5 SURPRISING Lessons I Learned After Simplifying Life

Summary

This 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

00:00

🌱 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.

05:01

🔍 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.

Keywords

💡Minimalism

Minimalism in this context refers to a lifestyle characterized by minimalism, simplicity, and the intentional promotion of the things that add value to one's life. The video's theme revolves around the narrator's personal journey of embracing minimalism, which led to a significant shift in their values and priorities. For example, the narrator mentions decluttering possessions and prioritizing quality over quantity in friendships, indicating a move towards minimalism.

💡Declutter

Decluttering is the process of removing unnecessary items or distractions from one's life to achieve a more organized and simplified state. In the video, the narrator describes starting to declutter their possessions as a response to realizing that many of their things did not add value to their life, which is a key step in adopting a minimalist lifestyle.

💡Quality over Quantity

This phrase suggests that it is better to have a few things of high quality or value rather than many things of lesser quality. The narrator emphasizes this concept in friendships, indicating a preference for a few meaningful relationships over numerous superficial ones. This reflects the minimalist approach to focusing on what truly enriches one's life.

💡Simplicity

Simplicity, in the context of the video, refers to a state of being that is uncluttered and uncomplicated. The narrator's pursuit of simplicity involves reducing material possessions and focusing on what truly matters, which is a central theme of the video. The concept is exemplified by the narrator's decision to stop wanting a big house and instead focus on being more present in life.

💡Intentional Living

Intentional living is the practice of making conscious choices about how one spends time and resources, aiming to align actions with one's values and goals. The video discusses the narrator's realization that there is no 'perfect' way to live intentionally, but rather it is a personal definition that each individual must discover for themselves.

💡Materialism

Materialism is the importance placed on physical possessions and wealth. The video script critiques materialism by illustrating the narrator's shift away from wanting more material things, such as a better phone or top-quality earphones, towards valuing experiences and personal growth over material possessions.

💡Society's Expectations

Society's expectations refer to the common beliefs or pressures from the community about how one should live or what one should possess. The narrator discusses the struggle with societal norms that encourage constant acquisition and the pressure to always want 'more,' which contrasts with their minimalist journey.

💡Values

Values are the principles or standards of behavior that act as guidelines in one's life. The video emphasizes the importance of reevaluating and understanding one's values, as the narrator did by prioritizing time over money and recognizing what truly brings them happiness and fulfillment.

💡Spirituality

Spirituality in the video is depicted as a personal journey of self-discovery and connection to something greater than oneself. The narrator's simplification of life led to a deeper appreciation for what they have and a greater sense of gratitude, which enhanced their spiritual well-being.

💡Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the current moment. The video mentions the narrator's increased awareness of time and the importance of not always doing something productive, allowing for moments of mental clarity and groundedness, which are aspects of mindfulness.

💡Self-Realization

Self-realization refers to the process of understanding one's true nature or potential. The narrator's journey of simplifying life led to a deeper understanding of their own needs and desires, which is a form of self-realization. It is highlighted when the narrator talks about going beyond material possessions to find fulfillment from within.

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