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08/24/2021

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08/10/2021

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03/13/2020

RECAP 15 MORE TIPS FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF YOUR MINIMALISTS JOURNEY

1. Fewer things does not mean less satisfaction.
2. Find your unique uniform.
3. We find our originality when we own less.
4. Discard it if you’ve thought about doing so five times.
5. If you’ve developed your minimalist skills, you can skip the “see you later” stage.
6. A little inconvenience can make us happier
7. Discard it even if it sparks joy.
8. Minimalism is freedom—the sooner you experience it, the better.
9. Discarding things may leave you with less, but it will never make you a lesser person.
10. Question the conventional ways you’re expected to use things.
11. Don’t think. Discard!
12. Minimalism is not a competition. Don’t boast about how little you have. Don’t judge someone who has more than you.
13. The desire to discard and the desire to possess are flip sides of the same coin.
14. Find your own minimalism.
15. Minimalism is a method and a beginning.

Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

03/12/2020

RECAP: 55 TIPS TO HELP YOU SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR THINGS

1. Discard the preconception that you can’t discard your things.
2. Discarding something takes skill.
3. When you discard something, you gain more than you lose.
4. Ask yourself why you can’t part with your things.
5. Minimizing is difficult, but it’s not impossible.
6. There are limits to the capacity of your brain, your energy, and your time.
7. Discard something right now.
8. There isn’t a single item you’ll regret throwing away.
9. Start with things that are clearly junk.
10. Minimize anything you have in multiples.
11. Get rid of it if you haven’t used it in a year.
12. Discard it if you have it for the sake of appearance.
13. Differentiate between things you want and things you need.
14. Take photos of the items that are tough to part with.
15. It’s easier to revisit your memories once you go digital.
16. Our things are like roommates, except we pay their rent.
17. Organizing is not minimizing.
18. Tackle the nest (storage) before the pest (clutter).
19. Leave your “unused” space empty.
20. Let go of the idea of “someday.”
21. Say goodbye to who you used to be.
22. Discard the things you have already forgotten about.
23. Don’t get creative when you’re trying to discard things.
24. Let go of the idea of getting your money’s worth.
25. There’s no need to stock up.
26. Feeling the spark of joy will help you focus.
27. Auction services are a quick way to part with your possessions.
28. Use auctions to take one last look at your things.
29. Use a pickup service to get rid of your possessions.
30. Don’t get hung up on the prices that you initially paid.
31. Think of stores as your personal warehouses.
32. The city is our personal floor plan.
33. Discard any possessions that you can’t discuss with passion.
34. If you lost it, would you buy it again?
35. If you can’t remember how many presents you’ve given, don’t worry about the gifts you’ve gotten.
36. Try to imagine what the person who passed away would have wanted.
37. Discarding memorabilia is not the same as discarding memories.
38. Our biggest items trigger chain reactions.
39. Our homes aren’t museums; they don’t need collections.
40. Be social; be a borrower.
41. Rent what can be rented.
42. Social media can boost your minimizing motivation.
43. What if you started from scratch?
44. Say “see you later” before you say goodbye.
45. Discard anything that creates visual noise.
46. One in, one out.
47. Avoid the Concorde fallacy.
48. Be quick to admit mistakes. They help you grow.
49. Think of buying as renting.
50. Don’t buy it because it’s cheap. Don’t take it because it’s free.
51. If it’s not a “hell, yes!” it’s a “no.”
52. The things we really need will always find their way back to us.
53. Keep the gratitude.
54. Discarding things can be wasteful. But the guilt that keeps you from minimizing is the true waste.
55. The things we say goodbye to are the things we’ll remember forever

Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

03/11/2020

AFTERWORD AND MAXIMUM THANKS

I’ve become an expert at feeling gratitude, so this is going to be a bit long. I’d like to start by saying that I first came across the term “minimalist” in an article by Naoki Numahata, with whom I now run the Minimal & ism website. The first day I met him, we had an impassioned discussion about minimalism, and it seems like our plans for the website were hatched in that instant. I never believed I was the type of person who had something to offer to others, but I fell in love with writing the blog, which led to the writing of this book. I’m very happy to have made precious friends through minimalism.
I’d also like to thank my employer, Wani Books. They were gracious and supportive when I said—me, an editor—that I wanted to write a book. Everyone must have wondered if I had gone crazy or had only a few months to live, or something. I felt the same way at the time. Had Wani been a bigger company, I probably wouldn’t have had the nerve to say anything about my wish.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Yokouchi, the president of our company; Ms. Aoyagi, who heads editorial and so generously supported my unusual project; and my boss Ms. Ichiboji, editor of the photo collection editorial department. I’d like to thank everyone in editorial for pitching in while I was lost in thought about this book for the whole year.
“What’s so fun about living in an apartment like this?” Mr. Sakurai, head of our sales department, once asked. I’m really glad that we were able to have such active conversations. Let’s go out and sell the book now!
To Mr. Otsuka, the person I kept going back to asking for quote after quote after quote, and everyone in administration: Thank you so much. I hope this book will be something that’ll keep everyone in public relations busy. And to the people in the digital business department, I look forward to releasing this in digital format, too. To the people in finance, I’ll try not to be late with my invoices for this book. Many thanks also to the people in general administration. And to everyone else in our other departments, thank you for your warm words of encouragement. I was happy to hear you say that you were looking forward to publication.

As an editor who usually works behind the scenes, I’m well aware that a book is delivered to our readers after a lot of hard work by many people. Those at Toppan Printing who printed this book, everyone at National Bookbinding who put this work together, those of you at ALEX Corporation who handled the desktop publishing, the people at Tokyo Shuppan Service Center who were responsible for the proofreading, and the people at Taiyo Shoji for always transporting our heavy loads of books—thank you all very much. And last but not least, many thanks to the people who serve as our agents and those of you at the wonderful bookstores. I hope you’ll continue to offer this book to our readers.
I’d also like to thank Steve Jobs and Apple. It’s because of the iPhone and MacBook Air, two truly minimalist products that Mr. Jobs introduced to the world, that I’ve been able to say goodbye to so many of my material possessions, while also being able to write at any location. It’s thanks to Microsoft Word that I was able to write this. I was able to organize my outline thanks to the Tree2 app. Dropbox made it possible to store the material securely. Thanks to the development of various technologies, it’s been possible to do this without the need for extra equipment.
I’d also like to mention my gratitude to Jonathan’s in Meguro for letting me write most of this work at their restaurant and to the Jonathan’s in Fudomae, for letting me write the rest of it at their restaurant. I’m sorry for staying at your establishments for so many hours on end. Half of the reason why I chose to move to Fudomae was because of your restaurant. Thank you also to the Tokyo Metropolitan Library, a library with a wonderful garden where I went every day while writing. I was often inspired by the ducks and turtles that swim leisurely in your pond.
To the many minimalists I’ve had a chance to meet: There were many occasions when I wondered if the changes I’ve mentioned in this book were things that had happened to me alone. I was happy to meet with every single one of you, so kind, generous, and radiant. I got the impression that by reducing your material possessions, all of you had experienced positive changes in your life and were moving forward. To the minimalists with whom I met for the writing of this book: While the contents here are my personal views, I was immensely stimulated by every one of you. I think of all of you as my friends, and I look forward to seeing you again. Hiji, my participation in the “Minimalist Kyoto
Off-Kai” event that you hosted proved to be the first major step that I took. That meeting helped me to change.

