1 00:00:00,651 --> 00:00:02,967 Hey everybody! Rob Greenfield, here, and 2 00:00:02,967 --> 00:00:06,786 this is everything I own. Everything I 3 00:00:06,786 --> 00:00:09,637 own is sitting on this table right here. 4 00:00:09,637 --> 00:00:13,310 And fits into this 1 backpack. 5 00:00:13,310 --> 00:00:16,047 Today I am going to show you what I 6 00:00:16,047 --> 00:00:18,485 own and share why I own these things and 7 00:00:18,485 --> 00:00:20,282 some lessons to go along with them. 8 00:00:20,282 --> 00:00:22,931 Now, when I say this is everything I own, 9 00:00:22,931 --> 00:00:25,466 I truly mean it. It means there is 10 00:00:25,466 --> 00:00:27,499 nothing stored in other places. 11 00:00:27,499 --> 00:00:29,650 Nothing stored at family or friends. 12 00:00:29,650 --> 00:00:31,734 And I don't even actually have a bank 13 00:00:31,734 --> 00:00:33,970 account, a credit card... many other 14 00:00:33,970 --> 00:00:36,702 things. All of my money is also right 15 00:00:36,702 --> 00:00:38,767 here on this table. 16 00:00:38,767 --> 00:00:40,755 This is literally everything I own 17 00:00:40,755 --> 00:00:42,991 and it's about 43 possessions. 18 00:00:42,991 --> 00:00:48,778 My net worth, right now, is about $5 500 19 00:00:48,778 --> 00:00:50,925 to $6 000. 20 00:00:50,925 --> 00:00:53,142 There's $5 000 in this envelope and 21 00:00:53,142 --> 00:00:56,510 everything, here, is worth substantially 22 00:00:56,510 --> 00:00:58,039 less than $1 000. 23 00:00:58,039 --> 00:01:00,025 This is it and I'm going to show you 24 00:01:00,025 --> 00:01:01,540 the different things. 25 00:01:01,540 --> 00:01:03,520 I'm going to go ahead and start with 26 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,247 my clothes. First, I'm wearing 2 27 00:01:05,247 --> 00:01:07,965 articles of clothing. I have my shorts 28 00:01:07,965 --> 00:01:09,933 and I have my shirt on. 29 00:01:09,933 --> 00:01:14,332 Along with that I have 4 more shirts. 30 00:01:14,332 --> 00:01:17,418 All the same, except one of them is long 31 00:01:17,418 --> 00:01:19,268 sleeved. The other 4 are short 32 00:01:19,268 --> 00:01:22,105 sleeved. These are bamboo cotton blend. 33 00:01:22,105 --> 00:01:24,805 One of my goals is to be basically 34 00:01:24,805 --> 00:01:28,522 biodegradable. My goal is that when I die 35 00:01:28,522 --> 00:01:31,606 hopefully if I can be in the woods or out 36 00:01:31,606 --> 00:01:33,876 on the ocean and if I fall into the ocean 37 00:01:33,876 --> 00:01:35,977 or I die in the woods, I just simply 38 00:01:35,977 --> 00:01:38,213 return to the earth rather than 39 00:01:38,213 --> 00:01:41,382 littering, as I die, by wearing plastic clothing. 40 00:01:41,382 --> 00:01:43,144 One of my goals is for 41 00:01:43,144 --> 00:01:45,513 almost everything I own to be 42 00:01:45,513 --> 00:01:48,713 biodegradable. To be a single, or 43 00:01:48,713 --> 00:01:51,668 multiple, like a few simple ingredients 44 00:01:51,668 --> 00:01:53,416 straight from the earth. 45 00:01:53,416 --> 00:01:55,801 Bamboo and cotton is one example of that. 46 00:01:55,801 --> 00:01:59,134 My sweater is a wool sweater. 47 00:01:59,134 --> 00:02:01,701 Thrift store, I think $10 or $11. 48 00:02:01,701 --> 00:02:06,604 That's my main source of warmth. 49 00:02:06,604 --> 00:02:11,207 I have 2 pairs of underwear which are 50 00:02:11,207 --> 00:02:14,753 plastic, not natural fibres. 51 00:02:14,753 --> 00:02:18,007 A second pair of shorts, also plastic. 52 00:02:18,007 --> 00:02:21,710 I have a pair of socks and these socks are 53 00:02:21,710 --> 00:02:25,445 actually my boy scout socks from when I 54 00:02:25,445 --> 00:02:27,663 was in high school or middle school. 55 00:02:27,663 --> 00:02:30,797 So these are 20 years old? Possibly? 56 00:02:30,797 --> 00:02:33,230 No, 15 years old? 57 00:02:33,230 --> 00:02:35,431 My clothes fit into this little cotton 58 00:02:35,431 --> 00:02:37,451 bag. This is my clothes bag. I don't think 59 00:02:37,451 --> 00:02:39,215 the sweater would fit in here, but 60 00:02:39,215 --> 00:02:41,952 everything else fits into there. 61 00:02:41,952 --> 00:02:44,569 And, that's it for clothes! 62 00:02:44,569 --> 00:02:47,018 One thing to point out. I'm in a warm 63 00:02:47,018 --> 00:02:49,352 climate right now. I lived in Florida 64 00:02:49,352 --> 00:02:51,556 before, while I was doing my year of 65 00:02:51,556 --> 00:02:53,472 growing and foraging all of my food, so 66 00:02:53,472 --> 00:02:55,651 I designed my life to be where I am. 67 00:02:55,651 --> 00:02:57,557 I don't design my life to be in a cold 68 00:02:57,557 --> 00:02:59,673 climate because I am not in a cold climate. 69 00:02:59,673 --> 00:03:02,093 Wherever you are, you have to do things 70 00:03:02,093 --> 00:03:05,012 that make sense. Apply common sense, 71 00:03:05,012 --> 00:03:07,828 critical thinking, problem solving to 72 00:03:07,828 --> 00:03:09,129 wherever you are. 73 00:03:09,129 --> 00:03:11,647 For example, a month from now I will 74 00:03:11,647 --> 00:03:13,682 be in western Europe. I'll be in Germany 75 00:03:13,682 --> 00:03:15,449 where it's going to be cold. I'm 76 00:03:15,449 --> 00:03:17,375 going to have to get some warm clothes. 77 00:03:17,375 --> 00:03:19,900 Right now, I own 43 possessions but 78 00:03:19,900 --> 00:03:22,017 that will fluctuate. My goal is, 79 00:03:22,017 --> 00:03:26,036 one day, to have no possessions. So, 43 80 00:03:26,036 --> 00:03:29,020 less possessions and at times I'm going to 81 00:03:29,020 --> 00:03:31,073 have more possessions. When I'm on tour 82 00:03:31,073 --> 00:03:33,706 in Europe speaking, maybe it will be 83 00:03:33,706 --> 00:03:36,239 double to 80 possessions. We will see. 84 00:03:36,239 --> 00:03:38,360 But the point is that wherever you are, 85 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:40,258 whatever climate you are in, you have 86 00:03:40,258 --> 00:03:42,307 to adapt to that climate. 