Living Lighter:
Reflections on how embracing essentialism and circularity can enable us to feel lighter, freer and happier.
Why a new narrative?
Today, most narratives about our way of living and our role as citizens focus on negatives, problems, and ‘shoulds’. They focus on ‘being and doing less bad’ - the negatives we should move away from. This can feel a little preachy. It’s like someone is raising a finger and telling us ‘you should ...’.
Understandably, that isn’t very inspiring and leads to resistance.
What I personally found powerful about the circular economy narrative on the macro-scale is how it inspired the imagination of creatives, business people, policymakers, and groups across the spectrum of politics and society.
It gave us a positive vision and direction. A 16th-century map that we could explore and refine together over time.
The circular economy narrative also didn’t bark at the problem but focused on new possibilities. It recognised the importance of the current system dynamics (e.g. by putting ‘economics’ right into the name). It drew inspiration from powerful, timeless principles from natural systems (the timelessness of circular flows) and built on insightful schools of thought and the great work of others: Cradle to Cradle, Performance Economy, Biomimicry, Industrial Ecology, Regenerative Design, and Blue Economy1.
What if we co-created an inspiring narrative for us as individuals?
1 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/schools-of-thought-that-inspired-the-circular-economy, accessed on 20 April 2023.
Essentialism and circularity as inspirations
Essentialism, a “disciplined pursuit of less”, as Greg McKeown describes it, builds on the realisation that less often is better and that a few things in life have an over-proportional impact on what we care about. I see essentialism as a way to create more space for what we love. To declutter and focus on what we really choose and what matters. Gaining more quality of life.
In a broader sense, circularity, as evident in natural systems, inspires us to think in nutritious flows, cycles, and ecosystems and explore life-friendliness.
More specifically, circular economy, as an economic solutions framework, encourages us to address our true needs decoupled from linear material flows with all their negative effects.
The philosophical and spiritual lens
Coming soon...
Light.
A way of being. Less burdened.
Our energy and contribution.
Emotionally living lighter. Letting life energy flow through us. Letting go of our baggage, our walls, the resistance and energy blocks hindering the flow of life energy.
Our interactions with others.
The economic, financial and material lens
This is an initial scribble page.
This is a starting point. The draft below is still quite focused on the minimalist and Marie Kondo-side of things. Living lighter can be more than focusing on material possessions and consumption (e.g. our way of being, our interactions with other beings, our spiritual practices inspired by interbeing1, dealing with information and activities etc.).
1 See for example Interbeing and regeneration by Christian Wahl https://medium.com/age-of-awareness/interbeing-be02f2fd580b or the Order of Interbeing by Thich Nhat Hanh https://plumvillage.org/community/order-of-interbeing/ both accessed on 21 April 2023.
Three fruits of living lighter
- Happiness. More space and peace. Less noise. More focus on what we love. Every item we own takes some headspace. We come across it - it triggers memories or pulls our mind in a direction. Some of the bigger things we own, such as cars and houses, also lead to paperwork and admin such as insurance, repair, service, etc.
- Living lighter and embracing a ‘circular lifestyle’ has positive effects on our surrounding ecosystems. We use fewer resources, we generate less waste and pollution.
- Financial freedom. Often embracing essentialism and circular economy principles also helps us to become more financially independent. Owning fewer but high-quality, durable and multi-purpose things that we love and use regularly can help us save money in the longer term and gain more freedom and abundance.
Questions
- What are some examples illustrating the three fruits?
- Could living lighter be more fun than chasing ‚more and more’, i.e. an extractive lifestyle, consumption, etc.?
- Can we earn and spend more in a circular economy without creating more waste? Are higher income and macroeconomic growth necessarily leading to negative environmental impacts? What if I earn more / spend more on services like yoga? Is a ‘decoupling’ of economic activity from material flows possible? Do we need growth (and what kind of)? How can we live abundantly, and what could an exciting vision look like?
- Is there a shift towards experiences away from buying stuff? What % of the economy is focused on material consumption vs experiences?
Self-study: What are some ways I can live lighter?
The three categories build on the circular ‘strategy’ section: Letting go. Enabling flow. Plant and sow.
This is a scribble page. Work in progress...
I am aware that some examples are quite personal and do not apply to all of us. I am in a privileged position - having time to consider these tradeoffs and resources that allow me not to face hardships and challenges many people sadly encounter in their daily lives. This is a humble self-study in the spirit of learning and exploring the ‘living lighter’ narrative in my own context - without the aspiration to serve as a universal guide and truth.
1a. Letting go: ... what is a burden. Selling or giving to another person anything that doesn’t get used and loved much
What can I let go of? What is non-essential and frees up space for what I really love?
Can I enable another life and incarnation for this product or material? Give it into the good hands of someone who really loves and appreciates this? Can it be repaired, repurposed or recycled?
Examples and practices:
- Caring for the stuff in the garage from our previous tenants and giving them a new life. How can we either reuse things (BBQ), repurpose (furniture) or recycle them (old mattresses)?
- Selling our underused couch on the Wightbay sharing platform. Seeing it end up with a colleague who loves it.
- Giving that Christmas jumper and puzzle back to a charity shop, freeing up space and, hopefully, enabling another person to look funny at the Christmas party.
- Decisions when moving from England to Switzerland. What to let go, what to bring?
1b. Letting go: ... the complexity. Living a simpler, more local life.
Can I find nourishment and exploration in my local ecosystem here in Switzerland instead of flying far?
1c. Letting go: ... the urge to buy a material thing
Buying fewer books. Do I really need another book that might end up unread on the shelf?
Do I really need to buy a costume for that theme party? How much time am I willing to invest to search for second-hand clothing that fits? What if I used my existing clothes and upgraded them with a few paper-based add-ons?
2a. Enabling flow: Love and maintain what I own
How can I be a respectful, caring owner of this creation?
How can I use this more and enjoy it more?
Examples and practices:
- My teapot for morning teas. Getting some fresh tea leaves and feeling inspired to use the teapot more (buying fewer coffee capsules).
- Trying to be more mindful. Avoiding losing specs and sunglasses on the same day at the beach due to carelessness.
- Smart washing of clothes. How can I care for my clothes so they don’t wash out so quickly?
2b. Enabling flow: Share and get access to things I don’t need often but mean a lot to me
Can I share the joy of this with someone?
What do I want to use (get access to) - without the burden of ownership?
Examples and practices:
- Borrowing a backpack from Stuart for my 2-week trip instead of buying one that clogs up my room afterwards. Deepening our connection as I pick it up and bring it back.
- Giving my room to Karen while being away for a month. Sharing the joy and beauty of the place. Enjoying the vibrancy of the room as she infused it with her spirit and flowers
- Sharing my car with Matteo. One less car is needed. Lowering the costs for us both. Having a drink together when visiting him.
- A sharing library Excel with colleagues at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for things such as Slackline, drills etc. We get access to many things without having them in our garage.
3. Plant and grow: When buying, I aspire to choose lovable, durable, reusable, multi-purpose, high-quality items
Do I love this item?
Will I use this item often? Am I a good owner and caretaker of this?