GREAT IDEAS: WANT LESS.

What was once a concept reserved for purists who sewed their own smocks, grew their own organic food, lived in a tiny house and made their morning smoothies using a pedal powered blender, simple living is now being adopted by people seeking to limit the power of stuff in their lives. Fear not, my research over the last few years has revealed that one need not live with only 33 items of clothing in order to embrace the simple life.

A simple life is essentially a life that limits stress (of all kinds), and makes room for the good stuff. The “good stuff” for you may be a passion for good design, travel, or a house deposit. Whatever it is, establish the “good stuff” so that you can tackle the superfluous “other” that may encroach on it. If it causes stress, and detracts from the good stuff, it has to go. Simple. As I read the experiences and advice of simple living advocates, it became evident that for many, the idea of minimalism was foundational to living a simple life. Minimalism encourages a change of perspective in relation to our material possessions. It’s a lens through which we can look at the things in our life and ask “is this helping me live the life I truly want?”. It’s a concept that can be applied to so many areas of life: material possessions, food, time commitments, relationships, health and fitness, career and finances.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the stuff you have and the external pressure of our consumerist society’s drive to accumulate more, then perhaps a dabble in minimalism might be a worthwhile experiment. Don’t be alarmed, it’s not about purging all your worldly possessions and living in a cubby house pretending to be a grown-up. At its core, minimalism is simply a change of perspective to appreciate deeply the things we already have, and to want less stuff.

Here at The Great State, one of our foundational values is “make room for the good stuff”. The Soothing Skin Balm was created to be multi-purpose and it is our hope that it will replace many of the single use items in your bathroom cupboard, medicine kit, and makeup bag. Make room for the good stuff with one product that can do the job of many.