Category: Journal Entries

Minimalists have a knack for appreciating the small things in life. At no time is this more true than the holiday season.

I can’t speak for everybody, but I believe I can speak for most when I say that Christmas is all about the small moments we experience with family and friends, or sometimes just by our self that fill us with joy.

 

• It’s inhaling the smell of fresh pine, or balsam fir.
• It’s coming into the home from the freezing cold to a cup of hot coco.
• It’s gazing at the flashing Christmas lights on our tree.
• It’s watching the look of joy on the children’s faces at the wonderful gifts Santa brought them.
• It’s cuddling up with our Honey Baby Cookie Sugar in front of the fire (or Yule log video on the TV in my case) under a warm blanket.
• It’s what happens after we’ve been cuddling a while (you know what I’m talking about).
• It’s watching our favorite holiday movie for the 200th time and still finding it hilarious.
• It’s embracing our children, and singing Christmas carols together.

These are the moments that make the holidays special. Let’s put aside our consumerist ways and focus on having more of these moments.

To get the “101” on my mindset, my philosophy of life, it all starts with this book. It’s all about the three values of life.

My book is available on Kindle and nook.

Living Better Small (The Book for Kindle)

Living Better Small (The Book for nook)

 

As a kid I was a big fan of Lego toys. As an adult……ok I am still a big fan of Lego toys. Few things bring me as much joy as creating something with my hands. Well as it just so happened not too long ago, I was strolling the mall and of course I walk into the Lego store, and there is was: A giant Lego MILLENNIUM FALCON. Now this is a tough purchase to refuse. Two things I love so much, Star Wars and Lego’s. $175, GOOD LORD. But it was calling to me: “Buy me Foppy. Buy me.” But I took this moment to think the item through.

If I purchase this Lego ship I will spend two to three hours in euphoric joy building it. That is the best part of Lego’s, building with them. But what after that? At best it becomes a display piece in my home, but how long is that gonna be fun to look at before the novelty wears off? A month, tops. After that it is clutter. So in the end for $175 I get 3 hours of bliss and a cute piece for about a month. I can get all of this for considerably cheaper, not to mention the fact that any possessions I purchase should have greater longevity anyway.

So Instead of buying this display piece, I stand there in the Lego store and admire it for a few minutes. In that time I got as much joy as I would ever get having it displayed in my home. Total cost, $0.00. The Lego store is not far, so if I ever get the urge to see it again it will probably be there for a while. But I doubt that will have that urge.

This mindset can be applied to any potential purchase we have. Consider the endgame, or longevity of every material thing we wish to purchase. We will find that when we do that, we put the object into perspective and the urge to own it usually diminishes. But it does not make us lose any delight in the item itself. We just see it for what it is.

 

This thought process can be applied to these products (I figured more examples would be nice):

• A Waffle Maker. “OOOO wouldn’t this be nice to have.” Oh really. When do you actually plan on eating waffles in your house again, and are willing to fumble with the batter to make it work?………..Yeah, that’s what I thought. When that day comes to do that, the waffle maker will still be here in Target waiting for you.
• A juicer. You already have this at home, only you call it a blender. How often do you use that blender? Hmmm right.
• Fine China. I don’t believe this needs an explanation.

In general I will say that you have to be wary of objects that are useful merely because of their aesthetic value. like decorative pieces. Usually they look better in the store than they do in the home. Also, often times the aesthetic value is fleeting, a lot like infatuation.