2019 - 2020 lost everything, today I can leave from wherever I'm living with my entire life packed in two suitcases within 30 minutes, very liberating.
@@nataliaw.1371I don’t know if this is his experience as well but once you find yourself in that situation that you don’t have anything it actually feels good or at least for me it did and then you don’t want to go back where you were before with all the things that you actually don’t need.
@@nicolasnord5361 thank you :) I see. To me being settled, and my belongings are connected with feeling safe. I don't mean overpossessing, and gathering. Also it's nice to have a place like home.
I live in an Earthquake, Typhoon, and Tsunami prone area here in Japan. My house feels safer if fewer things are around. And i will never ever worry about losing stuff in case these things will hit us someday. I do have my emergency bag with food, documents, and money in it just in case. I just realized that the most important thing in my life is my safety, my sanity, my means of communication, and my digital books. 😆 i am always ready to start from scratch. 👍 very liberating. 😆
I think the majority of the presentation was that of understanding that you’re not the same person and to embrace life changes. Too hold onto things for self acclaimation or things that could be, would be or maybe used are better off tossed. It’s accepting that you’re not the same as you were X yrs ago. And you don’t have to hang on. It’s in your heart.
Fun story, Ms Yuh! I did this with 3 suitcases in 2007 (1 big & 2 littles) & yes, I felt liberated! I still lament sometimes over the things I sold -- but the thought that I didn't want to be 80-something & just have "things" instead of travel experiences ALWAYS takes prescedence over "MY things."
I love being a minimalist, free of clutter, but the true thing to renounce is _attachment_ to things, and thoughts themselves. Objects are not the issue, it's our attachment and thoughts about them. That is where the 'rubber meets the road' and the true point of freedom
I got divorced recently, and I'm moving across the ocean from the US to the UK very soon. Honestly, my ex absolutely screwed me over and most of my friends saw me as a bit of a pushover for not fighting for more. But, you know what, I left that relationship and I'm leaving this country with 2 suitcases, my dog, my cat, and my sanity/self-respect. And that is more freeing than I can ever explain.
Incredible. This may very well be one of the most significant paradigm shifts of my entire life. I am deeply grateful for your TedTalk Eagranie. Bravo!
Love it! Less is more. By letting go of excess, you create space and freedom for yourself." Letting go of the past frees you to move forward. Your identity is no longer tied to status or position, allowing you to embrace change and progress.”
I’ve lost every single thing I owned besides the clothes on my back due to a house fire in 2006. It was traumatizing yet cleansing and freeing at the same time!ripped away the unnecessary and allowed me to see the necessary firsthand. All this while being a single teen mom dirt poor.
I was mesmerized as you pinpointed sentiments about myself and my “stuff” that I could never quite understand. I too have moved through many professional versions of myself. At every turn, I was unwilling to shed my old identities. A licensed version of Adobe Creative Suite from 2010 still sits on my bookshelf because it makes me feel like I’m still a graphic designer even though my last paid design project was almost a decade ago. Thank you for sharing the process you went through. It has inspired me to take that first step.
When you said you took box number one and tossed it in the recycle bin - I felt that, physically stopped my breath for a moment. could I do that? And yet... years ago when my husband and I went for an extended sailing sabbatical, and everything we owned fit on that 36' sailboat, it was liberating. I never felt freer. The things you own end up owning you. Enlightening to see how much I've changed over these years.
I live in the Philippines, there's always typhoon and flood in our area. I only have few possessions in my house and they are essentials and what I only need. It's easier for me to carry them in case of emergency. I give more importance for myself and my family's health. I spend on supplements, healthy food and healthy habits. Also, we make sure that we travel once in a while to make wonderful memories together. We invest more on good relationships and life experiences. ❤
Incredibly powerful. Thank you! I am currently struggling with this very issue and though I’ve downsized next to nothing for day to day, circumstances are forcing me to look at, yes my paper mostly, and those are the “things” I pay (storage) to hold on to. Ridiculous when I write it out loud.
I sold everything and have been slow-traveling the world with 1 suitcase and a laptop bag for the last 2 years, and I feel as free as a bird. I have zero desire for material things beyond the basic necessities.
@realrhodes Nope. Got a vasectomy in my early 20s as part of the early retirement plan. Best decision of my life, as far as I'm concerned. I love kids, just don't want my own.
A couple of years ago, at the age of 43 (therefore old enough to have accumulated a lot of stuff), moved from a two bed house with a shed to a single room in a shared house. This forced me to get rid of a lot. Three years later I have embraced to “say no to stuff” mentality and I really think before I buy things. I ask myself if I really need or love it. Will it become stuff or will it be a valuable possession? I absolutely loved this talk and I highly recommend this way of living to anyone and everyone. We need much less than we think.
Very nicely done. Not only am I getting rid of stuff, literally, as I paused to listen to this video..... I declare to the decree of the Lord, that I too will get to check off the list "TED speaker" as a lifelong aspiration. God, do Your thing! Great job again ~ Eagraine 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Very well done!
"It's a talisman" --- oof. That. Got. Me. Just cut through me right to the core of why I hold on to so many sentimental but sometimes odd (lol) things. What an enlightening talk. Thank you. x
I think the minimalist approach can be liberating, but I also think that there are a lot of people out there like me who have a lot of hobbies and a lot of associated gear/equipment/stuff to support those hobbies. Yea I could get rid of 99% of my stuff, but that would also entail ditching 99% of my hobbies.
I'm in the same boat, rotating hobbies, some are seasonal, some I just phase in and out of, so things certainly get boxed up for periods, but getting rid of it would leave me buying those things all over again in a few months when it started up again, and would be incredibly impractical and wasteful - but excellent talk nonetheless ^^ I do agree sometimes stuff can hold one back.
Her talk is for people like me. I have a doll collection given to me by my parents. I keep them because my parents gave them to me because they love me. Do I look at them? No. They are boxed up. Did my kids want them? No. Would anyone? Unknown. Do I need to keep carrying them? I already had one heart attack. Am I really going to leave my art supplies, instruments, doll collection, books, china and silver we don't use, table cloths and placemats, multiples of this or that for my kids to sort?