To all the minimalists with whom I haven’t had a chance to meet but who have helped with the publicity: I believe that the spread of minimalism will help more people become happy and free. Thank you.
The designer Keito Kuwayama. It’s thanks to Mr. Kuwayama’s God-like swiftness that we managed to work things out in spite of our tight schedule. You work so quickly that I couldn’t help taking a step back in wonder—I’m still amazed. Thank you so much for creating a terrific design so incredibly fast.
Shunsuke Murakami, the editor for this book. I never thought there’d be an editor for an editor. I’m really glad I didn’t have to do everything by myself. If I had, I probably would have fled somewhere by now. There were often times while I was writing this that I wondered if everything was just a figment of my imagination and nothing would be conveyed to anyone. Those were the times when I remembered Mr. Murakami offering words of support and telling me that what I wrote was interesting. I was also elated by the amount of attention that you gave the work as an editor. I’m sorry I was late with the manuscript. Thank you so much.
Thanks also to all my friends and family who helped advertise this book. Please tell me what you think of it; there’s no need to hold back. There’s one thing that I must apologize for: I’ve let go of everything that you’ve given me. I really am sorry about that. I took pictures of everything, remembering the joy I felt when you gave them to me, and I said goodbye to them with feelings of gratitude. I was able to feel tremendous happiness when I first received them from you and again when I let them go. Thank you so much.
And to all my readers. Thank you for reading this book. I’ve shared with you all the thoughts I had as I reduced my material possessions. I hope there might be something, even just a short phrase, that stays with you. I’m sure there are many mistakes in here, which I am fully responsible for, and would appreciate it if you would kindly point them out.
Last, to my late father and my dear, healthy mother: If there’s anything in the book that gives people a sense of freedom, I think it’s the result of your belief not to force your children to do anything and to let them be independent. You allowed me to think for myself. Thank you both from the bottom of my heart.
I would now like to wrap this up with a favorite quote of mine. It’s from a poem that was written by the poet Rūmī.
But I will now close my mouth, hoping that you will open yours.

Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

03/10/2020

MINIMALISM MAXIMIZED THE 40 PERCENT OF HAPPINESS I GET FROM MY ACTIONS

If our environment can only affect our happiness by 10 percent, why spend time accumulating a lot of material possessions? Why not live in a minimalist apartment and free yourself to change your actions, which are 40 percent of your happiness, by saying goodbye to your things?
For me, minimalism was an essential part of my path to happiness. I now live my days feeling greater happiness than I ever have before. I used to be an introvert who didn’t smile or talk very much. People used to say they had no idea what I was thinking, as if I were some sort of robot. But that robot is slowly starting to change.
Because I don’t own very much, I have the luxury of time. I can enjoy the simplicity of my daily life without feeling stressed or overwhelmed. That useless pride has disappeared, and since I’m not self-conscious about appearances, I’ve been able to take the bold step of writing this book.
I have better concentration and I am finally focusing on the work that I’ve always wanted to do. I’m more perceptive of the here and now. I don’t relive past traumas or worry about my uncertain future.
More than anything, though, the biggest change in my behavior since I said goodbye to my things has been the rise of a new sense of everyday gratitude. I am truly moved by my experiences in the present moment, and I find myself walking through life grateful for the friends I have and for those few things I’ve kept.
Minimalism isn’t an objective. It’s a method. There are many important lessons that I’ve learned through minimalism. But if you’ve already learned these lessons and more, you don’t need to become a minimalist. Even I have the freedom to start buying more things, as long as I continue to cherish the important lessons minimalism has taught me.
Minimal & ism, the website that I run with Numahata, was named with the idea that by reducing our things to a minimal state, we can discover what’s really important to us. While following my minimalist path, I think I’ve discovered what’s most important: it’s the people around me.
It’s not just family and friends, or people who are beautiful, talented, or whose opinions match mine. It includes every person I meet today.
What’s important in my life? It’s the person who’s sitting or standing in front of me right now.


Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

03/09/2020

OUR ACTIONS DETERMINE 40 PERCENT OF OUR HAPPINESS

Then comes the remaining 40 percent of what makes us happy, the 40 percent that we can change through our actions. I’ve mentioned a lot of research results on happiness so far. Did you know that the way that people’s happiness is assessed in those studies is actually very simple? The subjects are asked directly. One example might be something like “Looking at things in the long run, are you satisfied with your life?” If people feel happy, neurotransmitters will be released from their brain, which can then be measured to assess whether they’re happy. But while those substances might be possible to detect during those moments when the measurements are taken, it isn’t possible to say whether those results will hold for a long period of time. It isn’t possible to continuously take those measurements throughout the course of people’s lives. In the test, happiness is something that has to be declared individually.
Happiness depends on how you interpret it. Happiness isn’t something outside you; it’s within you. Happiness is always in your heart. Many people have said it in different ways, and they’re all right. Happiness is basically something that each of us can measure only by declaring our own sense of contentment ourselves. A person might be in a difficult situation that looks rough to others, but if they feel that they’re happy, if they’re grateful for their conditions, then that person is happy. That’s why our actions make up 40 percent of our happiness. Happiness isn’t a state that we win by accomplishing certain criteria. Happiness is something that can only be felt in this moment.

