Living a Life With Purpose
I recently went to see the Minimalist documentary that cemented my belief in less is more. The movement if you haven't heard is two friends Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus who spent the early part of their careers climbing the corporate ladder for the ultimate prize, more money, which meant more things which they thought would lead to more happiness.
They now both live a life with less in pursuit of true happiness. They are leading by example and sharing their journey with the world one city at a time. They call themselves The minimalists. It's simple, only have things in your life that truly bring value, make more human connections and in turn live a happier life.
How long does that high last from buying a new car, or getting a bigger house? If you're lucky maybe a few months. But how long is your high from that heart to heart you had with your best friend at dinner last night or that moment you watched your child ride a bike without training wheels for the first time? This high can always be tapped into and remembered, but the things in our life come and go and are easily forgotten.
I can relate to The Minimalist story in so many ways. I too stumbled upon the corporate life. I worked in the apparel industry making Women's athletic apparel. At the time it was my dream job. I started out at the bottom, working in customer service and slowly worked my way onto the merchandising team and started to make good money. I clearly remember the moment I reached $50K a year. My boss gave me a promotion and a raise, I showed potential and they believed in me. I never thought in a million years I would make that much money. I was the happiest girl in the world at that moment. But slowly over the next 8 years I just wanted more. I wanted more money so I could buy more things so I could try and look like everyone else. 12 years into the corporate grind I realized that it was starting to affect my health, which was affecting my relationships, which was not at all what I wanted for my one wild and precious life.
I took a leap of faith and followed my heart. I left the corporate world to work for a start-up with vision and purpose. I was drawn to the real connections I was going to make. I was starting to realize I wanted more than the 6 figure paycheck. I was craving realness.
A year and a half into my new journey I realized there was still something my heart was calling me to do. One day it just came to me. I wanted to start my own company. I had this passion for organizing that I didn't even realize I could tap into. I was going to strive to become a business owner and share my passion for organizing with others.
I am still at the beginning of this journey. At times it feels amazing and other times it can feel terrifying, to say the least.
The minimalist movement is so inspiring and feels like a true extension of what I want to live by. I want a life with purpose and I am realizing that for me that means having fewer things, making more time to spend with my friends and family and maybe someday living debt free.
I have spent the past 6 months decluttering my home. It's not a big home and we don't have a lot of stuff but when I really started to dive into each space it became apparent that I had things just taking up space, consuming oxygen, cluttering my brain, zapping energy and bringing absolutely no value to my life. As I have slowly started to weed out the things that bring no value it has become really apparent what does.
The minimalist spread their lifestyle by sharing their journey. They leave every speaking engagement with the same message, "Love people and use things because the opposite never works."
The answer is simple and what I want to share with the world, less is more, more time with your spouse, more time with your child or dog, not missing out on once in a lifetime moments. It's not easy to hear but once you really hear it, it's easy to understand.
If you want to hear more about The Minimalists check out their podcast.
What do you aspire to be when you grow up? Leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear about your journey.
Ciao for now,
Meghan (the aspiring minimalist)