On Simplicity

I have too much stuff. I’m not saying I have a lot of stuff, just that there’s too much of it. I don’t mean only physical objects, either: I’m referring to mental paraphernalia, things to do, priorities, and of course I also own a fair bit of the earthly junk which occupies the closets and drawers of all Americans.

The overflowing things I possess prevent me from focusing on what’s genuinely important. My goal is to distill the items filling my days down to the salient bits that make an impactful difference to me and to the world.

For many years I thought minimalism was about throwing away everything you own until you were able to sit in an empty white room on a hard (white) wooden chair with only a (white) spoon to your name, contemplating life in eternal bliss. I’ve discovered this is hogwash, an overly-simplistic view of what minimalism entails. The art is in getting rid of the unimportant, so what’s left in one’s world are the most only significant possessions. This practice works mentally as well with items occupying the material world. After dumping all of one’s meaningless crap into the dustbin, what remains is a collection of symbolic and powerful belongings and tasks which will make your time on this planet valuable.

Simple, but effective.

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