YOU DON'T ''BECOME'' HAPPY

A person once said to me that the only thing missing from his life was children. He believed that he would be content when he achieved that objective. Maybe a lot of people feel the same way. Once they achieve some criteria, they will be able to “become” happy.
It’s like reaching the summit of a mountain called “Happy Mountain,” where you’re guaranteed happiness for the rest of your life. Or running a “Happy Marathon,” where you cross the finish line and you’re awarded a medal called “Happiness.” But happiness isn’t on a mountaintop or at a finish line. It isn’t possible to “become” happy. That’s because every achievement can make you happy for a moment, but you’ll soon get used to it. It’ll become a part of your daily life, something that’ll be taken for granted.
Someone who wins the lottery is very fortunate. They will be able to quit their job and not have to worry about their future. They’ll be able to try any of life’s pleasures without financial concerns.

But they can’t accurately imagine how they’ll feel a year after they’ve taken the grand prize, and they’ll likely find that most of their starting joy has faded. We get used to changes, even huge ones. How can someone who wants children, who thinks that kids are all that’s missing from his life, imagine how he will be feeling three years after he has a child?
You don’t “become” happy. Happiness isn’t a reward that you receive for following examples that are set. It doesn’t come attached to certain life achievements, and it isn’t handed to you on a silver platter.

“FEELING'' HAPPY INSTEAD OF ''BECOMING'' HAPPY

I think happiness is something that can only be felt, and it’s only in the present that you can truly experience it. It’s the feeling of delight that you feel from moment to moment. A person who is unhappy now can’t plan to feel happiness tomorrow, the day after, or a year from now, because once that time comes, it will simply be another “now” for them to be unhappy in. To look at it the other way around, there’s nothing extra we need to feel happy in this very moment.
It’s possible for us to always feel happy.

Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

03/08/2020

''FEELING'' HAPPY INSTEAD OF ''BECOMING HAPPY''

LETTING GO OF WHAT HAPPINESS SHOULD BE

Society has embraced a few standard “examples of happiness” that suggest the ways that we should live our lives: Get a stable job, get married, start a family, have two or three kids. Enjoy your grandchildren. That’s widely accepted as a happy life, and most of us (at one point or another) believe we’ll be happy as long as we’re able to achieve those things.
Positive psychology, a branch of psychology aimed at studying satisfaction and fulfillment, reveals a completely different model for happiness. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky says that 50 percent of our happiness is genetically determined, 10 percent by life circumstances and situations, and the remaining 40 percent by our daily actions. “Life circumstances and situations” includes various factors, such as where we live, whether we’re rich or poor, healthy or ill, married or divorced, and so forth.
This is surprising—I’d guess that many people might think happiness would be more like 90 percent life circumstances and situations, and maybe around 10 percent genetics. They might believe anyone who wins the lottery today would live happily ever after. Or maybe just as many people feel that 90 percent of happiness is determined genetically and 10 percent comprises their circumstances. In this case, if you’re incredibly gorgeous, you’d be able to achieve happiness quite easily.

GENETICS DETERMINES 50 PERCENT OF OUR HAPPINESS

Based on studies conducted on identical twins raised in different environments, there seem to be unique standards of happiness that people have that support the concept that genetics determines 50 percent of our happiness. This doesn’t mean that our appearance, intelligence, or coordination determine our happiness—it means that, like our natural body weight, we all have a certain level that our happiness settles at, regardless of the wonderful, or the tragic, events that happen to us.
Fifty percent of our happiness is based on this natural level. From a very early age, we all develop different personalities. For example, some kids are simply quick to smile from the outset. They’re just born that way; they’re not trying to force it to become happy. These are the people who grow up always feeling positive no matter what they may be faced with. They always brighten the mood around them. Without question, people like that really do exist. But we’re not doomed if we’re not one of those people. Remember, genetics accounts for only 50 percent of our happiness.

