minimalism Archives - Simplicity Relished

Discovering Unselfish Reasons to Simplify Your Life

June 20, 2016

The simple living movement often appears to be very much about the self.

Simplifying one’s life is often motivated by the desire to achieve goals, enjoy experiences, and generally feel happier. There’s nothing wrong with this– in fact, it is vital for us to prioritize what we love most– but within it also lies the challenge of whether simple living can have an impact outside of our own lives.

Can simple living be a selfless decision, too?

What does it mean to live simply– not just for yourself, but for others? What does it mean to live simply for the world’s benefit?

I believe that simple living can have a direct impact on our friends and on communities outside of our reach, and it is often what keeps me going when I would rather succumb to the temptation to consume. Simplifying your life will be good for you; but it will also be good for so many others.

4 Ways Minimalism Redefines Beauty

June 15, 2016

Minimalism has helped me better understand beauty. But it took me a long time to get here.

When I was a little girl, my idol was Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I wanted to clever, kind, sophisticated and beautiful. I wanted to be a princess-heroine who could be both winsome and gutsy. It was the perfect combination.

Enamored with Belle’s likeness and convinced of fairytales, I sought to cultivate an image of myself that fit my imagination. At first, this translated into dressing up as Belle two years in a row for Halloween (I still have the costume). Eventually, it turned into an obsession with clothing, makeup, body image and what others thought of me.

Related: Why I Shrank My Closet

Vanity is not beauty. In fact, it is possible to be so vain that you want to hide your vanity. As a teenager, I wanted to give off the air that I didn’t care at all how I looked– but deep inside, there was hardly a deeper longing.

Ultimately, I believe I always knew that beauty was neither simply internal nor external. Those who say that beauty is found within forget the simple loveliness of blossoms, or the majesty of mountains. Those who say that beauty is found without fail to recognize that words and actions emote the human spirit.

I’ve been on a journey to realize that beauty is so difficult to define because it neither starts nor ends with me. I cannot manufacture it on my own, or standardize it for others.

Are You Ready For Minimalism? 5 Ways To Tell.

March 11, 2016

I don’t openly tell people (outside this blog community) that I’m a minimalist. I think there’s a certain image that comes to mind: whether aesthetic minimalism, extreme minimalism, or philosophical minimalism– and I don’t want to be immediately associated with those things.

Moreover, being a minimalist is not my primary, personal identity. As I’ve written before, minimalism is a vehicle that takes us somewhere we want to go. It lightens our load on the path forward. It helps us see clearly.

So even as minimalism continues to unfold as the buzzword of our decade, I want to stay true to why I write this blog. This space is designed to be a hub for those who have a goal, purpose, or raison d’être behind their desire to simplify. I want to encourage you– yes you– to pursue what it is that makes you come alive.

The irony is that, in order to be a “good minimalist” (if there is such a thing), you have to ground your identity in something else. And it needs to be something worth grounding yourself in.

Why We Need Rituals (and how to develop your own)

March 9, 2016

I spent this past weekend celebrating a friend’s wedding in Columbus, Ohio. If you’ve ever been involved with a wedding– yours or someone else’s– then you’re aware of all the fanfare and fuss that surround it. Not only are there standard elements in almost every wedding ceremony, but there are also rehearsal dinners, toasts, first looks, dancing, dining, and so much more. It is an event nearly defined by rituals. Marriage itself seems something entirely different.

In the whirlwind of preparation before the wedding, she and I sat in a moment of quiet reflection. We need rituals, she said. Perhaps they don’t change anything in our physical reality– but in our emotional-spiritual space, rituals occupy a lot of significance.

5 Mindset Changes That Limit Unnecessary Shopping

February 24, 2016

I have come a long way in this area. I used to be able to enter the first letter of my favorite brands into my search bar, and their full URLs would pop up. That’s how often I “window-shopped” online. Of course, said window-shopping quickly became real shopping.

There are many reasons to limit unnecessary shopping, but they might not be the ones that immediately come to mind. Avoiding unnecessary purchases can certainly save money, but saving money isn’t everyone’s highest priority. Perhaps there are things you desire more deeply than a stash of cash: courage, generosity, community, purpose, joy… and limiting your shopping can help with those things, too.

Why Thanksgiving Gets So Little Marketing (and it’s the best thing ever)

November 11, 2015

The day after Halloween, I walked into a crafts store. According to their displays, Halloween was so yesterday and Christmas season had officially begun.

