5 SURPRISING Lessons I Learned After Simplifying Life
Summary
TLDRThis video script narrates a personal journey of embracing minimalism, which led to a profound lifestyle change. The narrator discovered the value of simplicity, prioritizing quality over quantity in possessions and relationships, and valuing time more. They learned surprising lessons, such as the societal pressure to always want more, the personal definition of minimalism, the constant evolution of needs, and the spiritual enhancement from owning less. However, they also realized that minimalism does not solve all problems but provides tools for self-reflection and a more meaningful life.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The documentary 'Minimalism' on Netflix inspired a life-changing realization about the valuelessness of material possessions and the importance of simplifying life.
- 🔄 The speaker embarked on a journey of decluttering possessions, prioritizing quality relationships, and valuing time more, leading to a redefinition of personal success.
- 🏠 The desire for a big house was abandoned as part of the simplification process, emphasizing the setting of personal success metrics and living more in the present.
- 🤔 A surprising lesson was the lack of understanding from others about the choice to not want more material things, challenging societal norms of constant acquisition and upgrade.
- 🕒 The speaker faced questions about working fewer hours and valuing personal time over earning more money, highlighting a shift in priorities away from material wealth.
- 🚫 The realization that minimalism and intentional living are not one-size-fits-all concepts, but are personal definitions that evolve with individual values and life changes.
- 🔄 The understanding that what once simplified one's life might now cause stress, and the importance of letting go of rigid routines for mental clarity.
- 🧘♂️ The enhancement of spirituality through simplification, as having fewer possessions leads to greater appreciation and gratitude for what one has.
- 💡 The acknowledgment that simplifying life doesn't automatically solve all problems but provides tools for self-discovery and a more fulfilling life.
- 🔍 The ongoing process of self-reflection and the acceptance of being wrong in past assumptions, fostering an open-minded and aware mindset.
- 🕊️ The final takeaway is that minimalism and simplicity are not ends in themselves but means to a deeper understanding of one's true needs and desires.
Q & A
What documentary inspired the speaker to adopt a minimalist lifestyle?
-The documentary that inspired the speaker was called 'Minimalism' on Netflix.
What was the speaker's initial reaction to the concept of minimalism?
-The speaker felt a strong calling to simplify their life after watching the documentary, realizing they had many possessions that did not add value.
How did the speaker redefine their measurements of success after adopting minimalism?
-The speaker set up their own measurements of success, focusing on being more present in life and valuing quality over quantity.
What societal norm did the speaker challenge by adopting minimalism?
-The speaker challenged the societal norm of constantly wanting more material things and upgrading possessions.
How did the speaker's friends and family react to their decision to not want material gifts?
-Many people didn't understand the speaker's decision and questioned why they didn't want more material possessions, even during occasions like Christmas.
What misconception did the speaker encounter regarding their work hours and earning potential?
-People thought the speaker should work more to earn more money and do more things with that money, not understanding the speaker's value of time over material possessions.
What did the speaker learn about the concept of 'perfect' in the context of simple living?
-The speaker learned that there is no such thing as perfect simple living; it's a personal definition and what works for one person may not work for another.
How did the speaker's understanding of minimalism evolve over time?
-The speaker realized that minimalism doesn't mean getting rid of everything, but rather assessing what brings value to one's life and maintaining a flexible mindset.
What experiment is the speaker currently conducting regarding their possessions?
-The speaker is conducting an experiment to see if they can live with only 50% of their clothes, to test their level of minimalism.
How does the speaker view the concept of 'wasted time' after simplifying their life?
-The speaker has come to understand that 'wasted time' isn't necessarily wasted, as it can lead to mental clarity and groundedness, and is part of a balanced life.
What unexpected spiritual benefit did the speaker discover from simplifying their life?
-The speaker discovered that simplifying their life enhanced their spirituality, as it allowed them to appreciate what they have and feel gratitude for life in general.
What misconception did the speaker have about the impact of simplifying life on personal problems?
-The speaker initially believed that simplifying life would fix all their problems, but later realized it only provides tools for self-discovery and understanding what one truly needs in life.
Outlines
🌱 Embracing Minimalism and its Impact on Life
This paragraph discusses the speaker's journey into minimalism, sparked by a Netflix documentary five years ago. The speaker realized the lack of value in many of their possessions and decided to declutter, focusing on quality over quantity in friendships and valuing time more. They stopped aspiring for materialistic goals like a big house and redefined their own measures of success. The speaker learned that people often misunderstand their desire for simplicity, expecting them to always want more material things. This misunderstanding was particularly evident during conversations about gifts and the perceived need to constantly upgrade possessions. The speaker also discovered that minimalism and intentional living are personal definitions, not rigid standards that everyone must adhere to.
