Freedom of Less: One Man's Minimalist Journey

Summary

Theo, a minimalist and former businessman, shares his journey towards a life of simplicity and joy. After leaving behind his material possessions and high-powered career, he embraced a lifestyle of minimalism, volunteering, and self-reflection. He finds fulfillment in living without unnecessary belongings, immersing himself in nature, and making mindful choices. Through his story, he highlights the importance of self-awareness, integrity, and aligning one's actions with personal values. Theo's message centers on the connection between hope, joy, and living authentically, with a deep respect for the world and oneself.

Takeaways

• 😊 Joy is a transformative energy that brings lightness and playfulness to life.
• 🌱 Theo embraces minimalism, owning only what he can carry, finding joy in simplicity.
• 💼 Theo’s previous life as a businessman left him feeling burdened by material possessions and guilt over environmental impacts.
• 🔑 He found freedom by losing the need for keys, representing a release from ownership and responsibility.
• 🌍 Theo lives without attachment to commerce, supporting himself through volunteering and exchanging work for board and lodging.
• 🌿 He finds peace and joy in spending time in gardens, considering them a form of heaven on Earth.
• 🧘 Theo values mindfulness and being present in the moment, recognizing the significance of small daily choices.
• 🍵 He compares himself to a teabag, steeped in life experiences that shape his understanding of joy and hope.
• 👀 A powerful moment of self-reflection led Theo to realize he is already the person he wants to be, aligning his actions with his beliefs.
• ✨ Theo experiences synchronicity and views life as magical, grounded in his hope and respect for himself and others.

Q & A

What is the central theme of Theo's lifestyle?

The central theme of Theo's lifestyle is minimalism and living lightly with as few possessions as possible. He values joy, mindfulness, and freedom over material accumulation, emphasizing non-invasive and environmentally conscious living.

Why does Theo describe his minimalist lifestyle as freeing?

Theo finds his minimalist lifestyle freeing because it removes the need for material possessions, such as keys and objects that weigh him down. He enjoys not having to protect accumulated wealth and feels liberated by living without the burden of ownership.

How does Theo describe the impact of possessions on happiness?

Theo explains that possessions do not determine happiness. He uses the example of enjoying a Coke more deeply because he rarely has it, suggesting that less frequent access to material comforts increases their value and pleasure.

What role does volunteering play in Theo’s life?

Volunteering is central to Theo's life. He works in gardens and beautifies spaces in exchange for board and lodging, finding purpose and fulfillment in giving back rather than receiving monetary compensation.

How did Theo’s past as a businessman affect his current worldview?

Theo's past as a businessman dealing in gold, diamonds, and luxury items weighs heavily on his conscience. He recognizes that his previous lifestyle was harmful to the environment and others, and he now critiques the system that promotes materialism and commerce.

What lesson did Theo learn from looking into his own eyes for 40 minutes?

By looking into his own eyes for 40 minutes, Theo realized that he had already become the person he wanted to be. This exercise helped him see himself clearly and reaffirm his alignment with his values and integrity.

How does Theo define joy and hope in his current lifestyle?

Theo defines joy as an energy that stems from self-respect and living true to his beliefs. His hope is grounded in tangible experiences and is connected to his minimalist, non-invasive lifestyle, which gives him daily proof of living in harmony with his values.

Why does Theo feel at peace with his minimalist lifestyle despite others’ concerns?

Theo feels at peace with his lifestyle because he has made deliberate, mindful choices that align with his values. He understands that his family was concerned, but he believes his lifestyle is responsible and freeing, especially since he does not have dependents.

How does Theo view synchronicity in his life?

Theo views synchronicity as a common, everyday occurrence in his life. He believes that once we tune into it, we can see how life works in a magical, interconnected way, rather than merely as coincidences.

What metaphor does Theo use to describe his approach to life and choices?

Theo uses the metaphor of a teabag steeping in water to describe his approach to life. Just as tea happens when a teabag steeps, he immerses himself in situations that align with his choices, allowing his true self to emerge.