87 00:03:42,307 --> 00:03:44,310 My other item of clothing, you could 88 00:03:44,310 --> 00:03:47,345 say, is my sandals. Very simple. 89 00:03:47,345 --> 00:03:49,729 I'm mostly barefoot. I try to be barefoot 90 00:03:49,729 --> 00:03:52,897 as much as I possibly can, which is a vast 91 00:03:52,897 --> 00:03:55,564 majority of the time. And these provide 92 00:03:55,564 --> 00:03:58,931 very simple cover to my feet. 93 00:03:58,931 --> 00:04:01,633 These are the soles but our feet 94 00:04:01,633 --> 00:04:03,453 naturally have soles. They're called 95 00:04:03,453 --> 00:04:05,919 callouses and I won't go too deep into 96 00:04:05,919 --> 00:04:08,503 that, but to sum it up, I believe that 97 00:04:08,503 --> 00:04:10,686 the human body was designed over 98 00:04:10,686 --> 00:04:12,620 10's of 1000's... 100's of 1,000's 99 00:04:12,620 --> 00:04:15,388 of years to really work. So, all I do is 100 00:04:15,388 --> 00:04:17,906 I believe that my feet work. 101 00:04:17,906 --> 00:04:20,240 It's actually not that crazy. 102 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,226 Let's see, what do I want to show next? 103 00:04:23,226 --> 00:04:27,544 Okay, so I have a little towel. If I have 104 00:04:27,544 --> 00:04:31,412 a cold, this works as a towel for that, a 105 00:04:31,412 --> 00:04:34,246 handkerchief. I use this for washing 106 00:04:34,246 --> 00:04:38,680 dishes and things like that, so multi- purposed. 107 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,564 One of the keys is for things to be 108 00:04:40,564 --> 00:04:43,935 usable for many functions. A lot of the 109 00:04:43,935 --> 00:04:47,435 things that I have, maybe it's one 110 00:04:47,435 --> 00:04:49,267 possession, but I can use it in many 111 00:04:49,267 --> 00:04:50,887 different ways. 112 00:04:50,887 --> 00:04:52,787 This is probably one of the great 113 00:04:52,787 --> 00:04:55,554 possessions that I have, and this is my 114 00:04:55,554 --> 00:05:00,797 pot, and it's my bowl, and it's my 'to go' 115 00:05:00,797 --> 00:05:02,507 container. It's what I can put my 116 00:05:02,507 --> 00:05:05,458 leftovers in. A lot of people who 117 00:05:05,458 --> 00:05:07,559 are striving for zero waste, they'll carry 118 00:05:07,559 --> 00:05:09,743 a reusable bowl. This is basically that 119 00:05:09,743 --> 00:05:11,658 except it is also a pot so that when I 120 00:05:11,658 --> 00:05:13,546 am travelling and I am somewhere where 121 00:05:13,546 --> 00:05:15,764 there is no pot or pan I can cook. 122 00:05:15,764 --> 00:05:17,795 And I can also cook over a fire with it. 123 00:05:17,795 --> 00:05:21,899 I washed this with steel wool so it keeps 124 00:05:21,899 --> 00:05:24,099 it really shiny, but I've been using this 125 00:05:24,099 --> 00:05:27,983 for...I'm not sure how long, but probably 126 00:05:27,983 --> 00:05:30,669 5 to 10 years. It's one of my oldest 127 00:05:30,669 --> 00:05:33,035 possessions right now. So this is a 128 00:05:33,035 --> 00:05:35,369 really important possession in my life. 129 00:05:35,369 --> 00:05:38,104 And when I say important, not a single 130 00:05:38,104 --> 00:05:40,126 thing here is irreplaceable. 131 00:05:40,126 --> 00:05:42,105 I actually don't own a single thing that 132 00:05:42,105 --> 00:05:47,857 is sentimental. Every single thing, here, 133 00:05:47,857 --> 00:05:50,158 has a purpose and has value to me in the 134 00:05:50,158 --> 00:05:52,527 sense that it allows me to live out things 135 00:05:52,527 --> 00:05:54,330 that I am trying to do, but there is 136 00:05:54,330 --> 00:05:56,354 actually not a single item, here, that is 137 00:05:56,354 --> 00:05:58,428 sentimental. If I lost all of this 138 00:05:58,428 --> 00:06:00,813 tomorrow there'd be some issues I'd have 139 00:06:00,813 --> 00:06:02,481 to deal with but it would have no 140 00:06:02,481 --> 00:06:05,549 sentimental aspect to it. 141 00:06:05,549 --> 00:06:08,082 Another thing that I have is, 142 00:06:08,082 --> 00:06:12,218 rather than disposable bottles, 143 00:06:12,218 --> 00:06:14,550 I carry this. A reusable water bottle. 144 00:06:14,550 --> 00:06:16,466 It is also a thermos so I can carry hot 145 00:06:16,466 --> 00:06:19,719 beverages or soup. This is my cup 146 00:06:19,719 --> 00:06:24,156 wherever I go. One important possession. 147 00:06:24,156 --> 00:06:27,073 I often just have a simple glass jar, too. 148 00:06:27,073 --> 00:06:29,908 Which is better, but actually...well, 149 00:06:29,908 --> 00:06:33,709 I got this because someone lost it and I 150 00:06:33,709 --> 00:06:36,377 found it and there was no owner to claim 151 00:06:36,377 --> 00:06:38,398 it, so that's why I have this, but usually 152 00:06:38,398 --> 00:06:41,582 I just have a jar. A mason jar. 153 00:06:41,582 --> 00:06:45,013 Another eating utensil. A spoon. 154 00:06:45,013 --> 00:06:46,898 Sometimes I have a spoon and a fork. 155 00:06:46,898 --> 00:06:49,598 You don't need awesome bamboo forks and 156 00:06:49,598 --> 00:06:52,150 spoons, they're cool, but go to a thrift 157 00:06:52,150 --> 00:06:54,400 store. 25 cents. Or open your drawer. 