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Philosophy

Go placidly

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. -Max Ehrmann, “Desiderata”

Is it just me, or has the world become noisier lately? Not in an auditory way, but an information-coming-from-all-directions way.

I remember, maybe five years ago, people lamenting the increase in online noise because “everyone” had a blog. Well now it seems “everyone” has a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, and a multitude of social media accounts. It’s starting to feel like too much to absorb, too much to keep up with, too much time traded for too little in return.

My digital attention span has hit its limit.… {Read more}

In Space Cometh Grace: Thoughts and a Giveaway

“In space cometh grace”—it’s one of my favorite quotes from the companion journal to my book (The Joy of Less Journal: Clear Your Inner Clutter).

As you may have discovered by now, minimalism isn’t just about having less stuff. You might start out by streamlining your socks, but the ultimate effect on your life can be nothing short of magical.

When we take control of our stuff, we gain the strength and confidence to take control of our lives. We’re able to let go of commitments, emotions, distractions, and situations that are weighing us down. Most importantly, we gain some glorious space—not just in our homes, but in our schedules, our minds, our hearts, our souls.… {Read more}

On Eating Less (aka The Minimalist Diet)

Happy fall, everyone! We’re having the most gorgeous weather here in the Pacific Northwest, and I’m soaking in every last ray of sunshine before it starts raining (and raining and raining). I’m enjoying a few more weeks of wearing my One Shoe before I have to switch over to the rain boots…

So I’m writing a new book, and experimenting with minimalism on all kinds of levels. I posted last about my Unplugged Summer, a lovely exercise in dialing back my digital commitments. Basically, I faced my fear of being unproductive, and was rewarded in spades with a mother/daughter summer I’ll always treasure.… {Read more}

Unplugged Summer

Hi everyone! Many of you have reached out this summer to say hello and ask where I’ve been (you’re so sweet!). I’ve been right here, I’ve just been unplugged. Let me explain…

Remember my little Plumblossom?

Well, she’s five years old now and starting kindergarten this fall. Time has flown by, and it’s given this mama a wake-up call.

Last summer was a whirlwind of activity following the release of my book. I dropped my daughter off at camp each morning, then rushed home to do interviews and radio shows and answer countless emails. When she came home in the afternoon, I’d often set her up with an activity so I could squeeze in another phone call or two.… {Read more}

Giveaway: 3 copies of The Joy of Less Journal!

I’m thrilled to announce that The Joy of Less Journal: Clear Your Inner Clutter is being released today—and I’m giving away 3 copies to celebrate!

Decluttering often makes you ask questions that go beyond possessions—you have to confront your past, let go of emotions or expectations, and decide what you want for your future. That’s why it feels so liberating: decluttering frees you of psychological baggage as well as physical baggage.

Sure, clearing out the inner clutter can be a little more challenging: we can’t just put our guilt or anxieties or fears out on the curb. However, we can give these little buggers the same inquisition we did our stuff, and decide once and for all to let them go.… {Read more}

The Joy of Less Journal: Clear Your Inner Clutter

I often hear from readers who have decluttered and decluttered and decluttered some more. They’ve streamlined their surfaces, ditched their duplicates, and pared down to the essentials. They’re thrilled with their newfound space, but they want to know…. What’s next?

And that’s really the question, isn’t it? What’s the point of clearing out all the physical clutter?

I’ll tell you: it’s to give us the time and space and focus to clear out our INNER clutter.

Once we’ve cleaned out our closets and cabinets, it’s time to clean out our hearts and minds. It’s time to get rid of those negative emotions, unwarranted anxieties, and other hangups that drag us down and make us feel heavy.… {Read more}

Three Words for My Younger Self: Own Less Stuff

This week I wrote a post for the blog-publishing platform Medium:

Three Words for My Younger Self: Own Less Stuff

Why? It’s sort of an outreach effort to would-be minimalists who might not otherwise trip across my blog. I think we’ve all had that serendipitous moment when something we read, or something someone said, sparked our interest in a minimalist lifestyle. (For me, it was a book review of Your Money or Your Life—in a fashion magazine, of all places!)

Well, I’m hoping I can provide that same kind of spark to the casual browser—someone who may feel vaguely uncomfortable with clutter or consumerism but would never think to start googling “minimalism.” I’d love to invite them to our community, and let them know they can find plenty of kindred souls living with less (and loving it).… {Read more}

The Exquisite Lightness of Being

A few years ago, I was reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and came across the most beautiful phrase: “the traveler’s exquisite lightness of being.” It became a sort of personal mantra for me as I whittled down my possessions to a single bag, and traveled throughout Europe and Asia with nothing more than a large purse. I’d never felt so light, so liberated, so free.

Now that I’m back Stateside, and settled down (for the time being) with a little one, I find myself once again meditating on this concept. Can I still realize this exquisite lightness of being, even though I’m not on the road?… {Read more}

Lagom

I’ve always been a big fan of Swedish design and culture—I love their restrained décor, their use of light and natural materials, their respect for the environment, their healthy lifestyles, their strong sense of equality. So it comes as no surprise that Sweden is also the origin of one of my favorite concepts: lagom. The word has no direct English equivalent, but is perhaps best translated as “just the right amount.”

The lovely thing about lagom is that it’s a desirable state of appropriateness, or enoughness—and has nothing to do with scarcity or deprivation. It’s both the opposite of having too much and too little, and instead a celebration of moderation.… {Read more}

Happier Without

The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things. -Elise Boulding

What a wonderful quote, and so true! We’re constantly bombarded with the message to buy, buy, and buy some more—it’s hardly ever suggested that we might find greater satisfaction in not owning something. Yes, you read it here, week in and week out; but I’m just one tiny voice questioning the status quo—hardly a match for the marketers and advertisers that command so much of our visual and auditory attention.

So after three years of blogging, I’ve been inspired to look back and celebrate the things I’ve learned I’d rather not have.… {Read more}