Minimalism Revisited

Yesterday I listened to a great podcast on Kevin Rose’s website. It was him interviewing The Minimalists, two guys who have embraced minimalism after having corporate jobs and decided there has to be a better way. They have over a million followers so they must be doing something right.

They don’t fall into all the stereotypes that everybody thinks of when you think of minimalists. They don’t walk around in sackcloth and ashes. They may or may not have composting toilets, not that there is anything wrong with that, but for me they are what I would call “Common Sense Minimalists.” It’s more about using common sense in applying minimalism in your life.

Here’s a quote from their website:

“Minimalists don’t focus on having less, less, less. We focus on making room for more: more time, more passion, more creativity, more experiences, more contribution, more contentment, more freedom. Clearing the clutter from life’s path helps make that room.

In a world that is constantly driving us for more, more, more, listening to their podcasts is a breath of fresh air and they make me want to embrace their lifestyle and do more with less.

My current lifestyle, that of leaving everything behind and traveling by boat around the world on other people’s boats, has required me to become somewhat of a minimalist. However, after listening to these guys I realize there is more I can do, especially when I return home some day, to get rid of some of the clutter I have waiting for me there in a storage unit. But also it’s more than just cleaning up clutter and storage units. It’s about bring present and making conscious decision about the things you need or don’t need in your life.

Fishermab

Lone Washing Machine

Boat

Fisherman

I hope you enjoy this and other podcasts both from Kevin Rose and from The Minimalists. Here’s a direct link to the podcast I discuss.

The Minimalists on Kevin Rose Podcast

As always, don’t forget to follow the adventure on email by subscribing, or you can follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and Path! Please comment on this post with your thoughts about minimalism or how you’ve used principles of minimalism to better your life.

Matt