I had a hard time letting go of hobbies I had tried but didn’t stick. Her point about letting go of past versions of myself really resonated. I have an unfinished quilt top that has been sitting in a drawer for almost 20 years. Every time I open the drawer I feel bad that project isn’t completed. I dust my sewing machine. Time to let go of this version of myself and move on.
I had 3 main hobbies in my life: crocheting, guitar playing and electronics. The Guitar is not really a problem, but crochet and electronics can take a loot of space. I ended up giving up of crocheting because I moved 7 times in the last 7 years. But I really drag all my electronics stuff with me. I tried several times to change hobby to something more digital, like programming or digital art, but I also work on a computer and after several hours I really can't stare at it anymore. I really miss my crocheting times. I really hope one day I'll have a stable house where I can keep all my stuff and just be in my hobbies in peace.
I’ve lost a lot of things I’d like growing up and now it’s hard getting rid of certain things. I’ve been slowly decluttering for a couple of years now. It does feel freeing and hope to greatly continue.
It's incredible how we tend to thing we need so many things to have a life. This until you are hit by something that proves you wrong. We need so little to be happy that the system doesn't want us to know. It's a wonderful journey traveling light.
I am LITERALLY going through STUFF and boxes right now-- the last Cali evacuation made me realize - as I left with very little -- I don’t need anything but my family , my cat , my purse, my phone & passport . FREEDOM!! (I think my husbands prayers are coming true …😅)
A relative of mine associates specific memories with each thing in her home. So she is terrified to throw anything out and is an actual hoarder. Throwing those things out let us become someone new. “There is a little bit of us in all of our stuff.“
Très vrai! La vie matérielle nous encombre beaucoup. Il est important de faire le ménage dans nos affaires. Vivre simplement. La simplicité est vraiment la libération. ❤❤❤
Wonderful talk. I felt my shoulders drop just listening. And then Temu ads violently interject Eagranie's moving reflections. That's one way to drive the point home!😆
In 2020 we decided to move countries and start a new life. It appealed to the minimalist in me: this idea of starting anew. Getting rid of stuff in an ecologically conscious way is not easy, especially now that we know that most of donated clothing too ends up in the landfill. It was during the pandemic so the charity shops in the UK were closed, but our local free share group came in handy. I got rid of literally all my clothes: they weren't fitting well post pregnancy. But I still miss maybe one or two items. Furniture I don't: I think I had outgrown most of it already. But it wasn't so easy to restock on the other end where second hand economy isn't so accessible. Also, sometimes when there's been a lot of change, it's worth it to keep some souvenirs from the past self: to remind you where you came from. At least I like to.
As a practicing minimalist, I felt it when I look around for things to get rid off I'm disappointed that I still need those things, or at least I think I still need.
As one who's necessarily had to downsize each time I moved cities, I've noticed the amount of money I've wasted replacing things I had prior, and wanted again. I also find myself thinking about irreplaceable items I've given away or left behind on occasion. Some like the ultra minimalist lifestyle. I don't. But before you rent storage, do a cost analysis because after a certain point, you might as well buy everything new again as long as the items aren't sentimental or irreplaceable.
I absolutely you. When we action everything can think paramount deep. Each activity us will decided by think. Perhaps you doubt, strict ,…but when had decided don’t regret about it. Life is a journey.
Right, but it’s not a dichotomy where you either go ultra minimalist or keep everything. There’s plenty of space in between to pair down while still hanging onto the things that you love or need
thank you for your comment. i feel like i’ve seen a sea of remarks about how people embrace minimalism and never looked back!! no regrets!! but i have moved 8 times since 2018 (got married and had kids in that time) and i regret getting rid of things and feel a pang of guilt when i have to buy something again that i had gotten rid of.
My home was hit by a tornado several months ago. Each family member basically took one bag of items to our temporary housing while our home is rebuilt. Everything else was either destroyed or cleaned and moved to storage. With the exception of a chest full of family photos, I don’t even need the rest.
I actually did it. When the war started i left my home, my car, my job, everything. I had just small bag, not suitcase and 2 k.dollars. i really started my life from zero. New contry , no language, no money,no skills. So it's not a fantasy its a real life.
Thank you for your insight if everyone isn't ready for that a good place to start is if you haven't used or thought about it in a month get rid of it ❤
I can't really relate to her version of "stuff" as mine is so different. I am recently retired at 63 with no kids. I am also an only child. I have family antiques/momentos/keepsakes/jewelry and a vast collection of high fashion clothes/shoes/handbags. I have a large home and a storage unit. I have started getting rid of it all. It is a challenge.
I am going though this situation right now. When I was young I moved out of my parents house with only a hand luggage. And I never bothered. I built my life in another country. But now I got extremely attached to the few I have. For some reason, I feel that my value is in that stuff. That 300 euros piece of furniture... That was 30 hours of work and if I throw it away I'll have to work it again. I can't just leave stuff at my parents place because they live across the ocean, so every time I have to move I have to throw a lot away. The worst is that, every time I move, I believe it will be the last time but then something happens and I have to move again. It is getting tiring to drag all my stuff around every time and I know I should reduce. I try to take pictures of memorable things, change hobbies, etc. But it really hurts every time I have to throw something away I know I had to work for. The problem is not living with few. I have done it and I know I could do it again. But back then it was my parents stuff. Now it is the stuff I worked for and I feel my value is in there.
what about when you have kids? how are families doing this? Beach stuff? treasures? books? toys ? etc... Help me . I feel claustrophobic with all the stuff i feel i need because of my family.
I love this presentation. I am a victim of collecting items and I have a hard time letting go of things. I’m learning I have to make room for the new me. Baby steps.
I know people who have lived in 10+ different places staying less than a year in each and now they are so glad to settle down some roots, counting 4 yrs. now.