There were plastic trees on display, cheap ornaments in boxes, and ribbons of every color. Somehow they even transitioned the scent of the whole store from autumn spice to winter wonderland.

Someone remarked to me recently that Thanksgiving “gets no love”– and that November is just that awkward transitional season after Halloween when we start anticipating the biggest purchasing month of the year.

The Life-Changing Magic of Finding Your Purpose

November 6, 2015

I’ve been championing simplicity on this blog for about a year now. It started last fall when I came across Courtney Carver’s Project 333— a capsule wardrobe challenge that has now become a near-mainstream trend– and I took it upon myself to find additional ways to simplify my life.

I’ll be honest. I did it in part because I was intrigued by the subject, and there was already a vibrant tribe of writers I could jump right into. It also helped me focus my blog on a specific topic while in the midst of moving across the country, getting married, and becoming (more) in charge of my resources.

Simple living has become a trend in this past year– the more I wrote about it, the more I realized that others were doing the same. And now that Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, is a national bestseller, it seems everyone is on the simple living boat.

Celebrity Gossip: Why I Don’t Keep Up

November 3, 2015

I didn’t grow up in a family that watched much American television. In fact, my family didn’t watch any television– we owned a TV for years without actually knowing how to turn it on.

As far as I know, there were no truly strong moral objections to television. There was just always something better to do. My dad was a bookworm and my mom was always busy with something, so I rarely saw anyone watching a show or reading a magazine.

More importantly, my lack of exposure to TV– and all its nightly wonders–became a point of embarrassment. In middle school, I didn’t watch the shows that all my classmates were watching and talking about. I didn’t follow sports. I didn’t know who was in, who was out, who was hot, who was not, and who was the next best thing.

As I gained some independence and some Internet savvy, I decided it was time to learn all these names. Whether or not I had seen their movies or shows, I wanted to recognize these public icons that everyone seemed obsessed with. It was as though our lives would not be complete if we weren’t up-to-date on theirs.

10 Minimalist Secrets To Minimizing Regret

October 26, 2015

We’ve all heard the adage that hindsight is 20/20, but that’s no consolation for poor decisions made. We can easily become so wrapped up in self-punishment for the past that we experience very little life in the present.

While all of us have regrets– large and small– we also have the agency to choose what to do with them. And specifically, there are lifestyle choices we can make to minimize the likelihood to regret our present decisions in the future.

Minimalism doesn’t solve everything

After I wrote 5 Minimalist Secrets to Saving Money, I quickly realized that I did not intend for it to be a catch-all solution to better financial management. There are just a few philosophical aspects of the minimalism movement that are particularly helpful for those trying to spend responsibly.

It’s the same, in my opinion, with regret. If we consider ourselves minimalists (in one or many areas of our lives), then we are forced to approach our decisions with useful principles.

Ultimately, I don’t think that minimalism– or simple living of any variety– should be about the financial bottom line. It should help our daily lives reflect more what our deepest desires and core values are. And when that happens, it’s very likely that our list of regrets will shorten, if not disappear altogether.

10 Simple Things I Want For My Kids

October 16, 2015

This post is going to make me sound really old-fashioned. Perhaps, just old.

I work with kids everyday, and even if I’m barely 10 years older than some of them, I see a stark difference between their realities and mine. While my students are hardly a conclusive sample size, I’ve observed a discrepancy between what I would expect from children, and what I actually see.

I should mention that my students are relatively privileged: at the very least, their parents care deeply about their education and have demonstrable desires for their success. But every time I sit down to work with each student, I can’t help but feel that there’s something almost missing about them.

8 Good Reasons To Choose A Small Home

September 24, 2015

I’m no advocate of the tiny house movement, but I am becoming more and more convinced that the best homes are small.

Despite my appreciation for beautiful architecture— much of which is made grander in larger spaces– I find myself less and less desiring an eye-catching, stately home. I’m beginning to think that, at any given stage of life, one to two-thousand square feet will be more than enough. I’m no longer dreaming of anything larger.

You see, I’ve begun to realize what it is that I actually love about a home. It’s the space that home has for people to gather, laugh, encourage, and enjoy good food and drink. I want a space just large enough to fit a group of friends– and small enough that we can all still see each other and hear each other’s voices.

25 Simple Joys for Not-So-Simple Days

August 28, 2015

I just got off the phone with a new friend who is facing a lot of challenges. She is as sweet as her troubles are heavy, and the hope in her voice had me inspired and moved.

