“We spend so much time on the hunt, but nothing ever quite does it for us. And we get so wrapped up in the hunt, that it kind of makes us miserable.” – Dan Harris
Ok, so maybe not the most uplifting words for my first blog post of 2017, but stick with me! First, before we really get into this post, I hope that everything is going well for you guys and that your holidays were great. I came home a little bit over a week ago from Los Angeles after cheering on my alma mater Penn State in the Rose Bowl – it was a heartbreaking loss, but one of the best trips I’ve ever had. My friends and I drove through the desert during our trip, which really inspired me to sit down and write this post. So let’s get into exactly what this particular post is all about…minimalism.
The quote above is from journalist and creator of 10% Happier Dan Harris, who is featured in a documentary I watched over the holiday break and the topic of this post: Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things. When he says “the hunt,” he’s referring to our never ending quest for happiness, fulfillment, and satisfaction and the methods we use to find these things. So much of our “hunt,” mine included, involves the accumulation of material things. It’s nice to have nice things, but how happy do they really make us? As we traveled through the vast, wide desert, these thoughts echoed in me.
Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things, presented and created by The Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, explores a lifestyle of limited material items and living freely and unencumbered. Minimalists featured in the film describe how they were searching for happiness, and ultimately what led them to finding it. Check out the trailer:
It’s an excellent film which I really, really enjoyed. After watching, I spoke with other friends who watched the film and what their views on minimalism are. My friend Steph shared her words and views:
The Minimalists share on their website the benefits of a minimalistic lifestyle.
“Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.”
Minimalism is currently on Netflix, and I encourage you to give it a watch. While I am not by any means a new-found minimalist, this film definitely made me look at how I live my life in a different way and consider positive changes I could make.
So with that, I’m aiming to eliminate the clutter and the unnecessary, whatever that may be, and to consume and devour less. Whether it’s removing unnecessary material items, spending less time on social media, or just consuming less in general, I’m open to making changes. I spent an afternoon purging my closet of clothes I no longer wore to donate – and yes, it felt really good.
I’m on a documentary binge right now, so please send along any suggestions!
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