🔍 The Evolution of Simplicity and Self-Awareness
In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on the lessons learned from simplifying their life. They found that there is no 'perfect' way to live simply or minimally; it's a personal choice. Initially, they thought they needed to do everything perfectly, like getting rid of 90% of their belongings or moving to a cabin. However, they realized that they could define their own version of minimalism and intentional living. The speaker also learned that they are constantly evolving and that what they thought they needed might not be necessary in the end. They are currently testing their minimalist lifestyle by living with only 50% of their clothes to see if they truly need all their possessions. This mindset keeps them open-minded and aware, ready to adapt and change as their values and needs evolve.
🌅 The Unexpected Spiritual Benefits of Simplification
The speaker shares how simplifying their life unexpectedly enhanced their spirituality. Initially, they considered themselves non-spiritual, but as they decluttered their possessions and mind, they began to appreciate what they had more. They discovered gratitude for life in general and felt a deeper connection to their inner self. Simplifying life helped them move beyond materialism and understand that fulfillment comes from within, not from external possessions. The speaker emphasizes that while minimalism and simple living can bring one closer to their true self, it doesn't automatically make one spiritual or compassionate. It's a journey of self-discovery and reevaluation of what is truly important in life.
💔 The Realization that Simplification Isn't a Cure-All
In this final paragraph, the speaker admits that despite the benefits of simplifying their life, it did not solve all their problems. They had hoped that this lifestyle change would fix everything and lead to a perfect, happy life. While it did improve aspects such as relationships and finding like-minded people, it became clear that simplification is not a magical solution. It provides tools for self-discovery and understanding what one truly needs in life, but it doesn't eliminate all challenges. The speaker concludes by reminding everyone to stay kind and meaningful in their own journey, acknowledging that life is a continuous process of learning and growth.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Minimalism
💡Declutter
💡Quality over Quantity
💡Simplicity
💡Intentional Living
💡Materialism
💡Society's Expectations
💡Values
💡Spirituality
💡Mindfulness
💡Self-Realization
Highlights
Watching a documentary on minimalism inspired a shift in values and lifestyle.
Decluttering possessions and prioritizing quality in relationships led to a more present life.
Society often misunderstands the desire for less material possessions.
Setting personal success standards can lead to a more fulfilling life.
Explaining the value of time over money can be challenging for some.
Older generations may struggle to understand the rejection of materialism.
Defining personal minimalism is key, as there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Minimalism is not about getting rid of everything, but about what brings value.
Values and priorities can change over time, impacting what is considered clutter.
Simplifying life can lead to a more open-minded and aware mindset.
The experiment of living with fewer clothes tests the true essence of minimalism.
Wasted time can sometimes be more valuable than constantly being productive.
Simplifying life enhances spirituality by appreciating what one has.
Materialism can be a barrier to understanding true fulfillment.
Simplifying life does not automatically fix all problems but provides tools for self-discovery.
The journey of minimalism is personal and should be approached with kindness and meaning.
Transcripts
around five years ago I watched a
documentary on Netflix called minimalism
and it blew my mind I had many things in
my life that didn't give me any value
and I felt this calling to simplify I
started to declutter my possessions
prioritize quality over quantity in
friendships and value time much more I
stopped wanting a big house I set up my
own measurements of success and became
more present in life during these five
years I have learned a lot of things
also unexpected things the first
surprising lesson that I learned after
simplifying my life was that people
don't understand that you don't anymore
want more things it's in our society a
thing you know one thing always more for
example gifts material things wanting to
always upgrade and get better something
there was a point where I had to kind of
say to people that it's Christmas time
but don't buy me anything material
because I already have everything I need
the first question is like why AI when I
say that I don't need a better phone I
don't need top quality earphones I don't
need a new bicycle one thing was that
many people didn't understand why do I
want to take more time for myself I
still remember vividly having this
conversation with the person and I said
that usually I I these days back then I
worked six hours a day and then this
person was like why why do you work so
few like you could make so much more
money if you just work more and with
that money you could do so many things
and I was trying to explain that I don't
see the value in that I value my time
much more than to get money so I can get
things because I don't need those things
and especially for people of older
Generations it's difficult to understand
why you don't need more why you don't
want more things and for younger
Generations is that why you don't need
one new phone why you don't want new TV
new technology PlayStation 5 you know
all this stuff
[Music]
another surprising thing that I learned
was that there isn't such thing as
perfect simple living or perfect slow
living or perfect intentional living you
define it you define what is simple
living for you you did find what is
minimalism for you and what is
intentional living slow living for you
