Listen Now

In this episode, Kristin and Alex’s focus is sentimental value and why it matters to people and their possessions. Alex says that this is a concept she doesn’t really understand, so before delving into the discussion, she retrieves a definition of the term. She feels, for the most part, that everything is replaceable and that she doesn’t have an emotional attachment to things. Kristin and Alex contrast sentimentality vs. nostalgia and give examples from their own lives. Kristin talks about our attachment to music and scents, and Alex speaks about how her mom being a hoarder is possibly the reason why she is not sentimentally attached to items. We then hear about how people hold on to things for different reasons: sometimes because the items have meaning, and sometimes because of not wanting to be wasteful. Kristin mentions a few ways that some sentimental items can be kept useful for a long time and says that if an item brings you real joy, you should keep it. After, Alex brings up that items we may spend a lot of time stressing about now will likely be forgotten by us in a few years. Finally, the girls discuss having experiences and enjoying them without telling other people about them. Quotes  “I don’t want a thing to have that amount of power over me; to make me feel sad that it’s gone.” “It’s like an emotional reaction, so the thought of getting rid of something is like a tragedy; it’s like you’re throwing away the person.” “I think it’s an interesting thing to think about. What can we do for those few items that really mean a lot to preserve them in a way that will stand the test of our time?”

The topic today is how we spend so much time in our lives doing things we don’t want to do, and not enough time doing the things that make us feel good. Though we all wish for the opposite, it’s easier said than done. Kristin and Alex begin the episode by determining the reasons why this applies to them. Having an idealized self is the first factor that Alex brings up because this ties her to responsibilities that prevent her from being mobile. Kristen then talks about how this is similar to her feeling like she doesn’t have time to clean her house, despite it only taking one hour per week. We then listen to how work and money hold a lot of people back from doing what they want, while it is not an important consideration for others. This ushers in a discussion about if the sacrifices to make our ideal life happen are worth it. Quotes  “If you had no obligations, no responsibilities, and limitless funds, is that actually the life that you would choose to live? Would you actually just go live in a van with a dog and a cat, or would you just do that for a little while? “If it’s an hour a week to clean all the common areas in my house, what’s the part that’s keeping me from doing that?” “A lot of it has to do with being able to save money…I’m not great at saving for a long-term thing”

Podcast Summary Kristin’s best friend Alex joins the show for the first episode. Kristin recalls how she first got interested in minimalism and how it opened her eyes. Alex, not a minimalist, asks for clear examples of what minimalism involves, which is helpful for people who are new to this scene.She also recalls a recent day that she felt awful at the end of and how it may relate to minimalism.   Kristin and Alex talk about relaxation and why sometimes it really doesn’t recharge them the way they want it to. Kristin tells us about the Lean Six Sigma and how it is an important part of minimalism.   Quotes “Their story kind of struck me…they had done college time, and then had these very stressful, high-paying careers and were miserable, and depressed, and in terrible relationships, and were like, ‘what the fuck are we even doing with our lives?’”   “It’s like finding the things that bring you joy, and then eliminating the things that detract from that joy.”   “It’s all about what actually adds value to your life, including people, stuff, and how you spend your time.”   https://www.facebook.com/theminimalistlife/ https://www.instagram.com/the_minlife/ https://www.theminimalists.com/