THE ENVIRONMENT DETERMINES ONLY 10 PERCENT OF OUR HAPPINESS

Our environment is said to influence our happiness by a mere 10 percent. It’s true that our level of happiness improves dramatically if we can secure minimal standards of safety and procure food and a place to sleep. Happiness can be bought with money up to that point. But any improvements in environment after that have little impact on our happiness. Isn’t it strange to think that all those standard life goals—our job, income, home, marital status, whether or not we have kids—only play a 10 percent role in the happiness that we experience?
It’s because we get used to things. No matter how much or how little money we have, whether we live in a mansion on a tropical island or a cramped one- room shack in the freezing tundra, our environment affects our contentment by only 10 percent.
Various studies have confirmed this phenomenon. When a major event first occurs, it’s perceived as a variance, a stimulus. We will be overjoyed if we win the lottery. We may fall into depression if we become seriously ill or lose a loved one. But most of us soon accept our new circumstances and adjust at a surprising speed.
Graduate from a good school, join a good company, get married, have kids, buy a house, save up for retirement, and enjoy grandchildren. That’s a model example of happiness. But no matter how much of this example we achieve, we’ll eventually get used to each new step on the ladder.

Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

03/07/2020

GRATITUDE IS NOT A METHOD

The feeling of gratitude is powerful. I was probably taught about the importance of gratitude during ethics lessons in elementary school, but it had completely slipped my mind. It seems like I took a great detour before I realized the importance of such a plain and simple word.
I decided to make it a habit to feel gratitude. I made up my mind and told myself that I would remember to feel grateful for everything. I thought I could make gratitude a method.
With that in my mind, I was flabbergasted when I read a book by Mitsuro Sato called Kamisama tono Oshaberi (Conversation with God), which explained that you feel true gratitude only when you’re happy.
Let’s try to imagine a situation where we might want to shout, “I’m happy!” Soaking in a spacious open-air bathtub at a nice inn with a fabulous meal waiting for us? I think this is the type of situation where we would certainly feel happy.
It’s easy to focus on your feelings of gratitude if you’re at a terrific inn with a beautiful bath, great food, and a wonderful setting. I probably couldn’t help but murmur to myself that I’m happy in a situation like that, and there would certainly be a sense of gratitude there.
I realized then that gratitude is not a method. It’s a part of happiness—it’s happiness itself. Studies in psychology have shown that the more times people have a chance to be grateful, the happier they’ll be. That isn’t all that surprising when you consider that gratitude is happiness.

FEELING GRATITUDE RIGHT NOW

As we talked about in the last section, we can only experience the present. You can’t vividly relive the past, and you can’t throw yourself into the future. We can only feel what’s happening now, and everything is in the present. What if we were to combine this with an affirmative perspective filled with gratitude?
Let’s just try it for a minute. Let’s try to appreciate the present.
It’s now midnight. I’m sitting at a chain restaurant. It’s lonely because I’m the only customer here … but wait, the place is staying open late just for me. I’m wearing my usual clothes … but they’re wonderfully comfortable no matter how many times I wear them. The waiter was curt to me … but he quickly brought me my meal, and even asked me to enjoy it. The banquette where I’m sitting is boring … but I’m grateful that I can sit here for hours without getting sore. The drink station is the same as it always is … but I can have as many cups of coffee as I want, and the cups and glasses are always nice and clean. I step out of the restaurant and feel a little jealous of all the couples I pass … but I’ve got many wonderful memories, too.
Or maybe I’m in the middle of a commute. It’s my usual route to get to work and I’m pretty much fed up with it. I’m stuck behind someone having trouble with his commuter pass. He probably forgot to add money to it … but these passes are really quite amazing. They’re a wonderful invention, so convenient, and we can even use them to buy things at the kiosks. Two people are standing talking to each other on one side of the escalator while I try to get by … but it’s gratifying to see that they’ve left one side open so others can get through if they’re in a hurry. As usual, the train is absolutely packed … but wait, I’m grateful that there are a lot of people around. I’m glad I’m not the sole survivor of some doomed world that you might see in an apocalyptic movie. It’s so hot today … but once I get to the office, the air conditioners and the fans will be working at full blast. The usual work awaits … but it’s fun and fulfilling if I concentrate. That one person I’m not too crazy about is sure to call with complaints again … but I guess it’s another chance to build my experience and expertise. The other person’s probably tired, too. I wish my subordinates would be more independent … but they’re quick to help without a word of complaint. I’ve been working late continuously and am exhausted … but I’m not sick. I’m in good health and I can do a lot more.
Wow. It’s amazing how much everyday happiness I can feel when I do this.
How about you? When we aim for gratitude right now, we become more positive, tolerant, and generous. Above all, we open ourselves up to everyday happiness, and that openness will eventually change reality.


Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

03/06/2020

I feel true gratitude.

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.
attributed to ALBERT EINSTEIN


THE GRATITUDE THAT COMES FROM HAVING FEW POSSESSIONS

A while back, partway through my minimizing process, I had gotten rid of a lot of things and my apartment had become pretty airy. Lying in bed, I experienced a strange new feeling: for some reason, I was filled with gratitude for all the things that I still had.
It’s something I hadn’t felt when I was always buying more. Back then, I had always been so preoccupied with what I didn’t have that I never even thought about being grateful for what I did have. I had a bed, a desk, and even an air conditioner. I could sleep well, take a shower, prepare my meals, and enjoy my favorite pastimes. It was an apartment where I could relax with peace of mind.
Yet all that stuff actually blocked my gratitude. When would I ever have had the time to thank my TV, my games, my old Blu-ray recorder, my home theater, all the remote controls, and everything else? Gratitude becomes possible only when you don’t have many possessions. I’ve even become grateful for having a roof over my head that protects me from the wind and the rain.

ONLY GRATITUDE CAN COMPETE WITH BOREDOM

Gratitude is the only thing that can prevent the cycle of familiarity leading to boredom that I wrote about in chapter 2. Gratitude allows us to see our everyday life with a fresh perspective—we won’t continue to take things for granted if we become aware of our appreciation for them. Through gratitude, we can trigger sustainable stimulation, which gives us much more peace than the stimulation that we get by buying something new or increasing our stockpile.
We can accumulate as much as we like, but without gratitude we’ll only end up being bored with everything we’ve obtained. Conversely, we can achieve true contentment with few possessions, just so long as we treat them with gratitude.

THE FIVE REFLECTIONS CHANT


There’s a Buddhist chant recited before meals called Gokan no Ge, or the Five Reflections.

1. Reflect upon how the food has come before you—how the food might have been grown, how it was prepared, and how it was brought to you as your meal.
2. Reflect upon your virtues and conduct. Are you worthy of the meal?
3. Focus only on the meal in front of you without rushing through it and without thinking any other thoughts.
4. Eat not from a gourmet perspective, weighing whether the meal is tasty, but simply to support your life.
5. Eat so you are able to pursue the objectives that you would like to achieve.
It’s a powerful chant. Saying the chant before a thousand meals will give you a richer, more satisfying feeling than eating a £500 meal at a restaurant a thousand times.
Steve Jobs is said to have looked in the mirror each morning and asked himself if he would have liked to follow his schedule if it were the last day of his life. He continued to do this for thirty-three years, so he could check whether he was getting off track. The Five Reflections are another way of checking our conduct on a daily basis.
I’m no longer a gourmet foodie. Please don’t get me wrong, I still love to eat good food and I value good ingredients. But now, I spend less time searching online for great places to eat. I’m no longer concerned if people don’t think of me as a connoisseur of good food. As long as I remember to feel grateful for my food, I can focus on whatever I might be served and appreciate it.

Source: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki