As my favorite blogger (Joshua Becker, more about him below) likes to remind us, “Overcoming the pull of consumerism is a difficult challenge” and requires encouragement.
Here are ten (10) people that have inspired me the most during my journey towards a more simplified and meaningful life:
1. Marie Kondo
She helped me really SEE the world from a different perspective. Truly flipped my worldview. She helped me appreciate things like never before and be thankful for the things I owned. After finishing my tidying festival I felt incredibly grateful for everything I had and there was no way I could go back, to forget the experience. And that is the beauty of it.
2.-3. The Minimalists
After reading Marie Kondo’s books I was looking for other sources of inspiration and found The Minimalists. I watched their first documentary “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things” and felt even more validated in my pursuit to give away the excess. There is more to life than things: the important things.
For a long time, their content brought me daily inspiration. I love the song on The Minimalists Podcast! Joshua and Ryan helped me broaden my view of simplicity from things to LIFE.
Documentary: Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things
Podcast: The Minimalists Podcast
Dawn from The Minimal Mom is such an easygoing person who is easy to relate to. She is a mom of four so she is a credible source of information when it comes to simplifying with young children. In her videos, she makes simplifying both casual and fun.
Videos: The Minimal Mom
Bea Johnson helped me see that zero waste can be easier in many regards than “conventional” shopping/living. Her book Zero Waste Home offers very practical advice. She makes zero waste look easy, casual, normal, even cool!
Book: Zero Waste Home
Joshua Becker from Becoming Minimalist is my continued source of inspiration. He is a great writer and writes about a wide range of topics. He also shares stories written by others about simplicity.
Blog: Becoming Minimalist
I read Simplicity Parenting around the same time as Marie Kondo’s book Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It encouraged me to simplify my child’s possessions as well. It also gave me permission to not be everything to my kids. That it’s okay if they don’t have everything. That boredom and simplicity are actually good for kids. I recommend all his books. Each of them has given me the confidence and guidance to parent better and more simply, in all aspects of parenting.
Book: Simplicity Parenting
Podcast: Simplicity Parenting
Michael Pollan’s book In Defence of Food clarified what exactly is food. Growing up in Finland in the 80’s that’s what we had, real food. I remember when the first McDonald’s opened in my town. Food was not a complicated matter back then and it doesn’t have to be now either if you read Pollan’s simple food rules.
Courtney Carver from Be More With Less (love that name!) has such a gentle, soulful way of expressing herself in her books and on her blog. She has introduced several excellent sources of information to me. One of them is Eckhart Tolle. Thank you, Courtney.
Blog: Be More With Less
Book: Soulful Simplicity
10. Eckhart Tolle
This is truly the only advice you need if you’re ready to hear it. Be here now. Not in the future, not in the past but in this moment. Simple but not easy. I especially love listening to his books, which is meditation in itself.
Book: The Power of Now