3239: The Underappreciated Joy of Keeping Your Tastes Simple by Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist

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[00:00:56] Suche einfach für Good Sleep in deinem Podcast App und entscheide dich, den von Optimal Living Daily zu wählen. Das ist Optimal Living Daily, Episode 3239, The Underappreciated Joy of Keeping Your Tastes Simple, von Joshua Becker von BecomingMinimalist.com und ich bin Justin Malek. Wir gehen direkt in

[00:01:17] heutes Post, während wir dein Leben optimieren. The Underappreciated Joy of Keeping Your Tastes Simple, von Joshua Becker von BecomingMinimalist.com. Plain potato chips and French onion dip. Or on occasion he'd eat a hot dog on a slice of bread.

[00:02:03] Again, these are just my memories. My dad, recently retired, might tell a different story of his lunch menu variety. But this is the endearing image I have of my father as he came home for lunch

[00:02:15] every day. He grew up on a family farm in South Dakota where most lunches were no different than the ones he continues to eat even today. His family upbringing clearly shaped his expectations

[00:02:27] for lunch. I, my father's son after all, have strayed very little from the model he set for me. My lunch almost every day are the leftovers from yesterday's dinner. If there are no leftovers,

[00:02:41] I'll sometimes have a bowl of soup or a tuna fish sandwich. My tastes overall are quite simple. I own a 2005 Honda Accord. I wear a black V-neck t-shirt purchased at the local outlet mall. My

[00:02:56] tennis racket is 20 years old. I order black coffee at coffee shops. And my hair products, a topic of much conversation on YouTube, are bought off the shelf at Target. I appreciate a fancy dinner when I have one, a luxurious hotel should I find myself there, or fine art

[00:03:13] when I view it. But for everyday living, I'm content with simple tastes. Simple tastes, in my opinion, get a bad rap. Some may think I am unrefined for eating leftovers every day for lunch or missing out on the joy of living by not booking expensive accommodations when

[00:03:33] I travel, but I disagree entirely. There are many benefits that accompany having simple tastes. Let me list a few of them for you. Underappreciated joys of simple tastes. Number one, enjoyment is

[00:03:49] easy to find. When your tastes are simple, it's easy to find things you enjoy. I can be just as happy eating leftovers for lunch as I would be sitting down at a fancy restaurant. One is just

[00:04:02] more achievable on a regular basis. Number two, easier to entertain. I'm easy to entertain. If you wanted to treat me for dinner, you should feel no pressure in what you prepare. Truly, serve

[00:04:15] me homemade tacos and I'd be just as happy if you serve me prime rib. Or pick any restaurant for dinner, I'll be happy. Again, don't mishear me on this. I love prime rib. But my tastes are simple.

[00:04:30] Ground beef tacos make me just as happy. Number three, living within your means. As I've written previously, there are benefits to living within your means that go even beyond the subject matter of this article. Freedom, peace and opportunity for example. When your tastes are simple, life costs

[00:04:50] less and living within your means is easier than you might have thought. Number four, less lifestyle inflation. Lifestyle inflation refers to an increase in spending when an individual's income goes up. It's why many are never able to get ahead financially. Personal expenses simply rise with

[00:05:10] personal income. When your tastes are simple, there's less opportunity for lifestyle inflation to take over. Number five, more gratitude. We're faced with two choices every day. One, we can be grateful for the

[00:05:26] things we have or two, we can focus on all the things we wish we had. When you're able to find joy and contentment in the simplest of things, gratitude is an easier choice to make. Number six,

[00:05:40] less influenced by trends, labels and advertising. Too often people pay a premium just for the privilege of becoming a walking billboard. Personally, I'm not impressed by fancy or expensive brands just for the sake of being able to show off the logo. Same with advertising and changing trends.

[00:06:01] As Nate Bergus says, quote, trends exist to make people feel badly about what they don't have, end quote. When your tastes are simple, you're less likely to be influenced by them. Number seven, more opportunity

[00:06:16] to splurge when necessary. There's another benefit of having simple tastes that I should mention. If you're not spending routinely on expensive things, there's more money available to spend when the splurge is truly desired. While my wife and I have always lived on a modest income,

[00:06:35] every five years we take a trip to celebrate a milestone anniversary. Because our tastes are not extravagant on a day-to-day basis, that is something we have always been able to afford. Number eight, easier to make decisions, less time wasted. There is a direct correlation in very

[00:06:54] practical ways between simple tastes and time. For example, it's easier to make decisions when traveling, shopping or even planning tomorrow's lunch at the office. Again, don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy nice things at times, but when you're satisfied with simple

[00:07:13] things on a daily basis, time and money is saved. And number nine, more opportunity for impact. I'm gonna make a bold statement here, take it or leave it. Maybe it's because of my upbringing,

[00:07:28] but when I think of the people I most want to emulate in my life, rarely do I think of the flashy types. I suppose in the moment there is something seductive about the person with the

[00:07:38] expensive car, outfit or drink. But in the long run, it is those who have learned to become content with the simple things in life that inspire the most. It seems to me their simpler tastes

[00:07:52] have provided more opportunity for impact in other ways. There are of course some people who pursue minimalism because of their fancy tastes. Owning fewer items allows them to have higher quality, more expensive things. I understand that fully. But for me, I have a certain level of joy

[00:08:10] and contentment in keeping my tastes simple. I think you will too. You just listened to the post titled The Underappreciated Joy of Keeping Your Tastes Simple by Joshua Becker of becomingminimalist.com

[00:08:28] and I'll be right back with my commentary. Thank you to Joshua. Tough to argue with these ones. Even the one at the end that he said was a bold statement, I tend to agree. If we're not spending

[00:08:41] so much of our lives trying to keep up with the Joneses, trying to buy what others have, do what others do, eat what others eat and so on, it gives us an opportunity to go inward and think about

[00:08:54] what it is we actually desire to do on a less superficial level. Maybe it's giving back or volunteering, helping others, or maybe not and it's something we want to do for ourselves like

[00:09:08] visit a new place or take up a hobby that we never tried before. Either way, it feels like those simple tastes give us space to do more of what we truly want. Now that said, I think there's a

[00:09:21] place where we can be so extreme with this, where we live with almost nothing and don't have a clue what we do want, but that's probably more the exception than the rule. And even there, at least

[00:09:31] that might lead to some self-discovery which could then lead to something profound. But again, probably not very common. I think being a bit more intentional with our time and our wallets is priceless, pun intended. So something to think about today and this weekend. I hope you're having

[00:09:50] a great start to your weekend. Thank you for being here and an extra thank you if you've ever shared this show with someone, that helps so much. Have a great rest of your day and I'll see you over the weekend where your optimal life awaits.