Caveat: This blog is transforming into a guide to help you create your ideal lifestyle. One in which travelling is easy, money comes naturally, and you are free to follow your passion. My marketing blog is now The Edge of Innovation.
A New Beginning
Ten days ago I moved out of my four-bedroom house in Wisconsin, giving away most everything I own – from my enormous couch to my significant amount of clothes.
And have since been living my first week as a minimalist. Bouncing from friend’s couch to friend’s couch in Chicago, vagabond style.
It’s daunting. But exciting!
For starters, the most profound realization thus far is this: I’m still alive.
I know that probably sounds strange. But hear me out…
I once lived in a state of wants. A state in which I believed owning more and more things was essential for living. That I couldn’t live without that stereo, without that pair of jeans, without that ping-pong table, or even without that cool looking pen.
I thought all of the things I owned were necessities for life. They weren’t.
Needs vs. Wants
The beauty of minimalism is that it forces you to distinguish between needs and wants. That the stuff you own is simply that; stuff. Most possessions only feed an undying urge to buy more and more doo-dads.
And as you acquire more and more, everything seems to be a necessity.
For instance, when I was deciding on what to pack in my suitcase for my travels, it was easy to thoughtlessly toss a bunch of clothes in the bag. Which I normally have done when traveling.
But this time it wasn’t as simple. Because anything I threw into the bag added to the weight & hassles.
Do I need 4 pairs of jeans? Or will 2 pairs suffice?
My realization: Less is more.
The Ultimate Appeal of Minimalism
While I’d imagine you wouldn’t want to give away everything like I have done. Downsizing is extremely liberating.
In fact, words cannot describe the overall feeling of – after a lifetime of collecting material goods – owning very little… It’s mental freedom.
But more importantly, donating beloved possessions gave me a huge sense of charity.
The smile that my buddy had on his face when I handed him a $2,500 stereo…
The look on my parent’s face when I assembled the $4,000 couch in their living room…
The overwhelmed look of the Goodwill attendant as I dropped off bags full of Banana Republic, Express, J-Crew, etc…
All priceless feelings.
And it brought a much needed smile to my face.
Going from here…
So where do you and I go from here?
As the title of this post says, “A New Beginning,” I’ll be helping you design the lifestyle that you deserve. All based on my experiments going forward.
Since my lifestyle experiments will be extremely drastic, I will chronicle them in terms in which you will be able to adopt them into whatever stage of life you are currently in.
I’m here to help you. Let’s journey together.
