Joshua, Noah, Isaiah, Zachariah, Maria, and Samara,
I’m writing to you about something that’s been on my mind a lot lately. It is a perspective that has gradually reshaped my outlook on life: the philosophy of simplicity. It won’t shock you to learn that it was your mom who inspired my thinking around this viewpoint.
It started years ago after one of her returns from Kenya and was reinforced by our family trip there. Your mom’s trips to Nairobi were far more than just travel experiences. You know that already. But since you were so young, you may not have realized that they were also an awakening to a simpler, more intentional way of living. Watching her dramatic transformations, her extreme decluttering on her returns, and experiencing the profound contentment she derived from this simplicity stirred something in me.
But it didn’t take immediately. It’s an outlook on living I’ve only recently embraced. I can describe it in one sentence: There is a key to happiness locked in actively fighting against a culture designed to extract our money by making us want more and more when we actually would be happier with far less.
In seeking to understand this philosophy, a couple of years ago, I discovered a blog, Becoming Minimalist, which has become a compass for navigating these ideas. It’s not solely about minimalism as a concept of less; it delves deeper, exploring the essence of what brings us true fulfillment and joy beyond material possessions. I think you’ll like it. Start with this post: Inspiring Simplicity. Weekend Reads.
I have chased things too many times in my life.
This is a fact. We live in a world that constantly urges us to acquire more, not so subtly embedding the notion that happiness is just one purchase away. It’s not. This endless pursuit often leads us further from true contentment. The philosophy of simplicity teaches us that true joy lies in letting go, in appreciating the mundane, and in the richness of experiences over possessions. We’ve tried to give those experiences to you, but I’m not sure I’ve done the equally important work of making sure you understood why.
You are all adults now. As each of you continues to step out into the world, you will inevitably encounter its myriad complexities and challenges. Most of them will be beyond your sway. They will simply happen, whether you want them to or not. So you’ll need to control what you can. You can control this: choose to live more simply. It will make a profound difference in your life.
It won’t happen overnight. I’m still learning these lessons. I’m far from where I know I should be on this journey. But I am confident of this – it’s about making conscious choices – choosing to value experiences over excess, to find beauty in simplicity, and to focus on what genuinely brings us happiness. It’s about finding joy in the small stuff and not getting lost in the noise of wanting more. And as technology moves forward at breakneck speeds, this is getting harder and harder to do. You can’t control that either.
My Hope For You All
My sincere hope is that you’ll explore the idea of living more simply. It’s not really about giving up fun or cool stuff; it’s about enjoying life without so much clutter – physical and mental. Start small. Maybe clean out a drawer (or your room 😉), spend a day without your phone, take a hike in complete silence, and see what makes you really happy. You must remove things to understand what you will miss and what’s valuable. You may be surprised by what doesn’t matter.
Your mom and I talk about all of this a lot now. We’re taking some dramatic steps in the near future to embrace this concept of simplicity even further. We will be doubling down on experiences. It will not look “normal.” This I will guarantee. We’re okay with that and hope you will be too.
We want the best for each of you. We think part of that is learning to enjoy the simple things in life. It’s a journey we are on as well, so we can figure it out together. Let’s give it a go, see where it takes us, and remember – the best stuff in life isn’t always stuff.
I love you,
Dad
This post started as a text message in our very large and quite busy family chat. It didn’t get a single written response, just a couple of hearts. So, I decided to turn it into a short essay. 🙂
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