Day 47 - The Minimalists

Inspiration & Joy

A year and a half ago, I was driving home listening to "The Homestretch" on CBC radio when guest-host Frank Rackow interviewed “The Minimalists”. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus are two, thirty-something, single males who identified “lingering discontent” in their lives, despite having everything that should have made them happy. They left their six-figure incomes and extravagant lifestyles to pursue minimalism. Ryan said that minimalism is not about deprivation, but about “making room for life’s most important things” through taking back control. Joshua said, “I’m not against consumption, I’m against compulsory consumption. […] I own things that add value to my life. [I have to] be deliberate about how I’m living my life.” 

“Minimalists don’t focus on having less, less, less; rather, [they] focus on making room for more: more time, more passion, more experiences, more growth, more contribution, more contentment. More freedom. Clearing the clutter from life’s path helps us make that room.” (http://www.theminimalists.com)

As I drove home, I thought about how this thing called minimalism could work in my life. I certainly resonated with the lingering discontent, and I felt overwhelmed by all of the “things” I had to look after. However, by the time I arrived home to pets, kids, dogs and clutter—it felt impossible for me to consider minimalism. I began to stack up excuses about why I couldn’t do it. But still, I ordered, and read the book, “Everything that Remains,” by Millburn and Nicodemus. 

Purging is a favourite activity for me. However, when I purge, eventually I tend to purchase. Purge and purchase, ad nauseum.
Frank Rackow asked The Minimalists, “Is this “living with less” so that more can live with something?” That is it for me. If I have more—way more—than what I need, then by reason, a lot of people live with less than what they need. How can I deliberately live like that?

 I would like to embrace the minimalism mantra, “Addition by subtraction,” but something keeps getting in my way. 

Me. 

Millburn writes, “When I got rid of the majority of my possessions, I was forced to confront my darker side, compelled to ask questions I wasn’t prepared for: When did I give so much meaning to material possessions? What is truly important in life? Why am I discontented? Who is the person I want to become? How will I define my own success?”

Surrounding myself by busy and full creates the façade of success, and let’s face it, appearing to have it all, and keep it all together is viewed upon favourably by society. “We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we'd no longer feel inadequate” (Brenè Brown). Having more makes me feel something, but not what I thought it would. Within the ambitious life that has been constructed around me—I have lost myself. 

“Understand, every moth is drawn to light, even when that light is a flame, hot and burning. Flickering, the fire tantalizing the drab creature with its blueish-white illumination. But when the moth flies too close to the flame, we all know what happens: it gets burned, incinerated by the very thing that drew it near” (Everything That Remains).