Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817 and died in 1862, but not without leaving his mark on the world. A philosopher and author, his quotes have become some of the most famous and insightful in history. They reflect his beliefs and paint a picture of the life philosophy he lived by. His words are often cited as an inspiration for environmentalists, minimalists, and anyone looking to simplify their life. He is most well-known

Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that stresses the importance of personal intuition over rational thought. It began in the early 1800s as a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, which had caused many people to lose touch with nature. The transcendentalists believed that humans could find true happiness by reconnecting with nature and living simply. They stressed the inherent goodness of people and nature, and advocated self-reliance, freedom, individualism and appreciation of natural beauty. Many

It’s easy to get caught up in the clutter of things: possessions, relationships, meetings, to-do lists. Then it’s just a matter of time before our days are filled with noise and confusion. That’s when we lose track of what’s most important. Being busy for busy’s sake is easy. Being selective, I’ve found, is much harder. It requires the development of a selective, minimalist mindset. This involves decluttering, both mentally and physically, so we’re better