158 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:58,085 You have spoons and forks to travel with 159 00:06:58,085 --> 00:07:00,319 already. Normally, one of my possessions 160 00:07:00,319 --> 00:07:03,455 is a leatherman, a multi-tool, but I don't 161 00:07:03,455 --> 00:07:05,105 have that because this year I am 162 00:07:05,105 --> 00:07:07,638 travelling, using planes, and everything 163 00:07:07,638 --> 00:07:09,684 is carry on so I can't carry a knife. 164 00:07:09,684 --> 00:07:11,708 Otherwise, that would absolutely be one of 165 00:07:11,708 --> 00:07:14,795 my key possessions. 166 00:07:14,795 --> 00:07:18,211 Next, I will show...this is a reusable 167 00:07:18,211 --> 00:07:21,146 bag as well. I keep using the word 168 00:07:21,146 --> 00:07:23,805 reusable. Of course it is reusable, but 169 00:07:23,805 --> 00:07:26,064 what I mean is, for a lot of people who 170 00:07:26,064 --> 00:07:27,930 are getting plastic bags at the store, 171 00:07:27,930 --> 00:07:30,298 you can use a reusable shopping bag. 172 00:07:30,298 --> 00:07:32,866 Now, this can be used for grocery 173 00:07:32,866 --> 00:07:39,087 shopping, This is basically like 174 00:07:39,087 --> 00:07:41,337 my day pack. So, that I don't have to 175 00:07:41,337 --> 00:07:43,324 take everything out of here, I have this 176 00:07:43,324 --> 00:07:45,356 small pack that I can carry as well. 177 00:07:45,356 --> 00:07:47,339 Both of these backpacks were given to me 178 00:07:47,339 --> 00:07:50,540 by a friend who gets backpacks that are 179 00:07:50,540 --> 00:07:53,057 going to be thrown away and he repurposes 180 00:07:53,057 --> 00:07:54,734 them and makes things out of them 181 00:07:54,734 --> 00:07:56,645 instead. I actually took these because 182 00:07:56,645 --> 00:07:58,143 they are still good. 183 00:07:58,143 --> 00:08:04,644 I have my computer. And computers can 184 00:08:04,644 --> 00:08:06,422 be expensive. This would be my most 185 00:08:06,422 --> 00:08:09,270 expensive item but I buy them used on 186 00:08:09,270 --> 00:08:11,325 Craigslist. This was, I think, about 187 00:08:11,325 --> 00:08:14,199 $300. It's a 2014, so it is 6 188 00:08:14,199 --> 00:08:20,887 years old. And so, if I break this, or it 189 00:08:20,887 --> 00:08:22,953 gets stolen, then I just need about $300 190 00:08:22,953 --> 00:08:27,503 to get another used 1 of these. 191 00:08:27,503 --> 00:08:31,136 There's the charger to go with that. 192 00:08:31,136 --> 00:08:33,180 I am counting the charger and the computer 193 00:08:33,180 --> 00:08:35,239 as 1 possession at the advisement of 194 00:08:35,239 --> 00:08:37,108 many of my friends who say that is 1 195 00:08:37,108 --> 00:08:39,015 possession. But if you want to call it 196 00:08:39,015 --> 00:08:42,026 2, you know, the 43 is a little bit 197 00:08:42,026 --> 00:08:47,295 subjective. You can decide what you want. 198 00:08:47,295 --> 00:08:49,463 I am going to show you 1 possession, my 199 00:08:49,463 --> 00:08:51,496 earplugs, to help me with sleeping. There 200 00:08:51,496 --> 00:08:53,781 are 6 pairs in there. I am going to 201 00:08:53,781 --> 00:08:55,875 call it 1. Part of me wants to call it 202 00:08:55,875 --> 00:08:57,982 6, so, you could say I have anywhere 203 00:08:57,982 --> 00:09:00,051 between...depending on how you do it, 204 00:09:00,051 --> 00:09:02,786 you could say I have between 30 and 70 205 00:09:02,786 --> 00:09:04,751 possessions, just depending on how you 206 00:09:04,751 --> 00:09:06,902 want to count it. 207 00:09:06,902 --> 00:09:13,856 And then my headphones, so this is, at 208 00:09:13,856 --> 00:09:16,409 this moment, literally, the only 209 00:09:16,409 --> 00:09:18,842 electronic items that I own. This is it. 210 00:09:18,842 --> 00:09:21,377 I usually have a headlamp as well but 211 00:09:21,377 --> 00:09:23,188 right now I'm not carrying a headlamp 212 00:09:23,188 --> 00:09:24,774 because I am really enjoying the 213 00:09:24,774 --> 00:09:26,430 simplicity of this being the only 214 00:09:26,430 --> 00:09:28,610 electronic items that I own. 215 00:09:28,610 --> 00:09:32,030 This is a little cotton bag that I put my 216 00:09:32,030 --> 00:09:34,263 headphones and the charger in. 217 00:09:34,263 --> 00:09:36,981 That is another possession. 218 00:09:36,981 --> 00:09:38,911 I've got my notebook, which is an 219 00:09:38,911 --> 00:09:40,833 important possession for me. 220 00:09:40,833 --> 00:09:43,051 I do a lot of writing and I try to 221 00:09:43,051 --> 00:09:45,135 minimize my time on technology, on 222 00:09:45,135 --> 00:09:47,669 my computer, so this notebook is a great 223 00:09:47,669 --> 00:09:50,419 tool for me to be able to write by hand 224 00:09:50,419 --> 00:09:52,437 rather than on the computer. 225 00:09:52,437 --> 00:09:54,368 My goal is to move away from technology 226 00:09:54,368 --> 00:09:56,406 as much as I possibly can. 227 00:09:56,406 --> 00:09:58,673 Lots in here, I have my 'to do' lists 228 00:09:58,673 --> 00:10:00,939 and things like that in there. I got this 229 00:10:00,939 --> 00:10:02,746 at a thrift store. I think it was 230 00:10:02,746 --> 00:10:04,715 $1.10 which is a little expensive 231 00:10:04,715 --> 00:10:07,959 for a notebook, actually. (laughs) 232 00:10:07,959 --> 00:10:11,935 Let's see, reading. My goal is to 233 00:10:11,935 --> 00:10:13,930 generally be carrying 1 book at a time. 234 00:10:13,930 --> 00:10:15,804 Right now I am reading the Omnivore's 235 00:10:15,804 --> 00:10:17,748 Dilemma by Michael Pollan. One of my 236 00:10:17,748 --> 00:10:19,695 favorite authors, one of my favorite 237 00:10:19,695 --> 00:10:21,631 books. I am reading it again. 238 00:10:21,631 --> 00:10:26,403 You can see, in here, just all these 239 00:10:26,403 --> 00:10:28,318 earmarks. There's just so much I'm 240 00:10:28,318 --> 00:10:30,603 learning from here. So much important 241 00:10:30,603 --> 00:10:32,087 information. 