The Minimalists
My personal notes on The Minimalist’s media
Minimalism - Documentary about the important things
Section titled “Minimalism - Documentary about the important things”Source: Minimalism Official Netflix Documentary
- Focus on important things to you and what makes you happy, provides value
- Be conscious of addictions, unhealthy images, consumerism that can be
promoted by advertising, society. Understand symbolism of consumption
rather than actual benefit of things.
- Need to be aware of compulsive consumption - consumption itself is not bad.
- Be cautious of social perceptions about fashion, technology use
- A certain amount of money is correlated to happiness to provide safety, shelter.
Positive Considerations
Section titled “Positive Considerations”- Make living space for what you need
- Make time and space (physical and mental) for people, yourself providing freedom
- Connect in the present, mindful:
- Meditation -“Makes me 10% happier” -Dan Harris
- Balance
- Having enough
- Love people, community
TED Talks
Section titled “TED Talks”Rich life with less stuff
Section titled “Rich life with less stuff”Source: A rich life with less stuff | The Minimalists | TEDxWhitefish
- Less distractions, avoid “filling void” with products and services
- Live a deliberate life
- Assess what takes up your time
- Exercise: packing party: pack all items as if you are moving, unpack
a thing when you need something
- After a while, remove boxes with things you don’t need
Art of Letting Go
Section titled “Art of Letting Go”Source: The Art of Letting Go : The Minimlists | TEDxFargo
- Memories are inside us, can save sentimental items like photographs and small items
- Donate stuff and funds. Goal: add value to other people’s lives
- “Love people, use things”
- Need to let go and move on
- “How might your life be better with less?”
- Benefit is more time, space for passions and relationships
- Exercise: remove 1 item per day
Minimalists Resources
Section titled “Minimalists Resources”Source: Minimal Maxims - the minimalists, podcast discussions
- “Love people and use things, because the opposite never works.”
- Addictions
- Balance of love people and use things, what is appropriate use of
things?
- Conscious of addictions influence:
- On relationships with people
- Your own feelings like guilt, shame, perceptions - self imposed
- Conscious of addictions influence:
- Issues of:
- Accessibility and legal restrictions
- User’s maturity, age, life situation
- Safety
- Balance of love people and use things, what is appropriate use of
things?
Podcasts
Section titled “Podcasts”355 Kid’s Stuff
Section titled “355 Kid’s Stuff”- Ask questions to children to understand their intentions, ask them about their values and beliefs
- Use the conversion to discuss boundaries in the whole family, though be specific
231 Stoicism
Section titled “231 Stoicism”- Stoicism like minimizing negative emotions
- Appropriate for everyone from those with little (Musonius Rufus) and those with a lot (Seneca)
- Stoicism journey is long term project
203 Connection
Section titled “203 Connection”- Like junk food which is poor for health, favouring junk values like
materialism, beauty makes mental health poor (for example depression)
- Think about the end in mind, at death, you will value things like relationships, experiences
- Work through the belief in need for junk values, discover they are created by society and perceptions
Fragments
Section titled “Fragments”Success does not exist
Section titled “Success does not exist”Source: Success does not exist
Focusing on outcomes keeps you away from the present moment. It makes you concentrate and chase things which can lead to suffering and will be failure. A trophy is just a thing.
You are free to do create, consume, and contribute; however, do not attach happiness to outcomes. See peace and happiness exists in the present, right here, right now.
Museum of Things
Section titled “Museum of Things”Source: Museum of Things
Things are in a museum because of how people used those things and their stories are most important. The wonder is in how people saw and used those things differently. People won’t remember your things themselves.