Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.

Every two weeks, I post a list of inspiring articles to help you on your journey to own less.

I do this for two reasons. First, the journey toward owning less is countercultural and encouragement is helpful. Second, I think it is important to draw attention to other writers, journalists, and creators promoting the benefits of minimalism. The increased exposure is an encouragement to them and important for their publishers to see the interest people have in articles that promote simplicity.

This week, maybe more than any other, I had a hard time narrowing down the articles to share. There were so many good ones! So I’ve expanded the list beyond the usual four articles to six. I hope you don’t mind:

Dying in Style | Simplify Magazine by Audrey Parker. This moving piece was written by Audrey during the final week of her life. The focus is on dying well, by learning to live well. It was written for the December 1 issue of the magazine. Because of the nature of the piece, we have made it available to everyone, with or without a subscription.

Here’s why a New Jersey middle school teacher is wearing the same dress for 100 days | Good Morning America by Hayley FitzPatrick. She started the project in early September to show that people shouldn’t be defined or labeled by the clothing they wear.

10 Situations When We Lose Our Common Sense and Buy Useless Stuff | Bright Side. All of us have probably experienced situations where we’ve entered a grocery store to buy bread and left with bags full of different foods. Why does this happen?

An Inventory of All My Possessions, Before and After I Moved Apartments | The New Yorker by Nicole Boyce. I thought I had a decent grasp on the number of things that I owned. But then I moved, and it became clear that I did not.

Stores Use These Tricks to Get You to Spend Money. Don’t Fall For It. | Vox by Chavie Lieber. Two experts explain the psychology of sales, coupons, and gifting.

Why We Buy More Than We Need | Forbes by Joshua Becker. When you stop to think about it, it becomes a very fascinating question. What thinking would compel somebody to spend money on things they didn’t actually need in the first place?

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The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life. My new book will be released on Tuesday, December 18. If you order the book now, you can receive exclusive bonuses to help you minimize your home. Info.

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