It's a minimalist Monday edition of optimal living daily episode. Six hundred and sixty one does a spark. Joy is around. He caught her in question by Joshua Backer, he's telling minimalist dot com and I'm just a moloch, your personal narrator, reading to every day, just like an audio book, but free of charge, and mostly from blogs, but sometimes from books. I was with permission from the authors, but before we get into it really quick big thanks to fresh books for hobby may bring this in intend to you fresh books as a company, I recommend an use for invoicing, time tracking space tracking and more contract them out totally free for a month. Any kind of payment over by visiting fresh books, dot com slash living now get right to today's pose. As we optimize your life Does this work Why is around a corner in question by Joshua Backer? becoming minimalist, dark home when declaring expert Marie

condo publisher, groundbreaking book, the life changing magic of tidying up hordes of grateful stuffing com, Readers around the world sees regularly. On her question, does the spark joy thousand criterion condo proposed for deciding whether keep something doesnt item in your possession. Give you a little thrill when hold it in your hands if so, hang onto it, if not and so long mustard, colored cardigan with a leather buttons Suddenly, it seem like everyone who is flirting with the notion of declaring their homes began. Talking about joy sparks, surely condo simple question was the razor test I threw indecision about what to keep and what a toss when pursuing us our lifestyle, end of story, or is it Let me begin by saying that to me, any voice calling us to own fewer possessions is a welcome voice. In Amerika, we consume twice as many material goods as we used to Fifty years ago, over there

in period the size of the average american home as nearly tripled, and today the average home contains about three hundred thousand items. Muslims contain more televisions and people about twenty five percent of two car garage. Is dont have room to park, even one car inside them and still one. Of aerial of american households, rents off site storage, the fastest growing segment, commercial real estate industry of the past. For decades Meanwhile, home organization trying to find places for or excess belongings is out. Billion dollar industry, where material overload and it isn't farm like it looks in the commercials We live in a society where families are chronically stressed, tired and rushed with our excessive powers. Since compounding, if not creating the problems. I key achieve Steve how may have led a secret slap when he said then western world we reached peak home furnishings de clutter D. O movement is rapidly catching on as evidence for

apple by the popularity of tiny houses and the growth of organizations such as the national Social professional organizers, international. Those haitian senior move managers, my family, became converse minimalism in two thousand eight after wasted a beautiful Saturday morning, cleaning out my garage and a neighbor. Seeing my frustration made the casual comment maybe no need to own all that stuff. As a survey, the heap of dusty things out my driveway. Cora my I noticed my son playing alone on the swing, sir, in the back yard. I am right, then life changing realisation access possessions do not bring extra happiness into life even worse. They distract us from the things that do Today we live in a small house with only a third of possessions we used to have and we can be happier now that we have more money more time. And more energy for the things that matter most.

Along the way I've seen how condos trademark filter has prompted significant declaring efforts both here and abroad. I am thankful for that. Yet I can't help but bristle the phrasing, because the question does the spark joy may actually rob tidying up of its full potential and our life. Specifically, we get three things wrong when we evaluate our possessions only by asking whether they spark joy or not. Number one we place our own house finish above everything else and continue to define it. Terms of our possessions. Unfortunately, when the predominant question in our mind is, does this make me happy? We routinely fall short of actually realising our happiness. In fact, recent research points to the biological fact that the best way to discover happiness is hell, bring it about in someone else's life number two condo suggested focus does a coal are consumerist EC tendencies only less grade

but wanting less, is even better. Once we overcome the pole, consumption in our lives. We are free to pursue other passions. Unfortunately, the question does a spark joy does little to rewire thinking in that regard. After all, we're standing a department store many things. We pick up spark joy, that's why we leave with so many of them are shopping cards. A number three. The filter may improve the peacefulness of our surroundings, but it does little to ban the trajectory of our life He rarely causes us to evaluate the motivations within that caused the clerk to build in the first place and when we do not diagnose the cause or a quarter problem, we are bound to repeat it. So let me propose an alternative question. For us to ask ourselves who are making the holes and release call on any, particular item in our possession, rather than asking does a spark joy must begin asking. Does it homey fulfil, a greater purpose within my life. As I see it, we should be thinking

not just what we own, but why we want to own it what is our goal in life anyway? What are we hoping to accomplish sure some people may only be interested in the pursuit of personal pleasure by acquiring as much stuff as possible, but I will if they represent a small minority instead, most This desire to make us selfless contribution of some kind to a world at smiling with needs to there's, a my wife came, and I created a nonprofit called the hope of fact that is changing orphan care by providing solutions. Sat mimic the family. We whenever pursue this interest of ours, minimalism hand freed up the time and money to do it? I still be spent Saturday Cleaning and organizing. But today our lives are permanently different, as our lies of a growing number of parents with children around the world. Orphan care is not everybody, action but whatever others feel they were put on the planet to do some of their presence, Things are either directly or indirectly helping them accomplish it, while others,

our holding them back. It makes a best sense to keep warm with our goal in life and get rid of the rest So when you're holding one of your possessions in your hands, ask yourself: does it help me fulfil. My purpose: does help me craft a lifestyle in which I am able to build relationships and care for others or might be able to use my time money and energy and better ways the way obstacles, one by one, then advanced toward your goal. There's a big difference, twin, tidying up your home and freeing up your life instead of merely sparking some joy within yourself light a fire in the world You just listen the post titled? Does a spark joy is around a corner in question, but I shall backer of becoming minimalist Dar com and over give out my sponsor for today, fresh books.

Charge that I recommend trying his tracking expenses every day for just one month, and he do that easily with fresh books without getting frustrated tools like excel fresh books. Is a cloud account in company for small business owners and freelancers is the easiest The system that I've ever seen for tracking expenses busy and use our computer we can use our app, which makes it really easy tracker expenses on ago, which is much better than using a spreadsheet fresh books keys. All your cash flow details in place. You know exactly what invoices you send, whose paid you but anyway or income, is and their mobile. I let you take pictures of your receipts and organizes them for a later, which may claim expenses attacks time a breeze, so try fresh myself for free for a month with no commend. You don't have to enter a credit card just come by fresh books, dot com slash living and enter optimal living daily in the how'd. You hear about a section again as fresh books, dot com, slash living

Now I didn't read that book from the Congo by deftly her. The quote: does a spark joy a lot over the last few months, even in popular culture, play, there's a comic floating around. Where there's a picture of Robert inside a house holding an item he's about to steal and asking: does it spark joy? It's pretty funny, but anyway I get with Joshua, saying it's a fair point, but haven't actually read the book, so I can't tell you if it's worth it or not, definitely heard good things in general wait. I should do if ur today. Thank you for being here listening everyday with me. A great start, too weak

I'll see you tomorrow, we're out them alive, awaits hey. This is Dan from the optimal finance daily podcast, which is a lot like this show, except more focused on personal financed, just in hand picked the best posts he can find from blogs and authors like were meet safety, Mr Money, moustache and more- and I read them team five days a week. So if you enjoy this pod cast come on over and subscribe to optimal financed daily to and together we optimize your financial life, you ve been listening to optimum living daily, be sure they hit the subscriber to stay up to date. On these new episode and heads pod cast doubt how that's o Elsie, I cast doubt com.

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