So it makes sense to carefully consider what we keep in our homes.

Most of us own lots of things that make us feel bad (unused gifts, clothes we don't like or that don't fit, books we’ll never read, etc). And if it’s normal to have hundreds or thousands of possessions, then we are each, at all times, bearing the weight of hundreds or thousands of these relationships. 

Getting rid of stuff can be quite liberating. Much of this process is about deciding who you are and who you’re not going to be. 

You can’t move forward when you’re trying to keep a foot in every door.

Minimalist could be about silencing the noise of an increasingly loud world, about calming the millions of thoughts that flow through my monkey mind and giving yourself permission to slow down and take a breath.

Many people have minimalism forced upon them by circumstance. Poverty and trauma can make frivolous possessions seem like a lifeline instead of a burden.

Although many of today's gurus insist that minimalism is useful regardless of income, they target the affluent. The focus on self-improvement is more about accumulation.

True minimalism is not about throwing things out, but about challenging your beliefs in an attempt to engage with ideas as they are, to not shy away from reality or its lack of answers. 

Underneath the vision of “less” is a mode of living that heightens the miracle of human presence.

1. Keep an ongoing donation box easily accessible:.
2. Instead of keeping things you don’t use or love, get rid of them as soon as you find them.
3. Try decluttering as quickly and efficiently as you can for just 10 minutes a day.
4. Schedule regular times to declutter and stick to them.
5. Use the “one in, one out” rule: Whenever you buy or bring something new into your home, find one thing to get rid of in its place.
6. Make sure you have a place to keep everything you’re choosing to keep.
7. Get things out of your house as soon as possible.
8. Track results. Take before and after pictures.
9. Don’t organize until after you declutter.
10. Use a “maybe box” for items you’re struggling to let go of.
11. Use the 20/20 rule for items you’re keeping “just in case”: It eans if you can replace the item for less than $20 and in less than 20 minutes, don’t keep it “just in case”.

It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much. It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little and living lightly.

• It’s more sustainable.
• It’s easier to organize.
• It’s lower in stress.
• It’s less expensive and less debt.
• It’s less cleaning and maintaining.
• There’s more room for creating, for loved ones, for peace, for doing the things that give you joy.
• There’s more time for getting healthy.

It’s hard to feel peaceful if you punish yourself for making mistakes. You may even end up avoiding risks and new experiences to escape the pain of your own self-judgment. But trying new things not only opens up avenues for you, but also brings a sense of fulfillment in life.

Out of novelty and boredom, we started being part of 'imaginary' groups just because it is cool to do so. There are groups in social media, or in clubs/bars, in which people join due to desire to be accepted.

If we have our friends, family, a career and a few hobbies, we don't need to attach our identity to a group.

Discovering your core values, and having a vision is key to finding your mission.
You have to know where you want to go (Vision) and create a road map that takes you there (Values). Having these foundational pillars in your life makes us less susceptible to what others think and do.

... that no longer inspire you. Just because something made you happy in the past doesn’t mean you have to keep it forever.

Your life has moved on—maybe it’s time for the decoration to do the same. Keeping just the items that mean the most to you will help them to shine.

There are certain places in our homes we tend to leave items out for convenience. By leaving these things out, we think we’re saving time and simplifying our lives. That’s the convenience fallacy. 

W might save a couple of seconds, but the other 99.9 percent of the time, those items just sit there creating a visual distraction. 

You can't just think good thoughts and assume your life will be better. 

We can't just think something. We need to act on it. 

Be an originator of the action, of new ideas and be the first to start something new.

Set an example. No matter what it is, be the first one who does something.