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Memory Lane


Growing up, my father and I were not very close. Over the past several years, our relationship has changed a lot for the better. I personally think it's because the older I get, the more we have in common. Living a simple life with less is definitely a topic we both wholeheartedly agree on.

I remember how extremely eager I was and the level of excitement I felt after first stumbling upon minimalism this Spring. I not only wanted to share this amazing feeling and eye-opening experience with my wife, but the rest of my family as well.

My gut feeling told me that my parents would find the minimalist lifestyle to be just as intriguing and appealing as I did. So after being completely captivated by Josh and Ryan's story in Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things, I offered my mom and dad a copy of the movie.

After finishing the film, they seemed to have experienced the same enlightenment and realization as the wife and I had. We were ready to concoct, commit to and execute whatever actions and changes were needed to head down this newly discovered path.

We began our journey by getting rid of all the useless junk in our lives to make room for the meaningful, the valuable and the important things. If it did not bring purpose or joy to our lives, we set it free by letting it go. Donate, sell or trash; those were the three choices.

All four of us have made so many changes over this past year. Not only has minimalism helped us in downsizing and ridding our lives of hundreds of meaningless possessions and trinkets, but it's forced each of us to examine and question our motives, our priorities, our choices, ourselves.

Most of all, it has given us back the most precious resource any person can acquire: time.

For he who has money can buy anything.
But he who has time already has everything.

One thing that living minimal has allowed my wife and I to do is spend more time together actually living... not just wasting time, not just existing, but truly living life.

An example:
This weekend my wife, my parents and I had the pleasure of seeing The Minimalists speak at The House of Blues in Dallas, Texas. It was inspiring, thought provoking and moving! We all walked away feeling even more motivated than before.

The whole experience was amazing and I am so very thankful that my wife and I were able to share it with my parents. We grew as individuals and we also grew closer together as a family. We created a lasting memory that none of us will ever forget.

My advice to you this upcoming week:

Turn your phone off for a little while. Actually... just put it away. Spend time with your friends and family. Enjoy each other's company.

Don't procrastinate when it comes to finding time. Don't wait to make memories. A day will come when memories of those around you will be all that's left.

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