I shed, donate, give away, repurpose, I liked how I lived a minimalist life. I had more money in my teens, 20,30s because of traveling lightly. I found it's healthy to give my things away. I love a few basics new, some clothes from goodwill and hiking sandals are such neutral shopping. Shopping with a purpose.
Thank you. We have gotten rid of so many things in the midst of an upcoming cross-country move MI to NV! Of course, most of our cold weather items...gone. ❤
I already did the minimalism thing. Yes, owning less is liberating. However; I use almost all my stuff. Yes- actually! It’s mostly hobby related and books. If I don’t/won’t use it in the next year, bye!!
I did this in 2022. Me, my husband and 2 kids moved abroad with only 2 suitcases. All the stuff and our apartment were left in Russia. I think, forever
We moved to an island, too 🙂 so, it was too expensive to bring a large amount of things. I already moved with "one suitcase" when I was 13 so because of my prior experience I didn't feel much sad this time
Very thought provoking! I keep ALL types of REMNANTS for everything that was apart of my world. I am finally cleaning my clutter! Good speaking and Thanks for sharing.
How do you get rid of books? I am a researcher and I need my books. Plus I like reading a wide variety of books. I *cannot* read on e-devices. Ive tried them all, I hate them. I have to move to a smaller apartment now as rents have increased but I am not ditching my books yet again for a move. I guess Ill live with 99% of my stuff... But i do try to downsize other things like a corporate downsize. 10% staff/things must go. Or 20%. And then they do...
This feels like something that only rich people can do and have it feel “liberating.” Like…why is she and her family moving to Tasmania? And even with just a suitcase….ya have to have money to movie and set up all over again.
Wow. It seems the IQ of most of the people in the comments is pretty low. Did you not watch the whole thing? Did you not understand the bigger point she was making. Did you not hear the part when she specifically said the talk is not about packing up and moving to another country?
Good & meaningful speech but she left out something very important, what the whole thing was about! What did she decide on to put in that suitcase?? I struggle with “stuff” I don’t need & when I come across something I forgot about I get a rush from the flood of memories & feelings. It all will go in a dumpster when I’m gone though because it is nothing but junk to anyone but me…
I assume that once in Tasmania she had to acquire stuff again in order to cook sleep clean sit and generally function. Radical actions are so appealing . Let it all go! Live unfettered by your past your things and so on. But you will need some stuff to get by to create to focus and act on. I don't think living in a bubble empty of every vestige of your life and starting again from scratch makes sense.
That was amazing, however, I wonder how much stuff you have accumulated after that!? I have done that when I moved from Brazil to Seattle. And then again when I moved from Seattle to Calgary. Now I need to do it one more time to move to Vancouver, except that this time is not a matter of what I can or cannot take with me. This time is my mental state of being longing to have only what I need!
In prosperous societies, we have collected memories, goods, decorative objects, furniture, etc. Many do not have and have not had large funds, but what has been acquired or produced in other ways is valuable in many ways. Since we've gotten to this point and have used little or a lot of our own resources, it seems wrong to just throw things away, because only now do we want to get rid of them, to feel better or freer. Through recycling, someone can use our goods for free or for compensation. Nature conservation and pollution prevention are many actions. If our identity changes and things change with it, we still don't have to throw away and consume something new. There should be some kind of brake on all the spending, you have to know how to hold back in the commercialism of the consumer society. Well, if we've somehow managed to achieve a more blissful feeling by throwing things away or in some other way, the old stuff has been replaced by an accelerating consumption compulsion related to information technology, hysteria, which constantly demands a newer version of this or that or other peripheral technology, security, insurance... Can anything/ anyone save humans from this?
Thank you for your comment and verbalizing what many of us are thinking. I have been "free range" and it's not pleasant. Due to divorce. In today's financial environment, many are free range due to various reasons. People "glamorize " the hobo experience. It is actually quite a bit more expensive than people realize. And far riskier and unsafe. Try sleeping in a car behind a gym during a CATEGORY 5 Hurricane. NOT PLEASANT.
@@onusnousYou absolutely do not need to do that. I live in Florida and that is why our society has hurricane shelters. If you’ve chosen to stay in your car, that’s a decision you have made.
It’s not about “having nothing” it’s about having things that we think we need because the lifestyle of having a lot of things we want not just need is romanticized and desired. There’s nothing wrong with having things we want but overconsumption is a real problem
My room, specifically the table has a lot of old stuff of my sisters crafts. She was into DIY for years but time flies so fast and now she’s into something other than crafting. It’s me, holding back with those random things. I did get rid of things months ago so I might try it tomorrow.
I guess this is all very very dependant on how much 'stuff' you actually have, how much of that stuff really means something to you and how much of it you are willing to give up and finally if you really need to get rid of any/some/or all of it. Really this seems more like an academic project or study rather than anything meaningful or worthwhile.
My dream version of minimalism -- " I will get rid of ALL MY STUFF with just a wallet ( not a suitcase)." How can that be? In my wallet I have my passport, my cellphone, and my cards (debit and credit cards). I will let go of all stuff but I hoarded money. 🤑
Dealing with the sentimental stuff is hard, so i end up doing nothing as the piles around me grow. It's horrible. I have a baby grand piano that I'm not motivated to play because there's too much stuff blocking access to it.😢
By December 2024 i want to have downsized that all my clothes will fit into a carry-on suitcase, i will have basic kitchen items that will fit in ny campervan and i will have let go of 99% of all my possessions. I live in Australia in a cyclone season. The only things i will have is what i can pack in my van in 1 hour and live with basic items that i will use. Oh and ny little dogs they have their bed area in the van with their food bowl.
