Minimalist Notes

The following blog post is really a personal journey entry for myself. I read so many good ideas in the book, Everything That Remains, A Memoir by The Minimalists, that I needed a journal type stream-of-thought in which I could analyze the concepts that I learned in the book. This book relates to every person in our current, heavily promoted, consumerist society. So, if you're looking for an inspiring new read, get this book. And if you're located in the Tampa/ St. Pete area, head over to Bandit Coffee to grab a copy.

My definition of Minimalism is the idea of simplifying your life in order to experience more freedom both mentally, physically, and financially. Minimalism can relate to physical things, i.e. not owning more goods than you need, as well as, mental space, i.e. organizing thoughts in order to experience more clarity in life. While reading Everything That Remains, A Memoir by The Minimalists, I circled sentences and paragraphs along the way and made notes of those particular page numbers. The below sections are a recap of concepts in those notes. Obviously, I don't want to spoil the main and important messages of this book. So the below notes are only general ideas.. sometimes paraphrasing, sometimes writing the quote word for word. *My thoughts follow the asterisk.

Relationships / Pg. 36

Every relationship is complicated. Don't let social media and other media outlets fool you. You must work hard in every relationship to work through complications before they mount. Find common ground before it's too late. *Don't run when problems present themselves in a relationship. Face the fire!

Joshua Becker Quote / Pg. 54

"There is more joy and fulfillment in pursuing less than can be found in pursuing more." *Focus on what makes you happy and pursue only that.

Project 333 / Pg. 58

A minimalist fashion project challenge that invites people to dress with 33 or fewer items for 3 months. *We don't need lots of clothes. We think we do, because every advertisement tells us that.

Fight Club / Pg. 90

"Reject the basic assumptions of civilization, especially the importance of material possessions, the things you own end up owning you. It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." *I feel this. I have debt. I feel crushed from my debt- it owns me. But I'm chipping away at it. Eventually, I'll be free.

"Fuck" is what I titled this section / Pg. 102

We're taught to work foolishly hard for a non-living entity, donating our most precious commodity- our time- for a paycheck. The American Dream is not going to make us happy. The pursuit of this dream can be oppressive. *We all know, the American Dream is built on consuming goods. Beware of this. What is my dream?

Worth my freedom? / Pg. 106

Before we buy something, we should ask ourselves, "is it worth my freedom?" *Amazing practice. Already helped me.

Walk, Don't Run / Pg. 113

"...I was sprinting east looking for sunset, when all I really needed to do was turn around and walk -not run, just walk- in the other direction." *Path of least resistance for your personal happiness. Don't swim upriver when your happiness is down river.

Mission x Fear / Pg. 115

Fear of loss keeps us tied to mediocrity. We must embrace the true calling.. OUR LIFE'S MISSION. *Fear is a bitch. Find your mission and go for it!

Creating v Consuming / Pg. 138

If we are constantly consuming, we are not creating. i.e. consuming TV, social media etc. *Think twice before consuming.

Twitching / Pg. 143

The idea of kicking old habits. 22 days with out something can kill a habit. Try it. *22 days is nothing.

Growth / Pg. 149

"...I've discovered that growth happens more rapidly whenever I step into my discomfort zone." *Always stay out of your comfort zone. It's boring.

Passivity / Pg. 151

Passive tasks are Facebook, email, TV. There's no grand reward for passivity. Fill your life with active activities. *Active moments make me happier.

Thank you for reading. I hope you get a chance to read this book.

Dylan