THE SOLUTION TO A SIMPLE, MEANINGFUL, WELL-DESIGNED LIFE /
THE F Ê T E / LIF E PROJECT NO.
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T H I N G S W E WA L K AWAY F R O M Welcome to the Fête/Life Project – a collection of helpful, useful and practical articles that can be applied to life at any time, but especially now. Sourced from the many magazines we have released, our message has never been more relevant or needed by our community today… let’s embrace the simple life and treasure what is truly important – human connection, community, self care and pure acts of kindness. SUPPORT WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST /
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STORY / JOSHUA FIELDS MILLBURN
T H I N G S W E WA L K AWAY F R O M What are you prepared to walk away from? This oft-unasked question shapes one of the most important principles in my life. We are all familiar with the age-old theoretical situation in which our home is burning and we must grab only the things that are most important to us. Similarly, I’m prepared to walk away
Of course, most of us would not dash into
If I bring a new relationship into my world,
the inferno and reach for material things
I know I must earn their love, respect
from nearly anything – even our website,
first – we’d ensure the safety of our loved
and kindness. I also expect they, too, are
teaching, or writing – if need be. Doing
ones and pets. Then, once they were safe,
willing to walk away should I not provide
so safeguards my continued growth and
we’d grab only the irreplaceable things –
the support and understanding they
photo albums, computer hard drives,
require. This means we must both work
family heirlooms. Everything else would
hard to contribute to the relationship.
be lost in the conflagration. I tend to look at this situation a tad differently, though, taking the hypothetical a bit further. There is a scene in Heat in which Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) says, “Allow nothing in your life that you cannot walk out on in 30 seconds flat”. Although my life isn’t anything like McCauley’s (he’s
improves my relationships with others, both of which contribute to a fulfilling life, a life of meaning.
We must communicate and remain
It was C.S. Lewis who, 50 years ago,
cognizant of each other’s needs.
eloquently said, “Don’t let your happiness
And, above all, we must care. These
depend on something you may lose”.
fundaments – love, understanding, caring, communication – build trust, which builds stronger relationships in the long run. It sounds paradoxical, but our willingness
In today’s material world, a world of fear-fuelled clinging, his words seem more apropos than ever.
to walk away actually strengthens our bond with others. And the opposite stance—being chained by obligation
the movie’s bad guy), I share his sentiment. to a relationship—is disingenuous, a false
Almost everything I bring into my life –
material possessions, ideas, habits and even relationships –I must be able to walk away from at a moment’s notice. Many of you will disagree with me because this ideology might sound crass or insensitive, but I’d like to posit that it is actually the opposite… our preparedness to walk away is the ultimate form of caring.
loyalty birthed from pious placation. There are obvious exceptions to this rule. There are certain things we cannot easily walk away from… a marriage, a business partnership, a job that pays the rent, a passion. The key is to have as few exceptions as possible. Naturally, even these exceptions aren’t exceptions for everyone. Marriages often
If I purchase new possessions, I need to
end, as do businesses. People get laid off
make certain I don’t assign them too much
and passions change over time. Even
meaning. Being able to walk away means
though we might not be able to walk away
I won’t ever get too attached to my
from these things in “30 seconds flat,”
THE MINIMALISTS ARE BESTSELLING
belongings and being unattached to stuff
we can ultimately walk away when these
AUTHORS AND INTERNATIONAL
makes our lives tremendously flexible –
situations no longer add value to our
filled with opportunity. If I take on a new idea or habit, I do so because it has the potential to add value to my life. New ideas shape the future me. Same goes for new habits. Over time my ideas change, improve and expand and my current habits get replaced by new habits that continue to help me grow. Our readiness to walk away from ideas or habits means we’re willing to grow – we’re willing to constantly pursue a better version of ourselves.
lives (or worse, when they drain value from our lives). Everything I allow into my life enters it deliberately. If my home was aflame, there’s nothing I own that can’t be replaced – all my photos are scanned.
SPEAKERS, RYAN NICODEMUS AND JOSHUA FIELDS MILLBURN, WHO HAVE BEEN FEATURED ON THE TO D AY S H O W, T I M E M A G A Z I N E, NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET J O U R N A L A N D L . A . W E E K LY. T H E Y HAVE WRIT TEN THREE BOOKS, INCLUDING THE BESTSELLING MEMOIR, EVERY THING THAT
All my important files are backed up.
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And all my stuff has no real meaning.
ABOUT THE IMPORTANT THINGS,
MINIMALISM: A DOCUMENTARY IS AVAIL ABLE TO PURCHASE THROUGH ITUNES AND G O O G L E P L AY. THEMINIMALISTS.COM
ISSUE NO. 27 / FETEPRESS.COM.AU
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