242 00:10:32,087 --> 00:10:34,619 And then I have my bookmark. This is a 243 00:10:34,619 --> 00:10:36,687 postcard of Gandhi that I got at the 244 00:10:36,687 --> 00:10:41,773 Martin Luther King centre in Atlanta 4 245 00:10:41,773 --> 00:10:44,481 years ago. And I keep this with me. Just 246 00:10:44,481 --> 00:10:46,559 nice remembrance of someone that I love 247 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:50,644 very much. Oh! One thing I didn't count 248 00:10:50,644 --> 00:10:53,477 as a possession, is on my computer. 249 00:10:53,477 --> 00:10:55,677 I always forget about this possession. 250 00:10:55,677 --> 00:10:57,697 It's a bumper sticker that says "We must 251 00:10:57,697 --> 00:11:00,165 be the change we wish to see in the world." 252 00:11:00,165 --> 00:11:03,499 And, technically, that's a possession. 253 00:11:03,499 --> 00:11:05,933 So, I guess I'm up to 44. I always forget 254 00:11:05,933 --> 00:11:08,786 about that one! 44, actually, that's a 255 00:11:08,786 --> 00:11:11,120 great number! Thanks Gandhi! 256 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,554 Okay, a couple other things. 257 00:11:14,554 --> 00:11:18,553 Let's see, I am going to go into my 258 00:11:18,553 --> 00:11:20,889 hygiene now. I practice a very simple 259 00:11:20,889 --> 00:11:23,231 hygiene. I think that this body functions. 260 00:11:23,231 --> 00:11:24,974 Just like I think my feet function, 261 00:11:24,974 --> 00:11:26,727 I think my body functions. I don't 262 00:11:26,727 --> 00:11:28,594 believe... Old Spice, I don't believe 263 00:11:28,594 --> 00:11:30,609 that I am better off because of it. 264 00:11:30,609 --> 00:11:32,548 And I don't believe that I need it in 265 00:11:32,548 --> 00:11:34,595 order to be an important member of society. 266 00:11:34,595 --> 00:11:38,396 I haven't used deodorant for about 8 267 00:11:38,396 --> 00:11:41,782 years now and I hug 1 000s of people 268 00:11:41,782 --> 00:11:45,115 a year and sometimes I smell a little 269 00:11:45,115 --> 00:11:48,301 bit but I also think a little bit of 270 00:11:48,301 --> 00:11:51,085 smell is just fine. I won't go super 271 00:11:51,085 --> 00:11:53,669 deep into that, but all of my personal 272 00:11:53,669 --> 00:11:55,602 hygiene items are on this table. 273 00:11:55,602 --> 00:11:58,136 I very much simplified it. Again, 274 00:11:58,136 --> 00:12:01,591 as a man with very little hair it is 275 00:12:01,591 --> 00:12:03,723 different than as a woman, or a man, with 276 00:12:03,723 --> 00:12:05,755 long, flowing, beautiful hair. 277 00:12:05,755 --> 00:12:07,440 So, everybody is different. 278 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,257 But the point is, is that there are so 279 00:12:10,257 --> 00:12:12,242 many ways we can reduce. Do we need 280 00:12:12,242 --> 00:12:15,845 suave in order to be contributing members 281 00:12:15,845 --> 00:12:17,944 of society? I don't think so, whether we 282 00:12:17,944 --> 00:12:19,758 have long hair or short hair. 283 00:12:19,758 --> 00:12:21,747 And there are plenty of women out there 284 00:12:21,747 --> 00:12:23,933 who are examples of that who have said 285 00:12:23,933 --> 00:12:26,049 "I don't need that system. I can stand 286 00:12:26,049 --> 00:12:28,065 outside of it, as well." 287 00:12:28,065 --> 00:12:31,517 So, we will start with hair, actually. 288 00:12:31,517 --> 00:12:34,017 How do I cut. my hair? As I said, 289 00:12:34,017 --> 00:12:35,938 I try to use as few electronic items as 290 00:12:35,938 --> 00:12:38,302 possible. So, I've got this old school, 291 00:12:38,302 --> 00:12:41,636 vintage, hand-held buzzer. How it 292 00:12:41,636 --> 00:12:44,256 works is I squeeze it and then there are 293 00:12:44,256 --> 00:12:47,911 blades, here, and then it cuts my hair. 294 00:12:47,911 --> 00:12:50,959 I can do it as super short, but I 295 00:12:50,959 --> 00:12:53,825 actually took a plastic piece from a new 296 00:12:53,825 --> 00:12:56,027 one and that's how it works. It just 297 00:12:56,027 --> 00:12:58,145 squeezes. Just like that. 298 00:12:58,145 --> 00:12:59,988 And I will have a video on my channel 299 00:12:59,988 --> 00:13:01,949 about that. The off the grid zero waste 300 00:13:01,949 --> 00:13:05,913 haircut. So, that is a pretty sweet 301 00:13:05,913 --> 00:13:07,897 thing. I think this is about 50 years 302 00:13:07,897 --> 00:13:10,314 old. I don't think they are 303 00:13:10,314 --> 00:13:12,132 made anymore. You can only get 304 00:13:12,132 --> 00:13:14,984 vintage ones and I got this online. 305 00:13:14,984 --> 00:13:18,319 Oh, and that goes inside of this bag. 306 00:13:18,319 --> 00:13:20,387 So, that's another possession, the bag. 307 00:13:20,387 --> 00:13:23,870 Which is hemp, I believe. 308 00:13:23,870 --> 00:13:26,187 I also have these little scissors. These 309 00:13:26,187 --> 00:13:28,372 have come in handy so much, since I don't 310 00:13:28,372 --> 00:13:30,373 have my multi-tool anymore. 311 00:13:30,373 --> 00:13:32,374 These are probably one of my most commonly 312 00:13:32,374 --> 00:13:34,391 used possessions. I use it for trimming 313 00:13:34,391 --> 00:13:38,027 the beard, the ears, the hairline. 314 00:13:38,027 --> 00:13:42,612 But I use it for so many different 315 00:13:42,612 --> 00:13:45,278 things. When I'm repairing 316 00:13:45,278 --> 00:13:47,340 things, repairing my clothes, things like 317 00:13:47,340 --> 00:13:49,708 that. So, really great. 318 00:13:49,708 --> 00:13:51,670 I also grabbed this from my mom's house. 