After watching The Minimalists’ documentary Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things on Netflix in 2016, I was excited to watch their most recent film Less Is Now which premiered January 1, 2021. Although there is some overlap in the topics covered in both films, including consumerism, the role of advertising and the media in our consumption patterns, the definition of the “American Dream”, and our insatiable desire for stuff, Less Is Now weaves in the personal stories of The Minimalists Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. The 53-minute documentary also interviews experts and features “everyday” minimalists who changed their lives by living with less.
Although I was familiar with The Minimalists’ stories from their book Everything That Remains as well as their podcast, the film was thought-provoking and helped me think of my minimalism journey in a new way. Five years in, I am still learning so much about how to let go of what I think I need and align my values with my actions, including what I purchase and how I spend my time.
Here are my ten favorite quotes from the movie, in the order in which they appeared.
1. “So the question is not if we are going to change as a society, but how we are going to change, because we are either going to change by design or by disaster.” Annie Leonard, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA
2. “What you don’t want in your life is this endless horizon of aspiration…because that’s just an endless black hole.” Erwin McManus, Founder, MOSAIC
3. “When we get all of the things that we want, we tend to be wrong in the predictions that we made about how happy we would be.” T.K. Coleman, Director, Foundation for Economic Education
4. “You have to learn to contract your ‘needs’ so that you can create a buffer around your life.” Dave Ramsey, Author, The Total Money Makeover
5. “You gave up your independence, you gave up your freedom in return for some stuff that’s gonna be worth nothing in next year’s garage sale.” Dave Ramsey, Author, The Total Money Makeover
6. “We can fall into this trap into trying to buy our way out of the hard times, and it’s often not very successful and very expensive.” Dr. Denaye Barahona, Founder, Simple Families
7. “The best way to know if you have too many things isn’t by waiting to see if you run out of room to keep them, but asking yourself if you’ve run out of purposeful things to do with them.” T.K. Coleman, Director, Foundation for Economic Education
8. “The reason the message of minimalism is so powerful is because we’re bingeing on all the wrong things, and we’re dying of hunger for the things that really matter.” Erwin McManus, Founder, MOSAIC
9. “I realized I could contribute beyond myself if I was willing to let go.” Joshua Fields Millburn, The Minimalists
10. “The more action you take, the more you want to take action.” Joshua Fields Millburn, The Minimalists
Have you seen #lessisnow? What did you think? Please comment with your favorite quote (mine is #7!)
If you are new to minimalism and simple living, check out my Beginner’s Guide or my most popular resource, 50 Questions Minimalists Ask to get you started on your own journey!
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