and this is something that I didn't
understand at the start I thought that I
need to do all these things and these
things I cannot do for example with
minimalism I thought that I have to get
rid of bunch of stuff like 90 or in slow
living I need to do everything slowly or
a simple living I need to move to a
cabin I cannot live in the city and then
at some point when I was already beating
myself up so many times why I'm not
living like that I realized I don't need
to do any of those things I can decide
for myself what is that of course there
are certain things like in minimalism
that you should think if something
brings value to you and that is of
course healthy and that is minimalism
but it doesn't mean that you to get rid
of everything so you cannot be like a
perfect minimalist or perfect slow liver
liver you know the organ your values
change and things that in your life
change you start to Value more some
things that you didn't value before and
some other things that were super
important for you in the past are not
anymore and the same things for example
that gave you before that Simplicity
that decluttered your life could now
create clutter in your life like let's
say if you cleaned every morning now
it's starting to give you just more
stress because if everything is not
perfect so then you just have to let go
of that even though your house would be
a little bit more cluttered it can give
you less mental clutter so it's not at
all black and white how I used to think
I think it's more like yellow as my
surroundings today let's find another
nice spot and continue our bike ride
foreign
[Music]
the third lesson that I learned after
simplifying my life was that I am as you
are constantly wrong there were many
times when I thought I need something
but in the end I didn't need it I could
survive very easily without that thing
or a certain way of living is better
than another or my way of living is the
best way I was wrong many times because
I realized after that that way of living
wasn't the best way for me so you're
constantly evolving and keeping that
mindset that probably I am wrong in this
as in many other things helps so much in
that and the kind of testis I'm
currently living in my life with 50 of
my clothes I'm doing this experiment to
see that when I minimalist am I really
minimalist like do I need all these
clothes still or can I live without them
and I think keeping this type of mindset
keeps you all the time like open-minded
and aware and really kind of for
opportunities and not this very strict
that this is how how things are now and
this is how things will always be I mean
and one example of this is that I need a
good microphone to make YouTube videos
do I
well I don't know
let's see if I will post this video
because if yes I record it with my phone
but if I don't post it well I guess in
that case it means that I really needed
that microphone because the audio
quality was so bad when simplifying my
life I started to be much more aware of
time and I didn't want to waste it on
anything but now I realize that also
wasted time isn't wasted time because I
already do so many things so that I was
also wrong that I needed to always do
something more productive because so
many times I feel that mental Clarity
and that groundedness when I'm not doing
anything when I don't have anything
planned yeah the Sun is setting soon so
let's move on to the next location
shall we
my current filming spot is a little bit
extraordinary but it works the fourth
surprising thing that I learned after
simplifying my life was that it really
enhances your spirituality before
simplifying my life I considered myself
to be zero spiritual person I never
understood you know why the monks for
example don't have any possessions why
they leave this lifestyle when you don't
and have anything but then I realized
that it's because when you don't have
anything or when you have very few you
start to appreciate much more the things
that you have you start to be much more
grateful for those things and when
simplifying life for example being
minimalist or having like habits that
simplify and declutter your mind such as
meditation you start to feel that
gratitude for life in general
simplifying life helps you to go over
this material box where you have been
probably for multiple years because
that's what's normal in our society and
go beyond that and understand that you
don't need anything anymore you are
already perfect you are already full and
realize that if you want the fulfilling
life you have to go within and not
search it from some external things and
I mean simple living slow living they
are still just tools to get closer to
the through through you it doesn't mean
that if you live simply or if you are
minimalist that you are amazingly
spiritual kind compassionate person or
you can be a minimalist and still be an
it's it's just a fact but
the chances are that when you start to
re think what is important to you in
life you realize certain things and
become closer to who you really are
behind all those possessions and that
image that you show to the world
the fifth surprising lesson that I
learned after simplifying my life and
unfortunate thing was that it didn't fix
me man I really wanted that this
lifestyle would fix all my problems and
I would live happily ever after I mean
it is awesome and I have to say that it
has changed many of my problems for
example how can I have better
relationship with my partner or how can
I find more similar minded people in my
life as through simplifying my life I
have understood that that is something I
would like to have in my life if you
were wishing that simplifying life would
fix you no it doesn't but it gives you
many tools and find really what you need
in life and not wake up when you are 50
or 70 and realize if I could choose I
wouldn't live it again like that I
cannot even speak anymore my
my face is so Frozen remember to stay
kind and meaningful in your own
beautiful Journey server signing out
ciao
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