319 00:13:51,670 --> 00:13:53,669 She had 3 or 4 of them so I asked 320 00:13:53,669 --> 00:13:55,540 if I could have one of these pairs of 321 00:13:55,540 --> 00:13:57,561 scissors. A nice little memory of my mom. 322 00:13:57,561 --> 00:13:59,183 Hi mom, I love you. 323 00:13:59,183 --> 00:14:01,369 One of the ways that I use this is for 324 00:14:01,369 --> 00:14:05,152 my dental floss. My dental floss 325 00:14:05,152 --> 00:14:07,038 does not have a plastic container 326 00:14:07,038 --> 00:14:10,270 surrounding it. Instead, it's just this 327 00:14:10,270 --> 00:14:13,789 little roll and then I just cut it with 328 00:14:13,789 --> 00:14:16,256 the scissors. And what's really 329 00:14:16,256 --> 00:14:18,214 great about this dental floss is this is 330 00:14:18,214 --> 00:14:21,009 made out of silk so this is not plastic. 331 00:14:21,009 --> 00:14:24,060 And this goes right into the compost pile 332 00:14:24,060 --> 00:14:26,578 as well. So, there are very few ways that 333 00:14:26,578 --> 00:14:28,779 I create trash. I minimize them, the ways 334 00:14:28,779 --> 00:14:30,929 that I create trash. And you'll see that 335 00:14:30,929 --> 00:14:33,266 is a big part of the possessions that I own. 336 00:14:33,266 --> 00:14:35,290 (skip in audio)...alternative to it but 337 00:14:35,290 --> 00:14:37,129 for now I'm sticking to this plastic. 338 00:14:37,129 --> 00:14:39,156 To be honest, I don't feel bad about that. 339 00:14:39,156 --> 00:14:41,104 I'm not trying to be perfect. I'm just 340 00:14:41,104 --> 00:14:43,053 trying to do a really good job and I 341 00:14:43,053 --> 00:14:45,170 think I'm doing pretty good, so I'm happy. 342 00:14:45,170 --> 00:14:47,470 So, that's the toothbrush. 343 00:14:47,470 --> 00:14:50,404 For toothpaste, I also buy my toothpaste. 344 00:14:50,404 --> 00:14:52,730 I buy a brand called Jason Power Smile. 345 00:14:52,730 --> 00:14:55,390 Not because I have any connection 346 00:14:55,390 --> 00:14:57,807 to them, just because I've been using it 347 00:14:57,807 --> 00:14:59,735 for 5 years and I really love it. 348 00:14:59,735 --> 00:15:03,026 (smells it) Oh, it's great. I love it. 349 00:15:03,026 --> 00:15:05,266 And what I do, is I take it out and I 350 00:15:05,266 --> 00:15:08,211 put it into a glass jar for multiple 351 00:15:08,211 --> 00:15:11,213 reasons. I buy it in 6 ounces. I am 352 00:15:11,213 --> 00:15:13,190 travelling right now and you can't carry 353 00:15:13,190 --> 00:15:14,948 a 6 oz thing. And also because 354 00:15:14,948 --> 00:15:16,881 plastic, when it heats and cools , can 355 00:15:16,881 --> 00:15:18,879 release the plastic and this way it's in 356 00:15:18,879 --> 00:15:22,801 glass for it's life. So, this is another 357 00:15:22,801 --> 00:15:24,732 one of those luxuries of life that I am 358 00:15:24,732 --> 00:15:27,344 sticking to. I can definitely make my own 359 00:15:27,344 --> 00:15:29,276 toothpaste. A lot of people do it and 360 00:15:29,276 --> 00:15:31,772 they like it. I have made it but it 361 00:15:31,772 --> 00:15:34,955 didn't beat this for me. 362 00:15:34,955 --> 00:15:36,839 I have my essential oil. This is 363 00:15:36,839 --> 00:15:39,440 something that I buy and I generally have 364 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:43,175 lavender or a blend that is very soothing. 365 00:15:43,175 --> 00:15:45,426 And that's what this is. I use this 366 00:15:45,426 --> 00:15:49,279 to help myself relax, often before 367 00:15:49,279 --> 00:15:52,280 sleep, but throughout the day. Especially 368 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:56,064 if I'm in stressful scenarios. Just being 369 00:15:56,064 --> 00:15:58,681 able to smell this, really is so helpful. 370 00:15:58,681 --> 00:16:01,282 This is a very important natural medicine 371 00:16:01,282 --> 00:16:03,968 for me. And the other essential oil that 372 00:16:03,968 --> 00:16:07,956 I am often carrying is tea tree, which is 373 00:16:07,956 --> 00:16:11,452 an antimicrobial that I use as a 374 00:16:11,452 --> 00:16:14,521 disinfectant and that's the other one that 375 00:16:14,521 --> 00:16:17,372 I'm usually carrying, but for now, I'm 376 00:16:17,372 --> 00:16:19,723 keeping life the simplest I've ever had 377 00:16:19,723 --> 00:16:21,940 it at 44 possessions. And so I just have 378 00:16:21,940 --> 00:16:24,594 the one essential oil. 379 00:16:24,594 --> 00:16:29,329 I have a moisturizer. Basically you'd call 380 00:16:29,329 --> 00:16:31,528 it a body butter. This is also store 381 00:16:31,528 --> 00:16:33,798 bought. I have friends who make 382 00:16:33,798 --> 00:16:36,914 this but right now I have 383 00:16:36,914 --> 00:16:39,231 a store bought one for 384 00:16:39,231 --> 00:16:42,715 moisturizing, keeping myself young, taking 385 00:16:42,715 --> 00:16:46,050 care of the skin. And that's all natural, 386 00:16:46,050 --> 00:16:47,866 biodegradable. And speaking of 387 00:16:47,866 --> 00:16:51,638 biodegradable, my soap. Most people 388 00:16:51,638 --> 00:16:53,669 that I...a lot of the people that I visit 389 00:16:53,669 --> 00:16:56,722 use toxic soap. Toxic cleaning products. 