I m an unsuccessful artist and i draw and paint every day ;doing art brings me zero joy, but I cant stop and do not want to. I cant get rid of my mess, mostly art supplies, if I did I would clearly walk into the ocean even though I would have to drive there and I dont have a car. 😐
So very challenging to shred old tax returns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have our very first tax return and neeeeeeed to go ahead and shred it. If I do.........its like that part of our life did not happen. so many emotions!!!!!Yes snip the strings. I did swap my knitting for crocheting too. TYsm
Choosing to get rid of possessions is often a privilege… losing everything because your home burned to the ground likely doesn’t feel liberating to most people. People talk about this now as if it’s a badge of courage and they are somehow spiritually leveled up. I lived in a 27’ travel trailer for 4 years. I had one pot, one pan. But I was building my dream home. It was challenging but it was a choice of privilege.
He lifted a hand and turned and went on. He had divested himself of the little cloaked godlet and his other amulets in a place where they would not be found in his lifetime and he'd taken for talisman the simple human heart within him. Walking down the little street for the last time he felt everything fall away from him. Until there was nothing left of him to shed. It was all gone. No trail, no track. The spoor petered out down there on Front Street where things he'd been lay like paper shadows, a few here, they thin out. After that nothing. A few rumors. Idle word on the wind. Old news years in traveling that you could not put stock in. - Suttree
If you get rid of stuff you don't have to clean or organize it. If you don't have to clean or organize it you can go to bed earlier or spend more time resting. 😀
I am cleaning out my late grandma's apartment to realize that must of her possessions are going to donation or the bin...all those notes all those books ...bin...so why should we carry them when we are alive and even pass the burden to our children or grandchildren...
@@USmetallist i must agree with you in 50 % of the cases. But, for the other half, specially for older people, it was a choice indeed. "Should i stay with my stuff here, or should i pack my documents and water and go west". And believe me, 50/50 is not a guess. There are still a lot of us, who stay and hold to the stuff.
9:48 “It turns out, that getting rid of your stuff is really fun. It’s freeing. It is liberating.” Not. My. Experience. Speak for yourself, rather than using the second person to tell me that getting rid of MY stuff is “fun.”
I hope you realize this is just one person‘s perspective. You are free to watch it or not watch it, take her advice or not, adjust what she saying to fit your circumstances or not. Why leave a negative comment when you have all those choices?
I get it but if you live in a house you will need a mattress, a refrigerator, probably a table, some chair and a couch, some kitchen stuff. If you don’t own it you will be using someone else’s. But with clothes and sentimental items, photos, books and documents-yes you can be minimal.
Interesting witness protection reveal, why the need to get rid of every possession and make "new identities" hmm?? '"Two years ago, my family and I moved .. and we each got one suitcase. Hearing this, you might think" .. WHAT DO YOU KNOW
I have a lot of stuff. Some of it is from emotional things and some is from having what I need to function like kitchen items, linens, clothing, food supplies and personal items, computer systems and related tools, hobby supplies, yard maintenance items, home repair tools, etc. I understood how eliminating emotional stuff can be freeing, but trashing perfectly good things I use regularly sounds wasteful and costly as I will need to buy new ones. I believe firmly in waste not, want not.
Show me where in her talk she said you should get rid of things you use. So many people in the comments completely missing the bigger point here. Also, I can just sense in your words that you’re in a bit of denial and might be a bit of a hoarder. I bet you have some room to make your life less cluttered and still keep things you need or enjoy
@pensive-penguin it was a good presentation in many ways, but I definitely got the impression that getting rid of the majority of one's belongings was the advice, even if one didn't get rid of as much as 99%. Sounds like you didn't receive the same impression which is reasonable. And, I do throw away, recycle, or give away things I no longer need or use as quickly as possible. Go, Teams Clean and MoneyWise! No need to suggest I'm a hoarder, but thank you for your concern.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
2019 - 2020 lost everything, today I can leave from wherever I'm living with my entire life packed in two suitcases within
30 minutes, very liberating.
🙏🏾
Why? You do not want to settle again?
@@nataliaw.1371I don’t know if this is his experience as well but once you find yourself in that situation that you don’t have anything it actually feels good or at least for me it did and then you don’t want to go back where you were before with all the things that you actually don’t need.
@@nicolasnord5361 thank you :) I see. To me being settled, and my belongings are connected with feeling safe. I don't mean overpossessing, and gathering. Also it's nice to have a place like home.
Me too
I live in an Earthquake, Typhoon, and Tsunami prone area here in Japan. My house feels safer if fewer things are around. And i will never ever worry about losing stuff in case these things will hit us someday. I do have my emergency bag with food, documents, and money in it just in case. I just realized that the most important thing in my life is my safety, my sanity, my means of communication, and my digital books. 😆 i am always ready to start from scratch. 👍 very liberating. 😆
So smart!
but do you live in an area where your life is always at risk more than in many other places.
All she had to do was scan everything to digital and throw away the hard copy
Totally agree
Thanks. I live in Southern California, which is also earthquake country. I appreciate your tips.
I think the majority of the presentation was that of understanding that you’re not the same person and to embrace life changes. Too hold onto things for self acclaimation or things that could be, would be or maybe used are better off tossed.
It’s accepting that you’re not the same as you were X yrs ago. And you don’t have to hang on. It’s in your heart.
Great comment!
Fun story, Ms Yuh! I did this with 3 suitcases in 2007 (1 big & 2 littles) & yes, I felt liberated! I still lament sometimes over the things I sold -- but the thought that I didn't want to be 80-something & just have "things" instead of travel experiences ALWAYS takes prescedence over "MY things."
I love being a minimalist, free of clutter, but the true thing to renounce is _attachment_ to things, and thoughts themselves. Objects are not the issue, it's our attachment and thoughts about them. That is where the 'rubber meets the road' and the true point of freedom
❤ my dog had me realise how very little is needed in life to feel wholesome and still love life!
Yes. ..and my lovable beautiful worthy cats.
I too recently had a situation where I was shown just how much I love my pup. I've had her for 10 years. Time goes by so fast💙🩵💜
Cute
I got divorced recently, and I'm moving across the ocean from the US to the UK very soon. Honestly, my ex absolutely screwed me over and most of my friends saw me as a bit of a pushover for not fighting for more. But, you know what, I left that relationship and I'm leaving this country with 2 suitcases, my dog, my cat, and my sanity/self-respect. And that is more freeing than I can ever explain.
