\n\n\n
![\"essentialism\"](\"http:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/51sSdtnSjL._SX330_BO1204203200_.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nEssentialism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
by Greg Mckeown<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u23f1 15 minutes reading time<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83c\udfa7 Audio version available<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Buy on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSimple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Steve Jobs credits a lot of success to his minimalist lifestyle. Even Apple products are known for their simple designs and intuitive software. His motto was always to \u201csimplify complexity.\u201d He applied this philosophy not only to his business, but also to his home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an interview, former Apple CEO John Scully once said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI remember going into Steve\u2019s house and he had almost no furniture in it. He just had a picture of Einstein, whom he admired greatly, and he had a Tiffany lamp and a chair and a bed. He just didn\u2019t believe in having lots of things around, but he was incredibly careful in what he selected.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This little nugget of advice belongs to American essayist Henry David Thoreau, who was a famous poet, philosopher, and a dedicated minimalist. He liked to write about the life-changing benefits of leading a simple life and how giving up luxuries brought him peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Leonardo DiCaprio is a Hollywood legend. Having appeared in numerous iconic movies such as Titanic, The Wolf of Wallstreet, The Great Gatsby, and others, you would think he has a fleet of cars, a plethora of mansions around the world, and more worldly possessions than he could handle, but that\u2019s far from the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, DiCaprio does cash in those big cheques. However, he approaches spending them in a minimalist way. His drive is to protect the environment, so he constantly donates to environmental charities. You won\u2019t find him driving a Lamborghini any time soon either. His preferred vehicle is a Toyota Prius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The founder of Facebook has a rule that he lives by, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Now, Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s form of minimalism mainly manifests in the way he dresses. He\u2019s famous for wearing various versions of the same shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Why does he do that when he\u2019s one of the top ten richest people in the world?<\/p>\n\n\n\n He says it\u2019s because he wants to clear his life and use his decision making<\/a> power to serve this community instead of his clothing. Zuckerberg feels he\u2019s not doing his job if he spends his energy on things that are, as he says it, \u201csilly or frivolous.\u201d If that means wearing essentially the same thing every day, then so be it. Steve Jobs does the same with his infamous turtlenecks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One day, Mad Men actor Vincent Paul Kartheiser, who plays Pete Campbell, found himself returning from a Golden Globes event. He grumbled, <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey just give you stuff. You don’t want it. You don’t use it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n So one day, he looked around and realized that he just didn\u2019t want this stuff anymore. He started giving away the things he didn\u2019t need to friends and charity stores. If he found something still in its box, he would sell it. If he liked it, he kept it. Eventually, he enjoyed giving away stuff so much that he doesn\u2019t really buy new things anymore. He\u2019s one of the few select Hollywood stars who don\u2019t own a car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSimplify Complexity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Give Up Luxury to Quiet the Mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Give to Charity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Keep a Minimalist Wardrobe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Ask Yourself If You Really Need These Items<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Get Rid of Papers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/snapreads.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/center>\n\n\n\n