I think I might have frightened my family by reading this one 🙂 . The Minimalist Home was a great read and it certainly left me with lots to think about. We are in the process of getting ready to spend some time away. As we were packing, I told my husband that we should probably get rid of all the clothes that we don’t take with us. He wasn’t amused 🙂
We downsized a few years ago and moved into a smaller home for a season as we seek God’s leading towards either building or buying another home. This season has been sweet as it really has given us some space to evaluate our “stuff”. How much stuff do we really need?
This book was a quick read, but it certainly gave me some things to consider in this season. As we head into the holidays, I definitely want to make sure we are prioritizing the right things. I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…
- Minimalism isn’t about removing things you love. It’s about removing the things that distract you from the things you love. p. 8
- A minimized home is a home that is a joy to come home to and an inspiring place to go out from. p. 18
- Minimizing forces questions of values, meaning, and mission in life. p. 20
- Explain in positive terms what minimalism is — the removing of unnecessary possessions so we can better live the life we want as a family. p. 23
- What it will come down to is this simple question: Do I need this? p. 28
- In psychological theory, the endowment effect is our tendency to consider an object more important than it really is simply because we own it. p. 28
- Never organize what you can discard. p. 30
- We minimize not out of guilt but because of our goals. p. 32
- Not every possession is a belonging. p. 38
- Ask yourself what is really important and then have the courage to build your home and life around that answer. p. 53
- Nobody hangs images on their wall of a hurried, busy, stress-filled life. Nobody displays photos of money. And nobody decorates their homes with pictures of another day at the office. Instead, on our walls, we celebrate family, friends, and faith in a better world. p. 53
- You don’t need more space. You need less stuff. p. 54
- It feels better to do stuff than to have stuff. p. 136
- Moving into a smaller place isn’t confining. It opens up so many new possibilities. p. 190
- I once heard somebody (I wish I could remember who) say, “My dream is to rent an apartment in walking distance of a train station that can take me to an airport, where I can reach anywhere in the world.” p. 202
- The goal of minimalism is not just to own less stuff. The goal is to unburden our lives so we can accomplish more. p. 210
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”