The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive. – Thich Nhat Hanh

There are countless ways we can live a minimalist life. Some prefer to live without a car, thereby, having a car-free existence. It’s not for everyone. But for them, this works. I’ll be car-free in January, right before I head overseas to Taiwan for a period of time.

Some prefer to live with under 100 things. It’s not for everyone. But for them, this works. I live with under 100 things, 47 as of now to be exact. And I’ll have an upcoming post on what those 47 items are exactly. It can be done. Living with less. You don’t need more. What you need is what you already have.

Some prefer to live with no TV. It’s not for everyone. But for them, this works. I live with no TV and have been since 2004. Going onto 7 years without a television. Sound crazy? What’s crazy is sitting in front of the television for countless hours of one’s life. Hours you will never get back. Ever. Realize you trade your life energy for random episodes of Family Guy that you’ll forget the moment you turn the TV off.

Some prefer to live simply by eating simply (and getting in great shape all the while). It’s not for everyone. But for them, this works. I’ve rid myself of soda, sugar-laden fruit juices, frozen dinners, and any kind of highly processed and fried foods. Once in a while, I’ll have something that I just really really want. Like some fresh cut fries at the local burger joint across the street. Or an ice cold bottle of classic root beer, my favorite since I was a child. But this is only once in a long while. Not everyday. Not even every week. Not even every month. I can go months and months without such foods.

Is minimalism about deprivation?

Is minimalism about discomfort?

I’ve covered how it is not, in my post Finding Inner Harmony: The Self-Evident Reality of Minimalism.

It’s about finding what works for you. Getting to an inner, quiet place where you find most peace, balance and tranquility. Where you are no longer fighting with your body over foods that are not healthy for you. Where you are no longer fighting with your inner child that just wants everything she or he touches and sees. Where you are no longer fighting yourself, period.

You’ve reached a point where nothing else matters except right here, right now. In this moment. The slow, even breaths you take. As you look around you, observing the amazing miracle that is life.

This miracle that is life is one that should be lived to the very utmost. I believe in this whole heartedly, and that is why I fight for minimalist freedom.

I see an incredible amount of people, a sea of stormy consumers, with credits cards that have thousands of dollars of debt incurred, with houses that are too big for them, that come with looming mortgages that are even bigger, with SUVs that are completely unnecessary to get you from point A to point B, with jobs that are working you dry to the bone, just so you can save just a little bit for that awesome big screen TV you’ve been wanting for months.

I see lives being wasted away, in fruitless attempts at a life we *think* we want, but in reality, our hearts tell us otherwise.

The inner workings of our soul are magnificently greater than our finite human comprehension can ever grasp.

We want something that is bad for us, but why?

We want more than we can possibly need, but why?

We want more money than we ought to live off of, but why?

We want more cooler and hipper clothes to wear, the latest hottest gadgets and gear from Apple, but why?

What we need is what we already have, and that doesn’t include a lot of stuff, period.

What We Need

We need love.

We need kindness.

We need compassion.

We need authenticity.

We need honesty.

We need trust.

And we also need freedom.

Will you do yourself a favor today in freeing yourself of your consumerist tendencies? The tendencies that are so devastatingly destructive? To you and your loved ones?

Such harmful tendencies to hoard, shop, buy not out of need but ill-placed want and desires, and save, save, save … but to what avail? What are you saving for? Have you asked yourself that?

Is it for the retirement you’re saving for? The one in which you can then sit on sandy, white beaches sipping frozen pina coladas under a cool, thatched umbrella? Picture perfect, right?

No. This is what’s called delayed gratification. A deferred-life plan. Not a retirement plan.

Life is what you are experiencing right now. Not next year. Not 3 months from now. Not even tomorrow. But rather, now.

At the end of your life, it is you, and only you, that will pass from this earth.

You can’t bring all your stuff with you. Nor can you bring your family and friends.

Save yourself from more breaking heartache. Rid yourself of your belongings that encumber you and weigh your soul down.

Learn to let go and be free.

For more inspiration, consider purchasing a copy of The Radical Minimalist, my new eBook.

And next Friday, 11/26/10, Inspirations from The Radical Minimalist will be released for free right here. It’s a new companion eBook to The Radical Minimalist, taking the best of the best from a powerful and provocative book. I hope you stop by to download your free copy. And even if you’re too busy shopping during Black Friday (a minimalist’s worst nightmare come true), the eBook will still be available here.

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