By Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus
This book entered my life via a late night bout of indecision, struggling with Netflix.
As I mindlessly scrolled through the stylized Netflix cover art I was drawn to a bleak landscape, with the word “Minimalism” plastered across the middle.
Often in my life it appears that these small random decisions are the most significant. At its core, the message espoused by Ryan and Josh is a simple one. They posit that perhaps life would be a little better if we “loved people and used things” rather than the other way around.
The book is a collection of essays which tackle various topics relating to simplifying ones life and living more intentionally. This very simple concept struck a chord with me immediately, and over the next week I consumed all of the written works the pair have produced. But should you read this book?
This book is for you if you have found yourself wondering why after purchasing your latest and greatest gadget, you feel not joy, but instead a growing sense of regret. Its for you if you struggle day after day at a job you hate, to earn money to buy things you don’t need, to impress people who you don’t even like. Its for you if you long for a sense of calm in an increasingly noisy world.
I would put away notions of burning your stuff and living out of a suitcase. This kind of mindless reductionist competition is not what minimalism is about. Instead, the authors encourage an intentional view to life, where we carefully and mindfully curate the things which we allow to enter our homes and our lives. Where instead of buying things we consider doing things. Where we put our relationships before our bank balances and our tiny screens.
If any of the above resonates with you I would suggest checking out the book and also the authors website www.theminimalists.com
Think Live Grow 