Most people want more. Mike Campbell wants less.
"We're in a society where almost everyone wants more, more, more," Mike said.
This might mean a bigger house, a different car, more clothes and the latest gadgets.
"People forget all the things they have to give up for these things," Mike said.
The time needed to make money to pay for their new stuff usually means "less time to spend with people they love and less time for hobbies".
Mike, of Hamilton South, is a minimalist. He runs the Live Immediately website and podcast.
He'll give a talk at Cessnock Library on Thursday on the "less is more" concept.
The minimalist way of life is invariably linked to the desire to enjoy life more.
"Sometimes it's worth actually asking yourself what you enjoy about life. At the end of every one of my podcast episodes, the last question I ask [each interview subject] is to describe their perfect day," he said.
"The reason I do that is to get listeners to think about what their perfect day is. To see how much of that perfect day they're actually living each day."
No one ever says they want to be "jet-skiing, drinking pina coladas on the sand". [Mind you, that does sound quite appealing].
"Usually the answer is, 'I want to wake up without an alarm. I want to be doing some work that adds some purpose and meaning'.
"Then it's usually about spending some quality time around food with friends and family. A glass of wine or two at night, then getting to bed at a reasonable time to do it all over again. Often these things that we love are so simple.
"But we forget about them because we're packing all this other stuff into life."
A few years back, he and his family freed themselves from their possessions, rented out their home and spent a year house-sitting in the United States.
Since then, their minimalist journey has evolved.
"I don't think you ever reach a point where everything's done. That's like most things in life.
"You kind of learn little things as you go. Things that might have worked once, don't seem to work for you now.
"For me it's more about, 'Is what I'm doing right now something that I want to be doing?'
"Often I feel we're doing things, whether that's working super late or going for that job where you're going to get an extra $20,000, but you forget about the extra time you've got to sacrifice for that as well."
He said minimalism was about more than simply not buying as much stuff.
"I always bring it back to values and a philosophy," he said.
"When my wife Inga and I discovered minimalism, we went through a big process that took a year."
They removed almost 1000 items from their home over 30 days, playing the "minimalism game".
They thought deeply about what they value and want out of life.
"I think that's what it is - being a little bit more deliberate in what we do," he said.
The talk starts at 5.30pm.
Hey Sister
Winx has a little sister. A half-sister, that is. But still a sister.
Wonder if horse siblings fight like human ones? This is probably moot because Winx and her lil sis may never meet.
The foal with the famous sister was born at Segenhoe Stud in the Hunter Valley on Tuesday. She and Winx share the same mother, Vegas Showgirl.
The foal's sire [that means dad for people who have no clue about horse lingo] was Japanese stallion Deep Impact.
Deep Impact has quite the pedigree. He was Japan's top-ranked stallion for seven consecutive years from 2012. He won 12 of his 14 career starts.
Unfortunately, he had to be put down in July after suffering a nasty fracture.
As for Winx, she retired in April after winning the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick. She recorded 33 straight wins and won more than $26 million in prizemoney.
This sounds like a lot for a young foal to live up to. Hopefully, she stays on the straight and narrow.
Joke of the Day
Q- What do racehorses eat?
A - Fast Food.