Outlines

00:00

😊 Embracing Minimalism and Finding Joy

Theo reflects on how joy affects his life, describing it as a giggle and an energy. He shares how his transition to minimalism was initially met with concern from his family, who believed his lifestyle was irresponsible due to his lack of dependents. Theo admits he couldn’t have adopted this lifestyle if he had people depending on him, but he remains resolute. He explains that his lifestyle is not a critique of individuals but rather the system. He reminisces about his past life as a businessman dealing in precious commodities like gold and diamonds, which burdened him with guilt. The loss of material possessions, symbolized by the heavy keyring he carried, eventually liberated him. Without these things, he found a lighter, more joyful way of living.

05:05

🌱 Minimalism in Practice: Reducing Dependencies

Theo delves deeper into his minimalist lifestyle, discussing how he owns only what fits into a 9.6 kg bag. He highlights the importance of pragmatism—he must own clothes, but only as much as he needs. For Theo, every object becomes more precious when not constantly available, like the rare delight of drinking a Coke. Beyond minimalism, he is also a volunteer, exchanging his labor for food and shelter. Working in gardens brings him immense happiness, and he describes them as heavenly spaces where time blurs. His volunteer work offers him fulfillment and reinforces his belief in making mindful daily choices, even in seemingly small decisions.

10:08

🌄 Running Towards Self-Discovery

Theo acknowledges that he’s running away from who he once was but also towards something better. He’s determined not to become the arrogant person he used to be. As he grows comfortable with his integrity—his actions when no one is watching—he shares a personal story about a psychologist who challenged him to look into his own eyes for 40 minutes. Through this exercise, Theo realized that he is already the person he wants to be. This experience reinforced his belief in self-improvement and the importance of staying true to his values. Theo’s joy comes from respecting himself and living a careful, light-footed, and forgiving lifestyle. His hope is grounded in tangible experiences and synchronicity, which he perceives as daily magic that connects him with the inherent worth of himself and others.

Keywords

💡Joy

In the video, 'Joy' represents a deep, almost childlike energy and appreciation for life’s simple pleasures. The speaker describes joy as something that can transform a person, giving them a sense of freedom and lightness. It's not tied to material things but is an intrinsic part of the speaker’s minimalist lifestyle.

💡Minimalism

Minimalism, in this context, refers to living with only essential possessions, rejecting excess materialism. The speaker has reduced their belongings to a small set of clothes and essentials, weighing only 9.6 kg, to focus on experiences rather than ownership. This philosophy challenges societal norms of consumption and excess.

💡Volunteering

Volunteering is portrayed as a central part of the speaker’s life. They work in exchange for food and lodging, beautifying spaces and building gardens. This reflects their rejection of commerce and pursuit of a fulfilling, non-materialistic life where helping others is valued over financial gain.

💡Commerce

Commerce is critiqued as a system the speaker once thrived in but now rejects. The speaker previously worked in the business of gold and diamonds, accumulating wealth at the expense of others and the environment. They describe the guilt of benefiting from an exploitative system and their eventual decision to abandon it.

💡Integrity

Integrity, as explained by the speaker, is behaving in alignment with one’s values, even when no one is watching. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being at peace with one’s integrity, which for them means living a minimalist, ethical lifestyle that honors personal beliefs rather than societal expectations.

💡Guilt

Guilt arises from the speaker’s previous life as a businessman dealing in valuable commodities like gold and diamonds, which caused environmental destruction. The speaker describes the emotional weight of the 'mountains of ore' mined for his profit and how shedding material possessions helped relieve this guilt.

💡Synchronicity

Synchronicity is described as the alignment of events in a meaningful way, which the speaker experiences frequently. They view life as full of magical coincidences, and by living mindfully, they feel in tune with these occurrences. This concept reflects the speaker’s belief in the connectedness and flow of life.

💡Choice

The speaker emphasizes the importance of being mindful in everyday choices, which range from trivial actions to life-altering decisions. They argue that these choices have real, deep impacts, and it’s important to be deliberate about them. This mindfulness is tied to the speaker's minimalist philosophy of intentional living.

