Everything That Remains

A couple of months ago I stumbled across The Minimalists and quickly became obsessed. While this isn’t my first brush with minimalism, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

For the past few years I’ve been trying to cut down on the amount of stuff I have. (It turns out moving frequently is a great way to jump-start an obsession with minimalism.) I’ve been slowly pairing down my possessions, but I still feel like I have too much.

I dove into Everything That Remains: A Memoir by the Minimalists looking for an answer to my endless itch to get rid of everything. I got so much more out of it than just a list of things I could donate or sell.

My biggest takeaway from the book was not that I need to cut down to a certain number of things, but rather that everything that I do and have need to add value to my life and lives of the people around me. It made me realize that minimalism isn’t just about stuff, it’s about how we spend our time and interact with the world around us.

While I was reading Everything That Remains, I wrote down a few quotes that really stood out for me (don’t worry, I won’t bore you with them all):

“We tend to hang on to things – jobs, relationships, material possessions – in an effort to feel secure. But many of the things we cling to in search of security actually drain the satisfaction from our lives, leaving us discontented and overwhelmed.”

“We stay in shitty relationships because we think there’s security in not being alone”

“Minimalism helped me realize that if I relinquish my need for expendable income, and adjust my lifestyle to revolve around experiences instead of material possessions, then I need much less money to live a fulfilled live.”

“My phone will be a tool, not an appendage.”

“Imagine creating more than you can consume.”

I’m still going to keep trying to get rid of the material items filling my space, but I’m also going to put a heavier focus on simplifying my life and on the things that truly add value to my life. I’m going to seek out more experiences and build deeper relationships. I’m going to make my creativity and my passions more important. I’m going to put a heavier focus on my writing and doing things that bring me happiness. And most importantly, I’m going to do my best to stay in the current moment and stop worrying about the past or the future.