We love to talk about living simply, but the human experience is rarely this way. We want to commit ourselves to one thing only, and yet that one thing encompasses many smaller things that tug us in different directions.

Simplicity is a choice amidst a reality that is far from simple.

I don’t advocate shutting ourselves to the troubles of the world in the name of simplicity— in fact, I insist on the opposite. I insist on shedding the excess in order to be involved with the greater struggles of our families, friends, and communities.

We all walk through seasons that are characterized by myriad emotions that entangle our hearts. We all experience the mess of what it means to be connected to loved ones. We face the interconnectedness of our decisions and their impact on others. There’s no escaping the fact that despite our pursuit of simplicity, life often deals us the opposite.

10 Simple Living Tips For Millennials

July 29, 2015

We millennials are starting to get a reputation.

And it’s a conflicting one.

On the one hand, we’re known for our courage, determination, and desire for justice in this world. On the other, we’re noted for being constantly distracted, absorbed in our technology, and unable to focus on one thing at a time.

The truth is, I see both in my own life and the lives of others in our generation. We’re more interconnected globally than generations past, opening our eyes to the biggest issues of our day. It’s not news to us that the world is large and diverse; it’s our reality. At the same time, this access to global information at the tip of our fingers leaves us distracted. Some of us never knew our neighbors growing up, or the feel of a local community gathering.

Some people think that this over-connected, image-driven culture is a problem we need to solve. I think it’s a reality we need to accept and use for good.

So where do we start?

Lessons I’ve Learned From Kids Who Live With Less

July 24, 2015

We’re finishing up our time in Ecuador today. We’ve spent the past 3 weeks at Casa Victoria, volunteering with children in a low-income neighborhood in Quito.

I can’t wait to write more about our travels in Ecuador, but first I want to share about the kids we’ve worked with. They need encouragement, love, and a firm hand just like all other kids, but there are a few values they hold that I really appreciate.

In fact, I’ve noticed these trends among underprivileged children around the world. As a volunteer, I’ve spent time teaching children in Asia and Latin America– children who were not necessarily in crisis, but certainly came from low-income families. I’ve learned that their owning less, though often seen as a disadvantage, can yield some beautiful lessons.

Lessons from Kids Who Live With Less

8 Purchases That Actually Make You Richer

May 5, 2015

Is it possible to spend money and become rich?

Yes, if you’re willing to recognize “richness” beyond the dollars in your pocket.

Most of the time, I try not to spend money unless I absolutely have to. Last week, I wrote a post about how Minimalism helps me save, and I heard a resounding “yes” from the blog community.

However, as I noted in that post, I’ll note here again: money and wealth are not the same thing. In fact, there are several things I’m happy to spend money on, because they make me richer.

How exactly do I spend money and grow in wealth? First, I redefine wealth. Wealth is an inventory of all the resources we have: time, energy, generosity of spirit, skills and abilities, and finally, money. Money is only a part of our wealth– in some cases, a small part.

I should note, also, that spending money on clutter and excess doesn’t count. Furthermore, the possibility of growing richer with certain purchases is certainly not an excuse for debt. No amount of irresponsible spending can maintain financial peace, much less build wealth.

But if we’re willing to spend thoughtfully, there are things you can buy that can make you richer. Here are 8 of them….Continue Reading

Discovering Unselfish Reasons to Simplify Your Life

Can simple living be a selfless decision, too?

4 Ways Minimalism Redefines Beauty

Related: Why I Shrank My Closet

Are You Ready For Minimalism? 5 Ways To Tell.

Why We Need Rituals (and how to develop your own)

5 Mindset Changes That Limit Unnecessary Shopping

Why Thanksgiving Gets So Little Marketing (and it’s the best thing ever)

The Life-Changing Magic of Finding Your Purpose

Celebrity Gossip: Why I Don’t Keep Up

10 Minimalist Secrets To Minimizing Regret

Minimalism doesn’t solve everything

10 Simple Things I Want For My Kids

8 Good Reasons To Choose A Small Home

25 Simple Joys for Not-So-Simple Days

Simplicity is a choice amidst a reality that is far from simple.

10 Simple Living Tips For Millennials

Lessons I’ve Learned From Kids Who Live With Less

Lessons from Kids Who Live With Less

8 Purchases That Actually Make You Richer

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