by Joseph Carlson
The biggest take away from any documentary is when you ask yourself if the people that are the focus on the thing are genuine. What I can say after watching the almost 80 minute picture directed by Matt D'Avella and starring Joshua Field Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus is that these guys are very humble and down to earth. Within the short time frame you believe in their message and they way they hug and talk with many of the people that come to hear them speak is a breath of fresh air.
There is a lot of people out their that will tell you how to change their life. But for me a step-by-step has never been a really effective way of showing someone what to do. Instead both of these men tell us what happened in their life and show us how they were able to change.
The documentary that follows both of them as they take about the book Minimalism and the tour they go on to promote it around the world is truly humbling to watch in turn. It's the desire for stuff that drives us, they say. Not the stuff.
In our lives there is always a right time and place for messages we receive from friends and family and for me this was the right place and time for this one. For many of us last year (2016) was pretty ruff and someone showing me by giving me their personal story and telling me there is a different way to live is great.
Does what I have in my life add value? Not some philosophical way, but the actual stuff I own. Do I need another sofa, or coffee table. Is that video game really going to make me happy? All of these are great questions and one that I have often thought about when you buy something that broken, or go see a movie I was really looking forward to but turned out to be really bad, or bought a game that was broken on the first day or some other thing.
One can't possibly come to the conclusion in one sitting. It would take a hell of a long time for some people to answer it. For me though it made me at least ask the question. And maybe that is a good enough start.
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things is now on Netflix.