Have you ever read anything from Joshua Becker? He’s written several books…
–The Minimalist Home
–The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
–Clutterfree with Kids: Change your thinking. Discover new habits. Free your home.
–Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life.
He also has a VERY popular blog that I LOVE called Becoming Minimalist. If you don’t read another blog, you must read his. In his bio he says, “Most importantly, Becoming Minimalist is designed to inspire others to pursue their greatest passions by owning fewer possessions.”
He’s a speaker, a writer, the founder of The Hope Effect (a nonprofit organization changing how the world cares for orphans). He’s also the co-creator of Simplify Media (Simplify Magazine & Simple Money Magazine). He’s a husband and father of two from Arizona and he’s smart and doesn’t miss a thing!
Below is his latest post. Although Ben and I are now empty nesters, this is a great post and everyone with a graduate should read it. We’ve started ‘cleaning out’, and reading what Joshua writes hits exactly where its suppose to. Let me know what you think.
Post from Becoming Minimalist by Joshua Becker
Before anything else, congratulations on your graduation from high school. I don’t know if it feels like a noteworthy accomplishment to you, but it is. Your high school diploma is the culmination of 12+ years of hard work and focus.
My son graduated from high school last month. And I can assure you that each person who sent you a card or stopped you in the hallway to say “Congratulations,” genuinely meant it. High school graduation may not be the end of the road or your highest achievement in life, but it is still worthy of celebration.
As you end this season of life, and rush toward your new one, no matter where your road takes you, here are 18 pieces of 3-word advice.
18 Pieces of 3-Word Advice For The High School Graduate
1. Call your mother.
Your parents love you and think about you more than you know. And they won’t be around forever. Call your mom and visit often—they’ll appreciate it and so will you.
2. Don’t chase money.
The desire for wealth is a desire that can never be satisfied—you’ll never have enough. Pursue meaning and contribution with your life instead—it’s way more fulfilling in the long run.
3. Encourage others often.
It’s easy to see life as a competition, thinking the best way to get ahead is to beat out everyone else. But this is backward thinking. The most effective way to succeed in life is to help someone else succeed in theirs. And I’m not just saying that. Be the encourager.
4. Find a mentor.
Find someone that you admire and can look up to as an example. In almost every pursuit in life, a good coach is worth their weight in gold. Find someone, ahead of you in the journey, that you can look up to in your career, in your marriage, in your parenting, and anything else you want to succeed in.
5. Find happiness today.
“If, then” thinking is common in our world and culture. It usually sounds something like this, “If I get that job, then I’ll be happy,” “If I get that husband, then I’ll be happy,” “If I make $x, then I’ll be happy.” Avoid it at all costs. Happiness isn’t an emotion that accompanies perfect circumstances. Happiness is a decision you make every day.
6. Grow in faith.
Believe in something bigger than yourself.
7. Live life intentionally.
In all aspects of your life (your time, your money, your habits, your relationships, etc.), be very intentional in what you allow in. Don’t allow society or your friends to tell you what is important, choose for yourself. Remember, the first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.
8. Look up more.
That person in front of you is more important than your phone. Look up, and at them.
9. Love your job.
There is advice in our world that sounds like this, “Do work you love.” And I don’t disagree, you should pursue your dreams. But that doesn’t mean your current job, even if it’s not your greatest passion in the world, can’t be enjoyed, appreciated, and loved. There are no perfect jobs in the world. Look for reasons to love the one you’ve got.
10. Make new friends.
I know this may be hard to hear just days after finishing high school, but most likely, you still haven’t met the greatest friends you will have in life. Appreciate your relationships from high school, but don’t let them get in the way of the new friends you are about to meet.
11. Own less stuff.
Excess possessions steal our time, money, and energy. They add stress and burden and keep us from accomplishing greater dreams. Don’t believe the messages of a consumeristic society that you need a lot of possessions to be happy. Be different, own less. And live more.
12. Pursue your dreams.
Your whole life is front of you. If you have a dream career or passion, pursue it. Nobody is going to hand it to you, it’s going to take hard work and dedication to achieve it. But victory usually belongs to those who work the hardest to achieve it. So go be the person you want to be.
13. Push yourself harder.
A good coach will always get more out of you than you thought you had. He/she will always reveal that you had more inside of you than you even thought. That remains true of your potential every day. You have more potential inside you than you realize. Push yourself to be the best you that you can be.
14. Think of others.
Don’t live life looking out only for your own interests, look out also for the interests of others.
15. Try new things.
Try new hobbies. Try new foods. Learn a new skill. Experience new cultures. I didn’t become a writer until the age of 34. You never know for sure what you are going to be best at. So keep trying new things.
16. You’ll mature more.
The best piece of advice concerning college I ever received was from a friend named Barbie. She was a few years older than me and shortly after my high school graduation, she said to me, “You’ll mature more these next few years than you think.” I remember being offended at the time thinking I already was pretty mature. But, she was entirely right. I matured and grew up as much during those four years of college as maybe the previous 12 combined. You’re going to mature and grow more in the next few years then you realize. Look forward to it.
17. Value physical health.
Your physical body is the instrument through which you will make your difference and mark in the world. Be disciplined in caring for it. Eat well, exercise, and rest sufficiently. Your future accomplishments will thank you for it.
18. Wash your bowl.
There’s a famous zen story that goes like this:
A monk told Joshu, “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”
Joshu asked, “Have you eaten your rice porridge?
The monk replied, “I have eaten.”
Joshu said, “Then you had better wash your bowl.”
At that moment the monk was enlightened.
Learn what it means to wash your bowl.