This!!!
Incredible. This may very well be one of the most significant paradigm shifts of my entire life. I am deeply grateful for your TedTalk Eagranie. Bravo!
Love it! Less is more. By letting go of excess, you create space and freedom for yourself."
Letting go of the past frees you to move forward. Your identity is no longer tied to status or position, allowing you to embrace change and progress.”
I’ve lost every single thing I owned besides the clothes on my back due to a house fire in 2006. It was traumatizing yet cleansing and freeing at the same time!ripped away the unnecessary and allowed me to see the necessary firsthand. All this while being a single teen mom dirt poor.
I was mesmerized as you pinpointed sentiments about myself and my “stuff” that I could never quite understand. I too have moved through many professional versions of myself. At every turn, I was unwilling to shed my old identities. A licensed version of Adobe Creative Suite from 2010 still sits on my bookshelf because it makes me feel like I’m still a graphic designer even though my last paid design project was almost a decade ago. Thank you for sharing the process you went through. It has inspired me to take that first step.
I have the same 2010 ACS in a drawer, I hear you! :)
When you said you took box number one and tossed it in the recycle bin - I felt that, physically stopped my breath for a moment. could I do that? And yet... years ago when my husband and I went for an extended sailing sabbatical, and everything we owned fit on that 36' sailboat, it was liberating. I never felt freer. The things you own end up owning you. Enlightening to see how much I've changed over these years.
I live in the Philippines, there's always typhoon and flood in our area. I only have few possessions in my house and they are essentials and what I only need. It's easier for me to carry them in case of emergency. I give more importance for myself and my family's health. I spend on supplements, healthy food and healthy habits. Also, we make sure that we travel once in a while to make wonderful memories together. We invest more on good relationships and life experiences. ❤
Love this!
Incredibly powerful. Thank you! I am currently struggling with this very issue and though I’ve downsized next to nothing for day to day, circumstances are forcing me to look at, yes my paper mostly, and those are the “things” I pay (storage) to hold on to. Ridiculous when I write it out loud.
What a polished speaker- she’s a shining example of how to do it right! 🎉❤ Former Toastmasters member here
Vocal fry spoils listening to the content…for me.
I sold everything and have been slow-traveling the world with 1 suitcase and a laptop bag for the last 2 years, and I feel as free as a bird. I have zero desire for material things beyond the basic necessities.
Do you not have family?
@realrhodes Nope. Got a vasectomy in my early 20s as part of the early retirement plan. Best decision of my life, as far as I'm concerned. I love kids, just don't want my own.
A couple of years ago, at the age of 43 (therefore old enough to have accumulated a lot of stuff), moved from a two bed house with a shed to a single room in a shared house. This forced me to get rid of a lot.
Three years later I have embraced to “say no to stuff” mentality and I really think before I buy things. I ask myself if I really need or love it. Will it become stuff or will it be a valuable possession?
I absolutely loved this talk and I highly recommend this way of living to anyone and everyone. We need much less than we think.
“We need much less than we think.”
This is one of the BEST talks I’ve heard in this subject, thank you!! ❤
My entire life fits in about 2.5 XL suitcases and has for years. It’s very liberating! Team minimalist✨
What do you have in it?
Very nicely done. Not only am I getting rid of stuff, literally, as I paused to listen to this video..... I declare to the decree of the Lord, that I too will get to check off the list "TED speaker" as a lifelong aspiration. God, do Your thing! Great job again ~ Eagraine 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Very well done!
Wishing you greatness! ❤
@@4WallsDesigns Thank you!
"It's a talisman" --- oof. That. Got. Me. Just cut through me right to the core of why I hold on to so many sentimental but sometimes odd (lol) things. What an enlightening talk. Thank you. x
Started to sound like a drinking game prompt after so many repetitions.
@ respectfully disagree, repetition is an effective tool used in speeches and rhetoric. It’s frequently employed in public speaking x
Love the thoughtful way Eagranie speaks about starting over :)
I think the minimalist approach can be liberating, but I also think that there are a lot of people out there like me who have a lot of hobbies and a lot of associated gear/equipment/stuff to support those hobbies.
Yea I could get rid of 99% of my stuff, but that would also entail ditching 99% of my hobbies.
I'm in the same boat, rotating hobbies, some are seasonal, some I just phase in and out of, so things certainly get boxed up for periods, but getting rid of it would leave me buying those things all over again in a few months when it started up again, and would be incredibly impractical and wasteful - but excellent talk nonetheless ^^ I do agree sometimes stuff can hold one back.
Her talk is for people like me. I have a doll collection given to me by my parents. I keep them because my parents gave them to me because they love me. Do I look at them? No. They are boxed up. Did my kids want them? No. Would anyone? Unknown. Do I need to keep carrying them? I already had one heart attack. Am I really going to leave my art supplies, instruments, doll collection, books, china and silver we don't use, table cloths and placemats, multiples of this or that for my kids to sort?
I had a hard time letting go of hobbies I had tried but didn’t stick. Her point about letting go of past versions of myself really resonated. I have an unfinished quilt top that has been sitting in a drawer for almost 20 years. Every time I open the drawer I feel bad that project isn’t completed. I dust my sewing machine. Time to let go of this version of myself and move on.
Agreed
I had 3 main hobbies in my life: crocheting, guitar playing and electronics. The Guitar is not really a problem, but crochet and electronics can take a loot of space. I ended up giving up of crocheting because I moved 7 times in the last 7 years. But I really drag all my electronics stuff with me. I tried several times to change hobby to something more digital, like programming or digital art, but I also work on a computer and after several hours I really can't stare at it anymore. I really miss my crocheting times. I really hope one day I'll have a stable house where I can keep all my stuff and just be in my hobbies in peace.
