Have you ever noticed minimalists like to repeat themselves? Have you ever noticed minimalists…just kidding. But it’s true. If you look at some other “minimalist” blogs out there, it’s the same rhetoric: declutter this, don’t buy that, simplify here, minimize there, wear only X, thrift shop for Y, blah, blah, blah.

To be fair, there’s really only so much you can discuss about the topic of minimalism. Which is why we’re re-branding sellallyourstuff.com to buyallyourstuffback.com. Haha, no we aren’t — but could you imagine? We are finding some great deals though as we “settle” again. And I did just build a side table out of pine that I found in the garbage. But buying stuff is hardly what we’re about.

I’d be a lying hypocrite poo-poo head if said I didn’t play off the “minimalist” buzz word though. And other minimalists would be completely full of fecal matter if they said they didn’t play on that word either. But how much is there to really discuss about being a minimalist? Are minimalists all the same just with different outlets? Let’s take a look at some common “minimalist” lifestyle phrases.

Well, there’s decluttering.

Yep, covered that. Declutter bit by bit, slowly at first until you get the hang of it. Done. No course needed. No hand-holding required. Just rip that band-aid off. Of course it’s a lot harder than that for some. I totally understand that.

Declutter your kitchen. Done.

Declutter your closet. Check.

Declutter your car. WTF? Why would my car be cluttered?

Okay, enough with the decluttering, you get it. But there’s also not buying stuff you don’t need.

Yep, covered that too. Probably once or twice at least.

What about living with less?

Uh, yeah, living out of two suitcases ring a bell? BTDT. Been there done that. Or in our case…Beat That Dead Thoroughbred. Get it, a thoroughbred is a horse…clever eh? But let’s expand on that a little more. The “live with less” thing, not the dead thoroughbred thing. What is “less”? Should I only use two cutting boards instead of three? Or one instead of two? Or do I even need a cutting board? Where do we draw the line on “less”? You see, “less” is a relative term. Go to Haiti or Nicaragua. I think you’ll realize your definition of “less” is much different than others in this world.

Do more stuff with less stuff?

Hey, you read our tagline! Yep. We do lots of stuff. We’re all about spending money on experiences instead of stuff. And we’ve discussed it many, many times. It’s actually how we differ from other minimalists out there. Yes, we live with “less” in relation to others in our demographic profile. But what’s important to us is spending money on cool, unique, fun, and memorable life experiences — no matter the cost (okay, the cost matters — we don’t go into debt to experience something. Cash is King.

And then there’s “simplify”.

Simplify is another phrase we’re seeing a lot of these days. And it’s another relative term, too. Hey, I’d love to simplify my life…wait…does that mean if I simplify my life I become a simple person, like Forrest Gump? I hope so, cuz he was a gazillionaire.

But how does one simplify? What is simplifying? For one person it could mean something like spending less time at the mall, for another less time in front of the TV, and a third it could be something entirely different — like controlling their road-rage or other emotions.

So is there anything left to say about minimalism?

Well, the funny thing about minimalism is, the retail world took notice of the minimalist movement and gave it a different twist. Sure, be a minimalist, don’t have much furniture, just make it all match and make it all high-end…and evidently white defines minimalism…like this:

And it’s funny, I see the same “minimalists” sharing the same images, quotes, books, and courses. Gladly taking your money to teach you about how to be good little minimalists.

So what am I rambling about?

I’m rambling because it’s time to break the mold.

It’s time for you to discover and live your own version of a minimalist lifestyle. Don’t follow me for the my version of a minimalist lifestyle — I’m just some blogger who’s decent at SEO keywords and has a decent sense of humor who’s lived a decent life with decent amount of “less”. And don’t follow other minimalists thinking you’ll have some profound “I’ve discovered my life purpose” type of moment either. And for the love of Pete, do NOT, I REPEAT, do NOT leave your kitchen entirely void of any sign of life on the counter like J. Becker, oh wait, too obvious…Joshua B. That’s HIS version of a minimalist lifestyle. Let your creativity SHINE through YOUR version of a minimalist lifestyle!

A minimalist lifestyle isn’t about following what others say or do over and over and over again. Make your own version of a minimalist lifestyle. Like the Mama’s and the Papa’s said; You gotta make your own kind of music!

Now go sell all your stuff and create your own kind of minimalism!