6 Things Streaming on Netflix To Inspire Your Minimalist Journey
As the world around us changes, people are starting to realize one very important thing — we don’t need as much as we were led to believe. We are a generation that has been tricked by lifelong advertising to always want more. We have always been sold the idea that our bodies, our lifestyle and our possessions always need upgrading.
In the wake of a world that we’ve never seen before, the tides have turned. From the ashes of consumerism, there is a rise of a new culture that demands “enough”.
What is Minimalism?
There are many ways that minimalism has been defined throughout the years from a renouncement of consumerism to a mindset management tool. But at the heart of it minimalism is being intentional with your interactions with the world.
In many ways, minimalism is one answer to the increasing disconnectedness that we feel for the world around us. It asks us to know ourselves first before we choose the items, people and experiences that ground us.
Minimalism is the deliberate choice of the things that matter the most to us and the departure from everything else that distracts us from it.
If you need a little motivation or inspiration to continue on your path to reducing mindless consumption, here are 6 things you can watch on Netflix to inspire your minimalist journey:
1. Minimalism: A Documentary About Important Things (Documentary)
An almost required viewing for aspiring minimalist, this documentary on The Minimalist writers, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. With the goal of spreading the message “less is more”, their goal is to help encourage people to live more meaningful lives through owning less things.
It features many minimalists from all walks of life — entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker. If you aren’t sure if minimalism is for you, it’s best to hear how it worked for different kinds of people.
2. Tidying Up with Marie Kondo (Series)
A 2019 breakout star, Japan’s organizing star Marie Kondo was a lot of people’s introduction into the clutter-free lifestyle. Unlike most TV shows centered around families and groups who have too much stuff, there is a softness to her approach.
Her style of decluttering asks one very important question, “Does it spark joy?”.
What’s different about her approach is that it touches on the concept of anthropomorphism. It is a crucial concept in Japan’s ethnic religion of Shintoism 神道, which believes that every thing including inanimate objects have a spirit.
Clutter is woven through by category, touched individually and are put in two piles: those that spark joy and those that don’t. Items that were for discarding are thanked before they are set to move on to the donation centers or landfills.
This is important, especially for those of us who find the decluttering process overwhelming and don’t know where to start. While it’s a methodological approach, it doesn’t need to be done overnight.
3. Tiny House Nation (Series)
With most shows that feature renovations often show unlimited budgets and large spaces, Tiny House Nation does the complete opposite.
Hosted by renovation experts John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin, they show off ingenious small spaces that tailor fit to their clients’ new lifestyles that are no larger than 500 square feet.
“Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind, large ones weaken it.” – Leonardo da Vinci
For many young professionals who live in small rooms in city centers, you’ll get a lot of inspiration on how to make your space work for you instead of the other way around. It just goes to show that you don’t need to go big to go beautiful.
4. Expedition Happiness (Documentary)
A documentary that follows two creative professionals, Felix Starck and Selima Taibi, who leave their jobs in Berlin to go on a RV adventure in North America with their dog, Rudi.
What was supposedly just a fun road trip documentary across also has a lot of lessons for modern day nomads. When you’re watching, be mindful of the things you could do better. Little things such as doing research on pet care and travel restrictions will make your trip a lot smoother. Acquiring skills like basic carpentry and plumbing can also be handy before you take off on your new life!
“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” -Socrates, 469 BCE.
While not shying away from the struggles of choosing a life on the road, Starck and Taibi’s story is one of possibility, optimism and courage. If you’ve ever dreamed of life on the road and adventure, this might be the minimalist lifestyle inspiration you need.
5. Resurface (Documentary)
A short, 30-minute documentary about war veteran Bobby Lane who suffers from PTSD, seizures and many other issues after his time in Iraq. It’s a touching story of camaraderie, battles with medication and the healing power of the ocean.
With the backdrop of war and its consequences, we learn about how greed left unchecked can hurt people. With many featured veterans that span from Vietnam to the Iraq. Some of them have lost limbs and endured brain trauma.
It’s a beautiful story that will tug your heart strings. It will encourage you to find your passion in the middle of all the noise of the world. If you know what it’s like to struggle with mental illness and the need to focus on the things that matter, this might be the movie for you.
6. Happy Old Year (Movie)
Thai movie “Happy Old Year” is about one young woman’s emotional journey of decluttering her family home using the Marie Kondo method after living several years abroad.
Everything was going well, except when she comes across items from her ex-boyfriend. Starring “Bad Genius” actress Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, it’s a powerful performance. aAmost voyeuristic in nature, it’s a mirror into the complexity of many people’s journey into minimalism.
It will make your own journey of grappling with the memories attached to your possessions a little less lonely. This movie is for everyone who is finding it hard to let go. Hopefully, it will encourage you to make peace with your past (and your clutter) to get on with your future.
We all know that the journey to living a clutter free life isn’t an easy process. It’s an endless journey of untangling who you are from what you own. It’s a lifelong exercise in mindfulness that we must continuously do.
Yes, it’s not going to be easy. But it is going to be worth it.
