Joshua Becker on Minimalism, Decluttering, Faith, Family, and Living with Purpose

Let's start with your book, The Minimalist Home, because you say that our homes are our life's headquarters.

And that makes sense, right? Because that's where everything comes out of.

So how does clutter quietly undermine that emotionally, spiritually, and even relationally?

The best way to think about it is, I think, that we all live finite lives.

We have a finite amount of money, time, energy, even decision-making abilities.

And so what we put inside the boundaries of our life matter quite a bit.

And excess possessions in our homes become a distraction from the life we could be living instead.

Think about it this way.

Everything we own takes money, time, energy, and adds stress to our lives.

Every physical possession we own takes up physical space in our home and mental space in our mind.

And some possessions are needed in order for us to live our best, most fulfilling life.

but excess possessions become a distraction from that better, more fulfilling life that we could live.

That's the best way I can explain

it.

I think that explains it really well.

And I can say personally that I have seen that.

I've seen that I have more time now.

I'm not spending time at TJ Maxx buying more just because it's there or home goods.

And I also know that I'm not having to maintain everything that I own.

It's really very freeing.

So when people start decluttering, Joshua, they usually think it's about stuff.

And for the most part it is.

But what's the deeper issue that you see most often beneath over accumulation?

Yeah, your story is true and is repeated in my life and in countless other people's lives.

I like to say it this way.