Author: Hana Kazazović
I’ve read the book “Everything That Remains: A Memoir by the Minimalists” by Joshua Millburn, one-half of The Minimalists. And I have to say that this is the best book by The Minimalists for me.
I can say that because I’ve read the other two their books – “Minimalism – Living a Meaningful Life” and “Essential Essays”. I’ve written a blog post about changes I want to make after reading “Minimalism – Living a Meaningful Life”.
But this book, “Everything That Remains” is the most inspiring and motivational to me.
Joshua writes about his experience, how he realized what changes he have to make in life to be happier and how he became a minimalist. He writes in a form of memoir, and you can actually sense his feelings which led him to the change. And maybe you can recognize yourself in his problems and discontent.
I recognized myself on many levels, even if I could say that I am not a beginner in a minimalistic style of life. I have been reading about simplifying and minimalism the last couple of years and I already throw away a bunch of things. I reduced my clothes on “acceptable” level and I get rid of most of that I don’t use. I give books after I read them, especially after I got a Kindle (now I mostly read ebooks).
But I still have many things that I don’t actually need. I still have many clothes that I keep “just in case”. I still have a lot of books which I want to read… sometimes. And I want to change that.
After I’ve read this book I feel like I am kind of prepared for improving my minimalist style of life. This book is not manual for a minimalist style of living. This is a story from which you can picture all benefits of this style. When you read about Joshua’s changes, you want the same for yourself.
At least I want that calmness, simplicity, ability to pack your life in a couple of hours and live wherever you want.
I want to be able to keep my apartment tidy without stress and in the short term, and not having a lot of furniture enables that.
The best thing you can learn from Joshua (and Ryan) in this book is that things do not make us happy and how you can actually have less (things) to have more (life).
The only thing I have to figure out is how to transfer all my enthusiasm about minimalism to my husband :) That is something Joshua did not write about so I have to find my own way.
When you read three books from the same authors in one week you can say that you like what they are doing. I can say that I am a big fan actually. The good thing is that I still have to read their blog and listen to podcasts and watch their movie… until they write some new book.