I’ve lost a lot of things I’d like growing up and now it’s hard getting rid of certain things. I’ve been slowly decluttering for a couple of years now. It does feel freeing and hope to greatly continue.
It's incredible how we tend to thing we need so many things to have a life. This until you are hit by something that proves you wrong. We need so little to be happy that the system doesn't want us to know. It's a wonderful journey traveling light.
“Cut the strings, get rid of the things.” Freedom…
people?
I am LITERALLY going through STUFF and boxes right now-- the last Cali evacuation made me realize - as I left with very little -- I don’t need anything but my family , my cat , my purse, my phone & passport . FREEDOM!! (I think my husbands prayers are coming true …😅)
A relative of mine associates specific memories with each thing in her home. So she is terrified to throw anything out and is an actual hoarder. Throwing those things out let us become someone new. “There is a little bit of us in all of our stuff.“
Très vrai! La vie matérielle nous encombre beaucoup. Il est important de faire le ménage dans nos affaires. Vivre simplement. La simplicité est vraiment la libération. ❤❤❤
Wonderful talk. I felt my shoulders drop just listening. And then Temu ads violently interject Eagranie's moving reflections. That's one way to drive the point home!😆
Lol
In 2020 we decided to move countries and start a new life. It appealed to the minimalist in me: this idea of starting anew. Getting rid of stuff in an ecologically conscious way is not easy, especially now that we know that most of donated clothing too ends up in the landfill. It was during the pandemic so the charity shops in the UK were closed, but our local free share group came in handy. I got rid of literally all my clothes: they weren't fitting well post pregnancy. But I still miss maybe one or two items. Furniture I don't: I think I had outgrown most of it already. But it wasn't so easy to restock on the other end where second hand economy isn't so accessible. Also, sometimes when there's been a lot of change, it's worth it to keep some souvenirs from the past self: to remind you where you came from. At least I like to.
As a practicing minimalist, I felt it when I look around for things to get rid off I'm disappointed that I still need those things, or at least I think I still need.
As one who's necessarily had to downsize each time I moved cities, I've noticed the amount of money I've wasted replacing things I had prior, and wanted again. I also find myself thinking about irreplaceable items I've given away or left behind on occasion. Some like the ultra minimalist lifestyle. I don't.
But before you rent storage, do a cost analysis because after a certain point, you might as well buy everything new again as long as the items aren't sentimental or irreplaceable.
I absolutely you. When we action everything can think paramount deep. Each activity us will decided by think. Perhaps you doubt, strict ,…but when had decided don’t regret about it. Life is a journey.
@@kenndygm6277say what?? Lots of typos
@@ms.ajones7168 Oh sorry I'm learning English. You can understand the meaning as positive😊
Right, but it’s not a dichotomy where you either go ultra minimalist or keep everything. There’s plenty of space in between to pair down while still hanging onto the things that you love or need
thank you for your comment. i feel like i’ve seen a sea of remarks about how people embrace minimalism and never looked back!! no regrets!! but i have moved 8 times since 2018 (got married and had kids in that time) and i regret getting rid of things and feel a pang of guilt when i have to buy something again that i had gotten rid of.
There will forever be people that are pessimistic.
I enjoy the talk it helped me. Thank you
My home was hit by a tornado several months ago. Each family member basically took one bag of items to our temporary housing while our home is rebuilt. Everything else was either destroyed or cleaned and moved to storage. With the exception of a chest full of family photos, I don’t even need the rest.
I actually did it. When the war started i left my home, my car, my job, everything. I had just small bag, not suitcase and 2 k.dollars. i really started my life from zero. New contry , no language, no money,no skills. So it's not a fantasy its a real life.
War was the first thing that crossed my mind. Hope you are well 🤞🏻
@@denigroz im perfect thank you. I alive, my family with me, im studying English, i have work, bought the car, rent house. Everything well thanks God.
@@alexostroumov1788 hello Alex! where do you live now?
@@LanaComeon Hi Lana! My family and me rent a house in Connemara, Ireland
Thank you for your insight if everyone isn't ready for that a good place to start is if you haven't used or thought about it in a month get rid of it ❤
I can't really relate to her version of "stuff" as mine is so different. I am recently retired at 63 with no kids. I am also an only child. I have family antiques/momentos/keepsakes/jewelry and a vast collection of high fashion clothes/shoes/handbags. I have a large home and a storage unit. I have started getting rid of it all. It is a challenge.
I am going though this situation right now. When I was young I moved out of my parents house with only a hand luggage. And I never bothered. I built my life in another country. But now I got extremely attached to the few I have. For some reason, I feel that my value is in that stuff. That 300 euros piece of furniture... That was 30 hours of work and if I throw it away I'll have to work it again. I can't just leave stuff at my parents place because they live across the ocean, so every time I have to move I have to throw a lot away. The worst is that, every time I move, I believe it will be the last time but then something happens and I have to move again. It is getting tiring to drag all my stuff around every time and I know I should reduce. I try to take pictures of memorable things, change hobbies, etc. But it really hurts every time I have to throw something away I know I had to work for. The problem is not living with few. I have done it and I know I could do it again. But back then it was my parents stuff. Now it is the stuff I worked for and I feel my value is in there.
what about when you have kids? how are families doing this? Beach stuff? treasures? books? toys ? etc... Help me .
I feel claustrophobic with all the stuff i feel i need because of my family.
I love this presentation. I am a victim of collecting items and I have a hard time letting go of things. I’m learning I have to make room for the new me. Baby steps.
I know people who have lived in 10+ different places staying less than a year in each and now they are so glad to settle down some roots, counting 4 yrs. now.
Have a balance, that's what I do. I have some things, but I do the one in one out thing when I get something new. I declutter often.
I shed, donate, give away, repurpose, I liked how I lived a minimalist life. I had more money in my teens, 20,30s because of traveling lightly. I found it's healthy to give my things away. I love a few basics new, some clothes from goodwill and hiking sandals are such neutral shopping. Shopping with a purpose.