390 00:16:56,722 --> 00:16:58,567 So, I like to carry my own soap. 391 00:16:58,567 --> 00:17:00,672 This is pretty much just for washing my 392 00:17:00,672 --> 00:17:02,579 hands and my dishes. I actually 393 00:17:02,579 --> 00:17:04,774 rarely use soap on my body because 394 00:17:04,774 --> 00:17:06,976 our body has a naturally functioning 395 00:17:06,976 --> 00:17:09,908 system with trillions of bacteria that are 396 00:17:09,908 --> 00:17:12,911 living in harmony with our skin. And a 397 00:17:12,911 --> 00:17:14,976 lot of our soaps and our products 398 00:17:14,976 --> 00:17:16,795 actually destroy that and make us 399 00:17:16,795 --> 00:17:18,778 dependent on that, but my body really 400 00:17:18,778 --> 00:17:20,863 functions without that. I've been living 401 00:17:20,863 --> 00:17:22,949 without soap on my body for, again, about 402 00:17:22,949 --> 00:17:25,267 8 years...7 years-ish. But I do use it 403 00:17:25,267 --> 00:17:28,399 for dishes, and for the hands and it's 404 00:17:28,399 --> 00:17:30,860 biodegradable and plant based, so this is 405 00:17:30,860 --> 00:17:33,353 grey water friendly. This can go onto 406 00:17:33,353 --> 00:17:36,187 the plants rather than going to a waste 407 00:17:36,187 --> 00:17:39,104 water treatment plant. 408 00:17:39,104 --> 00:17:41,688 I have earplugs, which I use for sleeping 409 00:17:41,688 --> 00:17:44,789 or when I'm travelling. For leaf blowers 410 00:17:44,789 --> 00:17:46,957 and lawn mowers and things like that. 411 00:17:46,957 --> 00:17:49,311 Those actually really improve my 412 00:17:49,311 --> 00:17:51,212 quality of life. It helps me get good 413 00:17:51,212 --> 00:17:53,193 sleep. I would love to exist completely 414 00:17:53,193 --> 00:17:56,895 without these but It's a tricky one, 415 00:17:56,895 --> 00:17:59,896 I get much better sleep with these. 416 00:17:59,896 --> 00:18:04,665 I have my fingernail clippers and 417 00:18:04,665 --> 00:18:06,632 that is it for natural hygiene. 418 00:18:06,632 --> 00:18:08,666 This little bit, right here. And it all 419 00:18:08,666 --> 00:18:11,932 fits into this natural fibre bag. 420 00:18:11,932 --> 00:18:15,768 So, natural hygiene is mostly from the 421 00:18:15,768 --> 00:18:17,953 sun, from the water, from the elements of 422 00:18:17,953 --> 00:18:20,587 the earth, from eating good food. 423 00:18:20,587 --> 00:18:24,340 Speaking of food, I carry tea with me. 424 00:18:24,340 --> 00:18:26,639 I like to have tea every morning and every 425 00:18:26,639 --> 00:18:28,775 night. A nice morning tea and an evening 426 00:18:28,775 --> 00:18:31,458 tea. This is chamomile. I really like to 427 00:18:31,458 --> 00:18:34,259 have that to just relax me at night. 428 00:18:34,259 --> 00:18:39,828 And this was a tea ball but I 429 00:18:39,828 --> 00:18:43,948 lost half, so I just strain it. I make 430 00:18:43,948 --> 00:18:45,921 the tea in a pot and then I just pour it 431 00:18:45,921 --> 00:18:47,890 through this to get the tea without the 432 00:18:47,890 --> 00:18:49,969 chunks in it. Some people, like my friend 433 00:18:49,969 --> 00:18:52,076 Kathy, they just love the chunks in their 434 00:18:52,076 --> 00:18:54,551 tea. I like a nice smooth tea with no chunks. 435 00:18:54,551 --> 00:19:01,187 Last, but not least, I have my 436 00:19:01,187 --> 00:19:04,221 identification. I have my passport. 437 00:19:04,221 --> 00:19:07,486 I still travel internationally so 438 00:19:07,486 --> 00:19:09,421 this is a very important possession for 439 00:19:09,421 --> 00:19:11,722 me. I don't have a driver's license. 440 00:19:11,722 --> 00:19:14,225 I don't have a social security card. 441 00:19:14,225 --> 00:19:16,676 I do have a birth certificate. So these 442 00:19:16,676 --> 00:19:19,664 are my only two forms of identification. 443 00:19:19,664 --> 00:19:21,934 That means I don't need a wallet. 444 00:19:21,934 --> 00:19:24,513 I don't have all these bonus cards and 445 00:19:24,513 --> 00:19:26,763 things like that. If I had a wallet 446 00:19:26,763 --> 00:19:29,014 that had 100 different cards in 447 00:19:29,014 --> 00:19:30,697 it, that would be 100 different 448 00:19:30,697 --> 00:19:32,580 possessions but I don't have a wallet. 449 00:19:32,580 --> 00:19:34,532 I don't have any of those things. I got 450 00:19:34,532 --> 00:19:36,500 rid of all those things over the years. 451 00:19:36,500 --> 00:19:38,333 So, these are my 2 forms of I.D. 452 00:19:38,333 --> 00:19:40,252 The reason that I have these is because, 453 00:19:40,252 --> 00:19:42,136 with these 2 forms of I.D., I can get 454 00:19:42,136 --> 00:19:45,237 other ones if I decide to. I got rid of 455 00:19:45,237 --> 00:19:48,705 all the other ones about 5 years ago-ish, 456 00:19:48,705 --> 00:19:51,523 so my 2 forms of I.D. My dream is to one 457 00:19:51,523 --> 00:19:54,523 day, again, have nothing, including this. 458 00:19:54,523 --> 00:19:56,517 Which would mean no longer being able to 459 00:19:56,517 --> 00:20:00,548 legally leave the country. There are ways 460 00:20:00,548 --> 00:20:03,095 around that, maybe, I have no experience 461 00:20:03,095 --> 00:20:04,845 with it, but I know there is. 462 00:20:04,845 --> 00:20:07,580 I believe that we are all human beings of 463 00:20:07,580 --> 00:20:09,998 this earth first and foremost. 464 00:20:09,998 --> 00:20:12,982 The borders come second to that. 465 00:20:12,982 --> 00:20:16,917 Lastly, my most valuable possession is my 466 00:20:16,917 --> 00:20:19,196 money. Although, I don't actually own 467 00:20:19,196 --> 00:20:21,201 this. Technically, the government owns 468 00:20:21,201 --> 00:20:23,486 the money. It's not my property. 469 00:20:23,486 --> 00:20:25,570 (Reading:) "This note is legal tender for 470 00:20:25,570 --> 00:20:28,253 all debts public and private." So, that 471 00:20:28,253 --> 00:20:31,103 wasn't the exact words I was looking for 472 00:20:31,103 --> 00:20:33,556 but I don't actually, technically, own 473 00:20:33,556 --> 00:20:35,740 this. But I do own this envelope, which I 474 00:20:35,740 --> 00:20:38,326 took out of the garbage can, so I'm 475 00:20:38,326 --> 00:20:40,341 counting this as 1 possession. 