Simplicity & Minimalism - Road to Resilience

A bit cheeky, yes. The point is that many roads lead to resilience, I’ve written a five part series on Substack about this, drawing a clear route to creating a more resilient and less susceptible life. However, many recent tragedies, like the flooding in Texas, reminds us of the fragility of life, how quickly it can all change and what really does matter. 

Modern day minimalism has many founders, historically its origins are in an artistic movement from New York in the 1960s, or from philosophical teachings in early Japan and the Roman Empire. Prior to the industrial revolution, humanity held onto useful things, devices and accoutrements that lead to the production or sustainment of shelter, food and water. Literal survival. Frivolous items, luxury items in economic speak, were only found in the Lords of the feudal style systems. 

Simplicity has many modern flavours, from voluntary simplicity - akin to shedding life of commitments, possessions and all that doesn’t support a narrow path, to calendar management strategies by Greg McKeweon in his book, Essentialism. It is the intentional design of a life that pursues that which brings joy and essentials - shelter, food, and water. A modern version of returning to the reality of pre-modernism life for the 99% who did not live in castles. 

I return to these ideas when I reflect on my life’s adventures. With 28 years in the Army, I’ve lost count of the exercises, where for weeks I would live out of a backpack and be fine. Well, cold wet and hungry, but there is a weird romantic ideology of carrying everything you’ll need on your back. Several international deployments in different climates and under less permissive environments provides a similar story - the idea that when we break life down to its most basic requirements, not much is necessary. 

When I consider that I had to physically carry everything I needed, choice becomes a necessity. An 80 pound rucksack sounds cool and makes you look like a warrior and beast, then you turn fifty and can barely climb stairs. Intelligence taught us that you police your gear ruthlessly, to only possess what is absolutely essential to support your ability to complete the task ahead, and nothing else. So if that was successful in the Army across the world, why wouldn’t it be for life?