3605: [Part 2] Does Minimalism Make You Happier? Simplicity and Happiness by Antonia of Balance Through Simplicity

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[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00] This is Optimal Living Daily. Does Minimalism make you happier? Simplicity and Happiness, Part 2, by Antonia Collins of balancethroughsimplicity.com. And I'm Justin Malek. Happy Sunday and welcome back, or welcome for the first time if you're new here. This is where I read to you like a big ongoing audiobook, but from many different authors, and today being a continuation from yesterday. So I recommend listening to yesterday's episode first.

[00:01:21] [SPEAKER_00] If you're all caught up, let's get right to Part 2 and continue optimizing your life. Does Minimalism make you happier? Simplicity and Happiness, Part 2, by Antonia Collins of balancethroughsimplicity.com. Number 5, more gratitude. Look at your life from a different perspective.

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_00] Instead of wishing you had more or different, minimalism encourages you to reassess what you have already. It just depends on what it is that you're needing. Is it more shoes, more gadgets, or is it more time, peace, or love? Gratitude is a powerful mindset that changes how you perceive enough in your life. Number 6, more in tune with my needs.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_00] When my time is less overbooked and I have less pulls on my time and brain, then I can actually listen to my body and what it needs. I'm more aware of what I'm feeling and why, and have space and flexibility to make any changes I need. Number 7, more practiced in saying no. Saying no is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. Far from being selfish or standoffish or ungrateful,

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_00] no is a powerful word to help you create and nurture strong boundaries for your time, home, family, mental health, and more. Number 8, more understanding of what I want from life. If you're deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, you need to start by understanding what you want from life. How else do you know what deserves a space and place in your home and life?

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00] So often we power through life, not really checking to see if we're going in the direction we hoped. Minimalism forces you to check your navigation. And number 9, more understanding of what matters. With everything mentioned comes a greater understanding of what matters to you, to those you love. Avoid a life of regrets, of what ifs and if onlys.

[00:03:31] [SPEAKER_00] Choose life over stuff, what matters to you, instead of what matters to everyone else. Minimalism is not about your stuff. Although the common perception is that minimalism is about getting rid of stuff, I think many of the benefits I've just mentioned don't really have to do with stuff at all. They're about space, time, freedom, flexibility, personal growth, doing more of what we want and less of what we don't,

[00:03:59] [SPEAKER_00] and finding ways to make everyday life a little bit easier with a lot more direction and awareness. Getting rid of stuff is an element of minimalism, but it's by no means the only part. Minimalism is not about your stuff. It's about finding yourself amongst that stuff. A question of approach. Minimalism has changed my life in so many ways for the better.

[00:04:24] [SPEAKER_00] As a busy working parent, it's easier to manage my home, work, kids, and life. Minimalism has made motherhood easier and more enjoyable for me. I can get the house clean and tidy in minutes. We have routines in place to make things run like clockwork, and I have more time for taking care of myself. Minimalist cleaning routines make me happier. I have more energy and time to focus on what's important, my family, my health,

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_00] and enjoy trying new things, learning new skills, and having fun. Life isn't always meant to be serious. I'm definitely more at ease, more satisfied, and more content with my life now than when it was overstretched and overstuffed. Does minimalism make you happier? I think the answer is largely down to how you apply it. If I decided to remove all my furniture, limit my family to a certain number of belongings each,

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00] never go shopping, throw out the TV, or my daughter's prized collection of rocks, or anything totally extreme, then minimalism would probably be a disaster for my family. It just wouldn't be realistic, and there would be many more negatives than positives. How you choose to make minimalism work for you, the approach you take, is the key. And of course, remembering why you wanted to try minimalism in the first place. It's not about your stuff. It's about being clear on what you want from life

[00:05:49] [SPEAKER_00] and creating space, and all its shapes and forms to make that happen. Does minimalism make you happier? If you ask me the question of whether minimalism makes me happier, it's a resounding yes. I have less stress, more ease, peace, and joy in my life. I can be present for the things that are most important to me, my children, my family. Perhaps it might help to turn the question around slightly. What would make you happy? Is it the car, the shoes,

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_00] the gadgets? Or is it more freedom, more time, less hassle, more experiences, more memories, less chasing, less comparing, less trying to do all the things, less burning the candle at both ends only to burn yourself out in the process? A minimalist lifestyle can help you create time for what matters. So does minimalism make you happier? If minimalism is about creating space for a meaningful life, then yes.

[00:06:48] [SPEAKER_00] If it's just because you want to clear a few cupboards and leave it at that, then probably not. The answer really depends on what you want to achieve at the end of it. You just listened to part two of the post titled, Does Minimalism Make You Happier? Simplicity and Happiness? by Antonio Collins of BalancedThroughSimplicity.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. The origins of this podcast were once just a dream.

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[00:09:10] [SPEAKER_00] Go to pesti.com slash old for an extra 10% off your order. That's P-E-S-T-I-E dot com slash O-L-D for an extra 10% off. Thank you again to Antonia. A good point there that if she were to remove her furniture, TV, her daughter's collections, that wouldn't make her or her family happy. Just getting rid of things for the sake of getting rid of them isn't going to do much.

[00:09:39] [SPEAKER_00] You can definitely be unhappy with lots of stuff and then be unhappy after getting rid of lots of stuff. But simplifying can pave the way to figure out what actually does make you happy. Some people like the chase of bigger houses and faster cars. For me, I've always liked the idea of driving something nicer. So what I do is I rent something different on special occasions. That way I don't have to worry about maintenance and higher insurance

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_00] or constantly worrying if I'm going to get a scratch or a dent. And instead enjoy a little bit of time with it and try something else next time. The same thing applies to housing. Maybe all it takes for you is a rental or a vacation here and there because really the more you have, the more there is to take care of. It becomes a never-ending chore of cleaning, taking care of things, and the object starts owning you and your time rather than the other way around.

[00:10:37] [SPEAKER_00] So something to think about today. Thank you for being here and listening every day and I'll be back tomorrow as usual. So I'll see you there where your optimal life awaits.