476 00:20:40,341 --> 00:20:43,229 I have about $5 000 and I make 477 00:20:43,229 --> 00:20:45,191 the little bit of money that I make 478 00:20:45,191 --> 00:20:47,087 from public speaking. For all of 2020 479 00:20:47,087 --> 00:20:49,248 I am actually not making any money. This 480 00:20:49,248 --> 00:20:51,317 is going to get me through the entire year. 481 00:20:51,317 --> 00:20:53,492 100 % of my speaking honorariums for 482 00:20:53,492 --> 00:20:55,474 2020 are donated to indigenous and women 483 00:20:55,474 --> 00:20:57,682 led environmental non-profits. 484 00:20:57,682 --> 00:21:00,616 So, I literally mean this is all of my 485 00:21:00,616 --> 00:21:02,867 money. I have no bank account. 486 00:21:02,867 --> 00:21:05,936 No credit card. I have no savings account. 487 00:21:05,936 --> 00:21:09,536 I have no retirements fund. No Roth IRA's 488 00:21:09,536 --> 00:21:12,988 mutual funds. I have no debt that I owe 489 00:21:12,988 --> 00:21:17,040 to anyone else and no debt is owed to me. 490 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,644 This is my financial life, right here. 491 00:21:20,644 --> 00:21:22,826 And, it's not a lot of money, but for me, 492 00:21:22,826 --> 00:21:25,442 this is actually a substantial amount of 493 00:21:25,442 --> 00:21:27,910 money and I am very comfortable with this. 494 00:21:27,910 --> 00:21:33,097 Now, you can look at this and say, okay, 495 00:21:33,097 --> 00:21:35,581 well what this really is is, he's just 496 00:21:35,581 --> 00:21:37,349 dependent on other people. 497 00:21:37,349 --> 00:21:39,065 Dependent upon humanity. 498 00:21:39,065 --> 00:21:41,650 And, yes, I am dependent on other people. 499 00:21:41,650 --> 00:21:44,049 I am dependent on humanity. 500 00:21:44,049 --> 00:21:47,165 Money makes it appear that we're not 501 00:21:47,165 --> 00:21:49,123 dependent on other people, but I believe 502 00:21:49,123 --> 00:21:51,373 that is just one big illusion. 503 00:21:51,373 --> 00:21:53,519 Every time you spend money there's someone 504 00:21:53,519 --> 00:21:55,355 behind that. There are other creatures 505 00:21:55,355 --> 00:21:57,723 behind that. There's our world behind 506 00:21:57,723 --> 00:22:00,540 that but we're able to remove ourselves 507 00:22:00,540 --> 00:22:02,591 from that and consider ourselves 508 00:22:02,591 --> 00:22:05,209 independent. But the reality is, is we're 509 00:22:05,209 --> 00:22:07,510 not independent. We are completely 510 00:22:07,510 --> 00:22:10,012 dependent on our global humanity and 511 00:22:10,012 --> 00:22:11,913 that is what I've chosen to embrace 512 00:22:11,913 --> 00:22:14,497 through this way of life. I want to stand 513 00:22:14,497 --> 00:22:16,896 out against this idea of radical 514 00:22:16,896 --> 00:22:20,580 independence and stand for radical 515 00:22:20,580 --> 00:22:22,750 connection to humanity. 516 00:22:22,750 --> 00:22:24,766 That's what I'm trying to show here, 517 00:22:24,766 --> 00:22:26,768 actually, is that we are dependent upon 518 00:22:26,768 --> 00:22:29,251 each other and we absolutely do need 519 00:22:29,251 --> 00:22:31,240 to work together. 520 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,720 At the same time I think that it is 521 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:35,649 important, as individuals, that we have 522 00:22:35,649 --> 00:22:37,706 skills. That we are resourceful. That we 523 00:22:37,706 --> 00:22:40,374 have common sense. That we critically 524 00:22:40,374 --> 00:22:42,307 think. And those are all things that 525 00:22:42,307 --> 00:22:44,024 I have established in myself. 526 00:22:44,024 --> 00:22:46,138 I know how to take care of my body. 527 00:22:46,138 --> 00:22:48,391 I'm not asking other people to do that. 528 00:22:48,391 --> 00:22:50,942 I've learned how to be able to take care 529 00:22:50,942 --> 00:22:53,144 of a lot of my own needs, so there is that 530 00:22:53,144 --> 00:22:55,912 form of independence, but only with the 531 00:22:55,912 --> 00:22:58,646 complete embracement, of 532 00:22:58,646 --> 00:23:01,531 the reality that I'm completely 533 00:23:01,531 --> 00:23:03,895 dependent among humanity and so are 534 00:23:03,895 --> 00:23:06,000 every single one of you. Even if you have 535 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,184 your own wifi that you pay for and your 536 00:23:09,184 --> 00:23:11,150 own cell phone that you pay for and your 537 00:23:11,150 --> 00:23:14,120 own house. All of those things are all 538 00:23:14,120 --> 00:23:16,421 dependent on global humanity working 539 00:23:16,421 --> 00:23:19,321 together and all of the creatures that we 540 00:23:19,321 --> 00:23:21,387 depend on in the environment, the earth 541 00:23:21,387 --> 00:23:23,540 that we depend on. That's really, 542 00:23:23,540 --> 00:23:25,569 you know... I'm trying to shake things up 543 00:23:25,569 --> 00:23:28,474 a little bit, here. I am extreme. There is 544 00:23:28,474 --> 00:23:30,777 no question about that. The way that I 545 00:23:30,777 --> 00:23:33,662 do things is extreme but I think that our 546 00:23:33,662 --> 00:23:36,405 current way of living...United States has 547 00:23:36,405 --> 00:23:38,346 5 % of the worlds' population but 548 00:23:38,346 --> 00:23:40,380 uses 25 % of the world's resources. 549 00:23:40,380 --> 00:23:43,314 That is extreme. So, what I am, is I am 550 00:23:43,314 --> 00:23:46,334 a counterbalance to that extreme way of 551 00:23:46,334 --> 00:23:49,421 life. I only have to go this far because 552 00:23:49,421 --> 00:23:51,634 society has gone so far in the other 553 00:23:51,634 --> 00:23:55,252 direction and that is why I am extreme. 