💡Hope

Hope is described as something tangible and rooted in the speaker’s lifestyle and choices. It’s not an abstract idea but something they experience daily. The speaker’s hope is tied to their integrity, their minimalist lifestyle, and their belief that they are on the right path towards becoming the person they want to be.

💡Self-Reflection

Self-reflection is crucial in the speaker’s journey towards minimalism and integrity. A pivotal moment of self-reflection occurs when the speaker stares into their own eyes for 40 minutes and realizes they are already the person they aspire to be. This process helps them affirm their choices and continue their lifestyle with confidence.

Highlights

Joy is not only an energy but also a giggle, a little bit silly, and a gift.

In the beginning of my minimalist journey, my family was concerned, thinking I was living in a dream world.

Theo embraces a minimalist lifestyle with only a few possessions fitting into a backpack.

Theo’s lifestyle is not meant as personal criticism, but a critique of the broader commercial system.

Theo once had a heavy keyring to protect his possessions as a jeweler, but losing it brought him happiness and freedom.

Having shaved down his belongings, Theo now only owns 9.6 kg of items, including three pairs of pants and some shirts.

Theo no longer depends on material comforts like a frothy coke, which makes these rare moments even more enjoyable.

Theo volunteers in exchange for food and lodging, working without monetary compensation to beautify gardens.

A garden is heaven for Theo, and he finds a deep connection to nature through gardening.

Theo emphasizes mindfulness in everyday choices, recognizing their impact and importance.

Theo's brother once asked him what he was 'immersed in,' a question that made Theo reflect on the things he chooses to engage with.

Theo realizes he is running away from who he was while running toward something new, transforming through his minimalist journey.

After an exercise by his psychologist, Theo discovered that he is already the person he wants to be, seeing it in his own eyes.

Theo believes hope and joy are interconnected, rooted in his respect for himself and his lifestyle.

Theo experiences synchronicity as a common occurrence in his life, a reflection of the magic and wonder he's tuned into.

Theo advocates for recognizing the inherent worth within ourselves and others, a lesson often learned too late in life.

Transcripts

Joy changes the bones of your face man.

Joy is a giggle...

a giggle and definitely a little bit silly too.

Yeah, joy is an energy.

Joy is our gift.

In the beginning of my current lifestyle

my family were really concerned about me.

They said I’m living in a dream world.

I don’t have dependants. I don’t have children.

If I had, I wouldn’t even have thought of doing this.

It would be extremely irresponsible.

I love people, and I love people that love me too.

And I don’t want them to worry about me.

So I could never have done this

living with somebody that I cared about.

So it’s been a bit of a struggle

in the beginning of my journey as a minimalist

to put everyone that loves me at peace with what I’m doing.

Theo is a traveller.

He owns nothing but the few possessions

which fit into a bag on his back.

Many people find my lifestyle as a form of criticism.

I am. I’m critical.

But I’m not critical personally.

I’m critical to the system.

I don’t find guilt with somebody who’s doing

exactly what they believe in.

They know they’re doing the right thing

according to everything they know.

I respect that.

That’s beautiful.

I don’t support commerce.

As little as possible.

And that makes me a little bit of a freak.

I know the other side of it very well.

I also stood on people for my own comfort.

I was a businessman; I was a jeweller.

I dealt with gold and diamonds and US dollars.

And rubies and tanzanites.

And all the trinkets

throughout the decades of doing that

rest very heavily on my conscience.

The literal mountains of ore

that was dug out of the earth for my sake.

And I justified it through commercial sentences,

corporate sentences.

The one thing that bothered me during my life as a businessman

was my huge keyring, the heavy keyring.

The keys were to protect all I had accumulated.

I had been robbed and I lost everything.

I was happy to lose the keys.

I was very happy.

It was too heavy for me; it was too heavy.

Literally and psychologically.

And without things that were accumulative

I didn’t need keys anymore.

Up to my current lifestyle

where I haven’t had a key in my hand for a long time.

People surround themselves with objects to boost comfort.

I’ve shaved my stuff off.

