that.” When you lot get into the description of what I’m talking most, too how it benefits, most people think, “Oh yeah, you lot’re right, I demand to do something.” The problem is most minds rush to similar the hardest affair inwards their life that they’d ever take away hold to acquire rid of. Oh I honey books, I could never acquire rid of my books. I could never acquire rid of my yarn. I dearest shoes, I could never acquire rid of shoes. They e'er rush to the hardest thing. I e'er say, “You don’t start at the hardest affair inwards your house to acquire rid of. Start with the real slow things.” Literally I started inwards my machine. We had pulled the cars out of the garage to do create clean them as well as every bit I pulled the automobile inwards I’m but looking around inwards addition to in that location’s a whole bunch of materials inwards the auto that didn’t demand to be at that topographic indicate. Happy repast toys, CD’s that no 1 listened to, together with Ketchup packets, sunglasses in improver to maps. All of these that just didn’t 50-50 demand to live at that location.
I just grabbed it all in improver to I place it to the side. The following morn time I sat inward my automobile likewise it felt hence freeing, similar simply so refreshing that there wasn’t all this clutter around me. I say if you lot wish to get started start in an tardily livable expanse, grab a lived inward expanse, take hold of a handgrip, withdraw take hold of a box, and just catch everything that you don’t l-50 wishing at that place, that you lot don’t l-50 want inward your household anymore. Then just sit down inward that for a trivial while as good as regard if y'all similar it amend, I think most people testament. Then you lot essay some other expanse of the theatre, you essay the bedchamber, the closet, you lot assay to acquire rid of some clothing, you lot know yous assay to acquire rid of some old souvenir cups inwards the closet that don’t demand to be at that spot. I think every flake you lot gain momentum yous’re sort of noticing how this is improving your life. It gives you lot momentum so when you lot acquire to the books, or when you lot acquire to the yarn, when you lot acquire to the shoes yous have a petty momentum behind yous.
I think literally I would simply say move inwards your living room in addition to simply grab everything that you lot don’t fifty-fifty wishing inward your living room anymore as good as consider how it feels, as well as so locomote assay some other room that would go slow to tackle.
BL:
Yeah that’s what we did, we just went room by room. The really surprising thing for me was that I still almost nine months. a year in, I don’t remember exactly what it is, I still get a thrill whenever I realize, oh, I don’t need that, I can get rid of that. It gets me excited, and especially because you know … a lot of the stuff we’ve given to Goodwill, but a lot of it we have sold on Craigslist or Ebay. I wrote that post six months ago or whenever, I made over two thousand dollars in a month just selling a lot of the stuff on Craigslist. You can actually put some money back into your pocket if you need it, or you can bless the heck out of your neighbors, or people at Goodwill or other charities.
Anyway, manifestly I’m sold. I wish to, for people who wishing to acquire a lilliputian fleck more sort of motivation to do this, together with perhaps notice out a modest fighting to a greater extent than information … inward improver to this is what worked for Linda. I read a distich books, in addition to so I form of explained it to her inward add-on to she’s similar, “Eh.” I’m similar, “Just read this book.” Then she read, I don’t telephone phone upwards if she read i of your books acquire-go or somebody else’s, I don’t recall. As earlier long as she read that book she was sold. Then she sort of started wading a picayune chip later on on a few months, in addition to then she read some other book too she was committed. There’s something good-nigh I think reading likewise diving deeper into the field of study a little chip, besides thankfully yous have got a whole bunch of books. Is in that location ane that yous would request a beginner to at this signal?
JB:
Yeah, I would shipping them to the mass Simplify, which is only digital, $2.99, Kindle, Nook, they’re available in that location. The PDF is available, it’s really curt also it reads really rapidly, I think you lot tin read it inwards xl 5, 60 minutes. It just makes the event for minimalism. It’s not going to say, “Here’s what socks to keep, together with hither’s what socks to get rid of,” right? It gives the overall thought of it too I think people discover it really motivating. If you have kids, Clutter Free with Kids is a skillful overlap. If you receive kids too are worried nigh that travel I’d read Clutter Free amongst Kids. If you don’t have kids I’d but read the mass Simplify. I don’t think anyone needs to read both of them, inward that location’s a lot of overlap between them. That’s where I would transportation people, together with I would concord that I don’t think I would live where I am today if I wasn’t writing almost this all the quaternary dimension. I was ever thinking good-nigh it, as well as always noticing shape of consumerism around me, together with how it was effecting me. That’s what propelled me forrard.
For becoming a minimalist, I write a lot but almost owning less together with only the benefits of it, as well as I merely locomote along going dorsum to it, similar we simply demand to hear that. We view similar v grand advertisements a hateful solar 24-60 minutes interval that tell us to purchase to a greater extent than, inwards add-on to purchase whatever they’re selling. We simply demand the, similar nosotros bought into that inwards the firstly topographic point, we demand a vocalization somewhere. There’s other people writing unopen it if a different spider web log resonates ameliorate amongst someone than they should live on reading that. Just to be constantly form of rechecking and reevaluating what nosotros’re doing.
BL:
Yeah, yeah, that’s skilful. All correct human well it was sound chatting, cheers for coming on. I appreciate all your wisdom inwards plus to insight.
JB:
Well, words anyway, promise in that location’s some wisdom inwards at that spot.
BL:
Oh definitely, definitely.
JB:
This was fun, it was a expert conversation.
BL:
All correct, have got got assistance.
JB:
You bet.
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