Thank you. We have gotten rid of so many things in the midst of an upcoming cross-country move MI to NV! Of course, most of our cold weather items...gone. ❤
I already did the minimalism thing. Yes, owning less is liberating. However; I use almost all my stuff. Yes- actually! It’s mostly hobby related and books. If I don’t/won’t use it in the next year, bye!!
I did this in 2022. Me, my husband and 2 kids moved abroad with only 2 suitcases. All the stuff and our apartment were left in Russia. I think, forever
We moved to an island, too 🙂 so, it was too expensive to bring a large amount of things. I already moved with "one suitcase" when I was 13 so because of my prior experience I didn't feel much sad this time
it's very brave. you deserve a gorgeous life.🎉
@@田兵-u7m thank you 🙂
Very thought provoking! I keep ALL types of REMNANTS for everything that was apart of my world. I am finally cleaning my clutter! Good speaking and Thanks for sharing.
Good talk. NB, When we get Alzheimer’s disease we really let go our our identity. Let’s hope we can still enjoy the moment.
How do you get rid of books? I am a researcher and I need my books. Plus I like reading a wide variety of books. I *cannot* read on e-devices. Ive tried them all, I hate them.
I have to move to a smaller apartment now as rents have increased but I am not ditching my books yet again for a move. I guess Ill live with 99% of my stuff...
But i do try to downsize other things like a corporate downsize. 10% staff/things must go. Or 20%. And then they do...
This feels like something that only rich people can do and have it feel “liberating.” Like…why is she and her family moving to Tasmania? And even with just a suitcase….ya have to have money to movie and set up all over again.
Wow. It seems the IQ of most of the people in the comments is pretty low. Did you not watch the whole thing? Did you not understand the bigger point she was making. Did you not hear the part when she specifically said the talk is not about packing up and moving to another country?
Thanks . Very interesting. But WHAT DID YOU KEEP IN YOUR SUITCASE? 🌹
I was wondering that too.....
Me too, I would be more interested in that
Good & meaningful speech but she left out something very important, what the whole thing was about! What did she decide on to put in that suitcase?? I struggle with “stuff” I don’t need & when I come across something I forgot about I get a rush from the flood of memories & feelings. It all will go in a dumpster when I’m gone though because it is nothing but junk to anyone but me…
I assume that once in Tasmania she had to acquire stuff again in order to cook sleep clean sit and generally function. Radical actions are so appealing . Let it all go! Live unfettered by your past your things and so on. But you will need some stuff to get by to create to focus and act on. I don't think living in a bubble empty of every vestige of your life and starting again from scratch makes sense.
“Sacrifice who you are to become who you want to be”
That was amazing, however, I wonder how much stuff you have accumulated after that!? I have done that when I moved from Brazil to Seattle. And then again when I moved from Seattle to Calgary. Now I need to do it one more time to move to Vancouver, except that this time is not a matter of what I can or cannot take with me. This time is my mental state of being longing to have only what I need!
In prosperous societies, we have collected memories, goods, decorative objects, furniture, etc. Many do not have and have not had large funds, but what has been acquired or produced in other ways is valuable in many ways. Since we've gotten to this point and have used little or a lot of our own resources, it seems wrong to just throw things away, because only now do we want to get rid of them, to feel better or freer. Through recycling, someone can use our goods for free or for compensation. Nature conservation and pollution prevention are many actions. If our identity changes and things change with it, we still don't have to throw away and consume something new. There should be some kind of brake on all the spending, you have to know how to hold back in the commercialism of the consumer society. Well, if we've somehow managed to achieve a more blissful feeling by throwing things away or in some other way, the old stuff has been replaced by an accelerating consumption compulsion related to information technology, hysteria, which constantly demands a newer version of this or that or other peripheral technology, security, insurance... Can anything/ anyone save humans from this?
In my teens I was homeless and had nothing. I’m kind of fed up of seeing having nothing being romanticised. This presentation is a nightmare for me.
Thank you for your comment and verbalizing what many of us are thinking. I have been "free range" and it's not pleasant. Due to divorce. In today's financial environment, many are free range due to various reasons. People "glamorize " the hobo experience. It is actually quite a bit more expensive than people realize. And far riskier and unsafe. Try sleeping in a car behind a gym during a CATEGORY 5 Hurricane. NOT PLEASANT.
@@onusnousYou absolutely do not need to do that. I live in Florida and that is why our society has hurricane shelters. If you’ve chosen to stay in your car, that’s a decision you have made.
It’s not about “having nothing” it’s about having things that we think we need because the lifestyle of having a lot of things we want not just need is romanticized and desired. There’s nothing wrong with having things we want but overconsumption is a real problem
She put it so well. Thank You.
My room, specifically the table has a lot of old stuff of my sisters crafts. She was into DIY for years but time flies so fast and now she’s into something other than crafting. It’s me, holding back with those random things.
I did get rid of things months ago so I might try it tomorrow.
How did it go?
@@imdadhussain6347
I got rid of those random papers, cardboards and crochet creations that were unfinished.
It was a step forward at least :>
Excellent presentation and information ‼️‼️‼️
Awesome!!!! And, very timely for me. 🙏😎🇨🇦👍👍👍👍👍
I remember the losing my planner. I was devastated but felt immediate freedom only a couple of days later.
Planning to declutter. Great video
I live in a van down sizing was very freeing.
ahhh 😂 no fallacies at that ...right?
By choice or because you lost your housing?
Exactly
“Get rid of 99% stuff” ❤
is there a definable amount? in volume or weight?
Amazing TED talk ❤
I guess this is all very very dependant on how much 'stuff' you actually have, how much of that stuff really means something to you and how much of it you are willing to give up and finally if you really need to get rid of any/some/or all of it. Really this seems more like an academic project or study rather than anything meaningful or worthwhile.