This is about half of what I own... what I’m wearing here.

One has to be pragmatic.

I cannot appear in public with nothing on.

I have to have clothes.

So at this stage I have three long pants

and I also have a neat shirt or two.

The rest is all thermal underwear, socks, jackets.

That’s all I have.

So when you weigh my entire kit, it weighs 9.6 kg.

So that’s not much.

I don’t depend on something to make me happy.

I don’t have to have a coke with ice in it in a frothy glass.

It’s lovely. But to me, that coke is ten times more delicious

than to somebody who has it often.

And that is a way of describing how things become easier.

Everything becomes easier.

I’m not only a minimalist. I’m a volunteer.

That’s how I keep it going.

This is not my house. I don’t have a house.

I exchange board and lodging, board and keep,

for my volunteering.

Since I’ve started volunteering,

building people gardens and beautifying spaces,

it’s been decades that I’ve worked without numeration.

I’ve just worked for board and keep.

A kiss of the sun for laughter.

A kiss of the moon for mirth.

One is closer to god in a garden

than anywhere else on earth.

I spend my days in gardens.

To me that’s heaven... a garden is heaven.

I think there are some religions who actually see

heaven as a garden.

The passage of time blurs.

When you look again it’s lunchtime.

I call that awareness and consciousness.

To be aware of where you are, here, now.

We have a million little choices every day.

This way? That way? Which foot do you get out of bed with?

It’s non ending.

To me, the deliberation of your choices

and I would actually like to say

the mindfulness of everyday choices...

how much does it matter to you?

Some choices have a much greater impact than others.

And there has to be very real deep reasons

for making those choices.

My brother Richelieu explained it like this.

He said, ‘What are you immersed in Theo?’

And I didn’t quite get what he meant.

But I do now.

I immerse myself in things of my choice.

I’m steeped in it.

And when you’re a teabag steeped in water

tea happens, right.

So I’m a teabag

and I’m forever steeping myself in different situations.

And it must be part of the reason why I wake up with hope

and with joy in the morning.

I’m running away from who I was, definitely.

But I’m also running towards something.

Same action, but it means a little bit different.

The ends are a little bit different.

I’m making sure that I don’t become

the smug, arrogant guy that I knew when I was younger.

When we become at peace with our integrity,

which is our behaviour when no one is watching,

when we become at peace with that

and you know that you are visible anyway,

if only to yourself.

In terms of being who you would like to be...

there’s a little story that happened to me.

I asked my psychologist friend,

‘Hey Anton, do you have any magic?’

‘Or do you always just sit there and listen?’

And he said, ‘I do.’

He set his watch to 40 minutes.

He sent me to my room

to look in a mirror into my own eyes for 40 minutes.

Not at my wrinkles or my facial expression.

But straight into my pupils, into my eyes.

And he asked me to return to him after the 40 minutes

for the magic to happen.

And I did. And then obviously he said,

‘So Theo, what happened?’

Typical of a psychologist... tell me you know...

I said to him, ‘I saw myself.’

And he said, ‘And?’

I said, ‘I’m already who I want to be.’

‘I can see it in my eyes.’

I couldn’t lie to myself.

That keeps me remembering that I’m

actually just in a process, like all of us,

working on ourselves,

becoming more of who we want to be, how we want to be.

I wake up with joy and hope in the mornings.

My joy is based solely on my respect for myself.

For myself to be true to what I believe in.

Enjoying my gift of the ability of living this lifestyle.

Super carefulness, light footedness,

light tread, non invasive,

facilitating, forgiving lifestyle

which shines so brightly to me.

Hope and joy is linked.

My hope has roots... it has foundation.

My hope has a reason.

It’s not just something hanging in the air.

It’s tangible, it’s very real.

And I get proof from it daily.... I get it.

I actually have started living in a world of true magic, wonder.

What people call synchronicity

to me is a common everyday occurrence.

That’s how life works. We’ve just got to tune into it.

We learn this at our death bed, we remember this then...

recognising the preciousness within ourselves and others.

The worth... our inherent, irremovable worth.