Less
Less is more.
While the phrase “less is more” is often associated with the architect and furniture designer Mies Van Der Rohe, it was first coined by Robert Browning in a poem he published in 1855. The phrase was the birth of a design esthetic tied to the notion that simplicity and clarity lead to good design. It reminds me of one of my favorite people, Bengie Daniels of Latitude Architects, who creates architecture that is warm, dry, and noble.
This idea became a movement called minimalism that is practiced by minimalists. And while it has typically been associated with the various areas of design, it has been co-opted by a growing number of people that are trying to live more simply. The tiny house movement is a very visible example. Put in the most basic terms,
minimalism = having less
Given the amount of stuff our Western culture wealth has afforded us, trying to have a little less is probably not a bad direction to head. But our incredible access to information and the promise of productivity gains that our technology promised, we are having another problem with “too much”. Access to too much media, too much information, and trying to cram too much into our 168 hour weeks.
A new movement called “essentialism” is gaining a lot of traction. While it has a long (and not that interesting) genealogy as well, it has gotten traction among leaders adopting the concepts and ideas of Greg McKeown from his best-stilling book Essentialism. He says the basic value proposition of this idea is: “Only once you give yourself the permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.” Put in the most basic terms,
essentialism = doing less (better)
For us, essentialism has become wildly embraced as a toolkit of “life hacks” that help our leaders live more simply, effectively, and intentionally.
My friend, Morgan Snyder, has an even more inspired way to filter all the things we commit and devote our time to. He suggests that we need to “soul-size our kingdoms”. Meaning that we all tend to commit to more things and try to cram more into our lives than our hearts and souls can manage. If we are in a state of overwhelm, exhaustion or living with very little margin to invest in the people we love or the activities that restore our soul, it is impossible to say, “it is well with my soul”. Put in the most basic of terms,
soul-sizing = doing only the things God wants me to do
After all, there was a man named Jesus, who was sent to model what living as God intended us to live was supposed to look like. He offered that he does nothing unless “he sees the Father doing it”. He only does what God would have him do. That is why we cultivate conversational intimacy with our leaders. Increasingly, the best life is found in doing more of just the things he tells you to do.
Consider
Have you found yourself dreaming of living a more simple life?
Is it more about having less stuff or doing less?
How challenging, but simplifying would it be to just soul-size your kingdom and do only the things God would have you do?