One Year of Minimal-Living

On April 3, 2018, we drove away from Charleston, SC, with our new tiny home in tow and only a fraction of the belongings we had acquired over the last thirty years. The idea was… having less “stuff” would provide a more fulfilling life. Since today marks our one-year anniversary, we couldn’t think of a more appropriate post to share than the one we published not long after we set-out to make it happen.

Our Tiny Home – Living in 150 Square Feet (published April 29, 2018)

The decision to go in a new direction came only after living too many years of what society considers a “normal” or conventional lifestyle. A life where a person’s success is measured by a title or rank and possessions acquired through over-work, sleep and time deprivation, failing health, neglect of loved ones and debt. This is anything but normal, and not very successful, in our opinion. We were no longer willing to be consumers in a materialistic world, give more of ourselves to co-workers and supervisors than our own flesh and blood, or walk around with our eyes glued to our cell phones and emails. We weren’t happy, so we changed it!

The Plan?

We would let go of the possessions that made us dependent upon a specific source of income. Having less “stuff” meant we wouldn’t have to earn as much money, which meant we wouldn’t have to work as frequently. The result of this trade-off would be more time. In short, we decided to swap our possessions for freedom and experiences.

Did It Work?

Yes it did! The thrill and excitement we felt a year ago while writing that post still exists today. If anything, we’re more excited about what the future holds. We’ve only been at this a very short time, so there’s still a world of things to see and experiences to have. Yes, we have a bucket-list, too. We can sincerely say there’s not a single thing we regret about walking away from our old lives… other than we didn’t do it sooner! We really are The Happiest We’ve Ever Been, With The Least We’ve Ever Had!

 

A favorite saying of ours: “You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need”  -Vernon Howard

To us, this means you’ve succeeded in life when you are finally able to live it free from everything designed to distract you from it. Instead of TV, cell phones, name brands and going into debt to impress others, happiness should be found in the simplicity of life: a walk-through nature, spending time with loved ones, helping others, silence, and even the act of just being still. “Things” will never make you whole, and they will never make you appear as such to someone who already is. What does this saying mean to you?

 

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