“When you love people and have the desire to make a profound, positive impact upon the world, then you will have accomplished the meaning to live.” —Sasha Azevedo The decisions we make today will define the stories that get told about us in the future. We are all writing a story with our lives. And it is going to be retold. This is inevitable. We are going to talk about it. Our kids are going to talk about it. Our grandkids are going to talk about it. Our friends are going to share memories about it. And the lives we shape along the way are going to share pieces about it. The life we liv ..read more

Note: This is a guest post from Sophie Clarke of Intentional View. I’ve grown to embrace failure on my journey towards minimalism. It gives me valuable clues as to where I still have work to do, helps me course-correct when I start wandering in the wrong direction, and constantly realigns me with my personal values. However, there are definitely a few pearls of wisdom that would have made my budding minimalist journey a whole lot easier. So I want to take this opportunity to celebrate my mistakes with you and what they’ve taught me—as silly, frustrating, and blindingly obvious as they may be ..read more

Fill your life with stories to tell, not stuff to show. The simplicity/minimalism movement is a beautiful community. And I enjoy any opportunity to promote writing that encourages people to live more by owning less. I invite you to fix yourself a nice cup of coffee, cocoa, or tea. Find a quiet moment this weekend. And enjoy some encouraging words to inspire more simplicity in your life today. The Life-Changing Joy of Tidying My Prison Cell | Prison Journalism Project by Leo Cardez. It’s not the KonMari Method. But the Convict Method shares a similar result. Why Good Enough is Better than the ..read more

According to statistics, 71% of people check their phone within 10 minutes of waking up. This is problematic for a number of reasons: More Stress: Checking your phone releases adrenaline, which increases heart rate, pulse, and muscle tension. Rather than a relaxing way to start your day, checking your phone increases stress. Less Intentionality: Checking your phone is the equivalent to giving someone (or something) control over your mind. Whether reading email, scrolling social media, or playing a game, turning on the phone is equivalent to giving permission to someone or something to control ..read more

According to important new research, when kids watch lots of television, parents’ stress levels increase. The research is helpful because it seems counterintuitive. In fact, many parents turn on the television specifically when they are stressed—just hoping for a little downtime or an opportunity to catch up on work or household chores. And there is no doubt that a child preoccupied with a screen in front of them brings short-term relief. I’ve been there. But in the long-run, this decision may be adding to our stress levels more than we realize. The research, conducted in 2020 at the Universi ..read more

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” —Antoine de Saint-Exupery The most valuable things in life will never be seen with the naked eye: love, friendship, hope, integrity, trust, compassion, faith, empathy. These pursuits may be invisible, but they bring real substance, fulfillment, meaning, and joy to our lives. Too often, unfortunately, we spend our time and energy chasing things that are visible: beautiful homes, fast cars, larger paychecks, more fashionable clothing, or newer technology. We dream of a ..read more

“Be who you needed when you were younger.” —Brad Montague It’s easy to see the faults in others but difficult to see the places where we fall short in our own lives. We are so sure that life would be better if “he didn’t act like that,” if “she didn’t say those things,” or if “only my boss would start being more ________.” On a larger scale, we are quick to think society would be better if those people would be less selfish, less greedy, less argumentative, more thoughtful, or would just see things the way I see them. Because it’s easy to see the faults in others but not ourselves, we are qui ..read more

Never underestimate the importance of removing stuff you don’t need. Encouragement provides us with motivation to persevere. It invites us to dream dreams of significance for our lives. And it begs us to work diligently with optimism and promise. Overcoming the pull of consumerism is a difficult challenge regardless of our stage in life. Simplicity requires encouragement. To that end, I hope you will find motivation in these articles below. Each post was intentionally chosen to inspire simplicity in your life. For maximum effect, find a quiet moment this weekend and enjoy ..read more

“Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.” – Keri Russell Every significant, major change that we make in our lives is the result of a long series of small changes. Consider these examples of how small steps lead to lifelong changes: Quitting smoking starts by not lighting up that next cigarette. Losing weight begins by turning down one more spoonful. Decluttering your home starts by removing one unnecessary item from your home. Getting out of debt starts by purchasing one less thing. Starting a business begins with one idea. Saving your marriage starts with t ..read more

I try my best to give credit where credit is due on this blog—citing the original voices of quotes and thoughts and helpful ideas. But for the life of me, I cannot remember where I first received this advice. It has, however, proven to be revolutionary. I once heard somebody say, “If you have something to do at home after work, do it right away when you get home, before you sit down.” In the original context, the person was talking about completing a small task such as changing a light bulb, taking out the trash, watering the plants, or doing the dishes. As soon as I heard the idea, I adopted ..read more