Superb talk Eaganie! ❤
My dream version of minimalism -- " I will get rid of ALL MY STUFF with just a wallet ( not a suitcase)." How can that be? In my wallet I have my passport, my cellphone, and my cards (debit and credit cards). I will let go of all stuff but I hoarded money. 🤑
aimentalhealthadvisor AI fixes this (AI Mental Health Advisor). Getting rid of 99% stuff.
Dealing with the sentimental stuff is hard, so i end up doing nothing as the piles around me grow. It's horrible. I have a baby grand piano that I'm not motivated to play because there's too much stuff blocking access to it.😢
This is interesting. I work with individuals who have active emotional trauma. We do work that involves emotional hoarding.
Very intetesting
I have never given anything away I regret. I give stuff away every week. And I’m not a shopper. Less is more.
How I wish I have your, discipline, drive and focus. I really need this.
With or without its all your mind set,,,, but simply put if you cant. Clean everything room. with basic eazz then you have a problem in that room,,,
By December 2024 i want to have downsized that all my clothes will fit into a carry-on suitcase, i will have basic kitchen items that will fit in ny campervan and i will have let go of 99% of all my possessions. I live in Australia in a cyclone season. The only things i will have is what i can pack in my van in 1 hour and live with basic items that i will use. Oh and ny little dogs they have their bed area in the van with their food bowl.
I m an unsuccessful artist and i draw and paint every day ;doing art brings me zero joy, but I cant stop and do not want to. I cant get rid of my mess, mostly art supplies, if I did I would clearly walk into the ocean even though I would have to drive there and I dont have a car. 😐
Wonderful!!!
Amazing!! Get rid of stuff 🥳
What was in your suitcase?
What an amazing space
So very challenging to shred old tax returns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still have our very first tax return and neeeeeeed to go ahead and shred it. If I do.........its like that part of our life did not happen. so many emotions!!!!!Yes snip the strings. I did swap my knitting for crocheting too. TYsm
Choosing to get rid of possessions is often a privilege… losing everything because your home burned to the ground likely doesn’t feel liberating to most people. People talk about this now as if it’s a badge of courage and they are somehow spiritually leveled up. I lived in a 27’ travel trailer for 4 years. I had one pot, one pan. But I was building my dream home. It was challenging but it was a choice of privilege.
Never be possessed by your possessions.
He lifted a hand and turned and went on. He had divested himself of the little cloaked godlet and his other amulets in a place where they would not be found in his lifetime and he'd taken for talisman the simple human heart within him. Walking down the little street for the last time he felt everything fall away from him. Until there was nothing left of him to shed. It was all gone. No trail, no track. The spoor petered out down there on Front Street where things he'd been lay like paper shadows, a few here, they thin out. After that nothing. A few rumors. Idle word on the wind. Old news years in traveling that you could not put stock in.
- Suttree
That really resonated with me, Thank you ❤
If you get rid of stuff you don't have to clean or organize it. If you don't have to clean or organize it you can go to bed earlier or spend more time resting. 😀
Being poor sucks
I could do it. I’m not attached to my stuff. The only things I would not leave behind are my 2 kitties. All 3 of us are attached to each other.
I am cleaning out my late grandma's apartment to realize that must of her possessions are going to donation or the bin...all those notes all those books ...bin...so why should we carry them when we are alive and even pass the burden to our children or grandchildren...
Well, after 52 years in New York City, I moved one way to Croatia with 2 suitcases. :)
Watch at 2x speed.
Awesome!
Ukrainian and other refugees could tell a much more interesting story about leaving without a thing (
Precisely my thoughts too.
They can leave Kursk as a gift for Ukranians...!
forced vs by-choice ...is HIGHLY different
I don't think that would be an interesting story at all. Just an emotional and traumatic response to necessity rather than any thought-out process.
@@USmetallist i must agree with you in 50 % of the cases. But, for the other half, specially for older people, it was a choice indeed. "Should i stay with my stuff here, or should i pack my documents and water and go west". And believe me, 50/50 is not a guess. There are still a lot of us, who stay and hold to the stuff.
9:48 “It turns out, that getting rid of your stuff is really fun. It’s freeing. It is liberating.”
Not. My. Experience.
Speak for yourself, rather than using the second person to tell me that getting rid of MY stuff is “fun.”
Whatever keeps you hanging onto your stuff might also be causing your need for her words to be phrased in a particular way...
I hope you realize this is just one person‘s perspective. You are free to watch it or not watch it, take her advice or not, adjust what she saying to fit your circumstances or not. Why leave a negative comment when you have all those choices?
Great talk
I get it but if you live in a house you will need a mattress, a refrigerator, probably a table, some chair and a couch, some kitchen stuff. If you don’t own it you will be using someone else’s. But with clothes and sentimental items, photos, books and documents-yes you can be minimal.
Interesting witness protection reveal, why the need to get rid of every possession and make "new identities" hmm?? '"Two years ago, my family and I moved .. and we each got one suitcase. Hearing this, you might think" .. WHAT DO YOU KNOW
Amazing. Thank you
What is an heirloom to you?
I have a lot of stuff. Some of it is from emotional things and some is from having what I need to function like kitchen items, linens, clothing, food supplies and personal items, computer systems and related tools, hobby supplies, yard maintenance items, home repair tools, etc. I understood how eliminating emotional stuff can be freeing, but trashing perfectly good things I use regularly sounds wasteful and costly as I will need to buy new ones. I believe firmly in waste not, want not.
Show me where in her talk she said you should get rid of things you use. So many people in the comments completely missing the bigger point here. Also, I can just sense in your words that you’re in a bit of denial and might be a bit of a hoarder. I bet you have some room to make your life less cluttered and still keep things you need or enjoy
@pensive-penguin it was a good presentation in many ways, but I definitely got the impression that getting rid of the majority of one's belongings was the advice, even if one didn't get rid of as much as 99%. Sounds like you didn't receive the same impression which is reasonable. And, I do throw away, recycle, or give away things I no longer need or use as quickly as possible. Go, Teams Clean and MoneyWise! No need to suggest I'm a hoarder, but thank you for your concern.