554 00:23:55,252 --> 00:23:58,004 So that I can stand out and get people 555 00:23:58,004 --> 00:24:00,603 thinking and get people questioning their 556 00:24:00,603 --> 00:24:04,071 own lives. I am extreme but I also 557 00:24:04,071 --> 00:24:05,973 wasn't always this way. 558 00:24:05,973 --> 00:24:07,937 I used to be really focused on material 559 00:24:07,937 --> 00:24:09,981 possessions and financial wealth. My goal 560 00:24:09,981 --> 00:24:12,181 was to be a millionaire by the time I was 30. 561 00:24:12,181 --> 00:24:15,027 I wonder what the 23 year old me, now, 562 00:24:15,027 --> 00:24:17,000 would say to a guy who actually only has 563 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:18,795 less than $6 000 as his full 564 00:24:18,795 --> 00:24:22,197 financial net worth. So, I wasn't 565 00:24:22,197 --> 00:24:25,540 always this way. It was a 566 00:24:25,540 --> 00:24:27,685 transition. In 2011, that's when I woke 567 00:24:27,685 --> 00:24:29,795 up. I lived in a 3 bedroom apartment 568 00:24:29,795 --> 00:24:31,798 at the time. I lived in the biggest 569 00:24:31,798 --> 00:24:33,764 bedroom because I had a lot of stuff. 570 00:24:33,764 --> 00:24:35,735 I moved to the smallest bedroom as I 571 00:24:35,735 --> 00:24:39,318 started to wake up and reduce the amount 572 00:24:39,318 --> 00:24:41,152 of stuff. I went from the smallest 573 00:24:41,152 --> 00:24:43,520 bedroom to living in a 6 by 6 closet 574 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,473 of my home as well as having my 575 00:24:46,473 --> 00:24:48,756 friend park his camper in the driveway 576 00:24:48,756 --> 00:24:51,259 and I stayed in the camper, as well. 577 00:24:51,259 --> 00:24:54,491 After that I was simplifying my life, 578 00:24:54,491 --> 00:24:56,524 simplifying my life, simplifying my 579 00:24:56,524 --> 00:24:58,310 life. I eventually got rid of that 580 00:24:58,310 --> 00:25:01,661 apartment and I moved into a tiny house. 581 00:25:01,661 --> 00:25:03,745 A 50 square foot tiny house in San Diego. 582 00:25:03,745 --> 00:25:06,196 At that time, when I moved in there, I was 583 00:25:06,196 --> 00:25:09,598 able to bike over with everything that I 584 00:25:09,598 --> 00:25:12,100 owned on a bike trailer and the bike 585 00:25:12,100 --> 00:25:15,334 pannier. That was a big step for me. 586 00:25:15,334 --> 00:25:18,368 Then I lived for a year in a 50 square 587 00:25:18,368 --> 00:25:20,519 foot tiny house, off the grid, in San 588 00:25:20,519 --> 00:25:22,382 Diego. At that time, I think I had 589 00:25:22,382 --> 00:25:25,436 around 1 000 possessions. After that, 590 00:25:25,436 --> 00:25:29,090 I downsized to having just 111 possessions 591 00:25:29,090 --> 00:25:30,983 that all fit into my backpack, which I 592 00:25:30,983 --> 00:25:33,625 travelled with for about 2 years. 593 00:25:33,625 --> 00:25:35,990 So, that was a bigger backpack then this. 594 00:25:35,990 --> 00:25:38,245 Substantially bigger, about twice as big, 595 00:25:38,245 --> 00:25:42,262 111 possessions. And then I moved to 596 00:25:42,262 --> 00:25:44,487 Orlando and that's where I decided I was 597 00:25:44,487 --> 00:25:46,628 going to grow and forage 100 % of my 598 00:25:46,628 --> 00:25:48,629 food for a year. That meant drastically 599 00:25:48,629 --> 00:25:50,765 increasing my possessions to be able to 600 00:25:50,765 --> 00:25:53,649 be self sufficient food wise. I had a 601 00:25:53,649 --> 00:25:56,000 lot of possessions. You know, just the 602 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,867 shovels and the rakes, and I built a 10 by 603 00:25:58,867 --> 00:26:01,382 10 tiny house. So much bigger than the 604 00:26:01,382 --> 00:26:04,237 last one, and I filled it with a lot of 605 00:26:04,237 --> 00:26:07,089 stuff. Mostly useful stuff. Things that 606 00:26:07,089 --> 00:26:09,604 I could use for sustainability, for 607 00:26:09,604 --> 00:26:12,790 gardening and such. And then I left 608 00:26:12,790 --> 00:26:15,536 Orlando, after 2 years there. I gave 609 00:26:15,536 --> 00:26:17,524 away the tiny house, I gave away most of 610 00:26:17,524 --> 00:26:19,828 my possessions, sold some of them, and 611 00:26:19,828 --> 00:26:23,044 then it took me month to downsize my life 612 00:26:23,044 --> 00:26:27,561 again. I left Orlando with a huge duffle 613 00:26:27,561 --> 00:26:29,847 bag! It was so heavy, it hurt my back. 614 00:26:29,847 --> 00:26:32,396 Eventually got that down to 80 possessions 615 00:26:32,396 --> 00:26:34,698 and then, a few weeks ago in Montreal, 616 00:26:34,698 --> 00:26:37,782 I was at a school, speaking, and I turned 617 00:26:37,782 --> 00:26:40,433 that 80 possessions into 40 possessions. 618 00:26:40,433 --> 00:26:42,849 I gave away half of the things I owned 619 00:26:42,849 --> 00:26:45,537 that day, to kids. I was leaving Montreal 620 00:26:45,537 --> 00:26:47,507 and coming to Costa Rica, where I didn't 621 00:26:47,507 --> 00:26:50,122 need my jacket and my pants, and I wanted 622 00:26:50,122 --> 00:26:52,188 to get rid of those things as I'm going 623 00:26:52,188 --> 00:26:56,057 to be shifting only to natural fibres 624 00:26:56,057 --> 00:26:59,808 instead. So, from 80 down, to now 44. 625 00:26:59,808 --> 00:27:02,807 You can see there was a long transition. 626 00:27:02,807 --> 00:27:06,146 to get to this point. 627 00:27:06,146 --> 00:27:09,677 The most minimalist I've been took from 628 00:27:09,677 --> 00:27:13,031 2011. So, nine years. It was a long 629 00:27:13,031 --> 00:27:15,730 transition process and I know a lot of 630 00:27:15,730 --> 00:27:18,532 you might be overwhelmed with the idea 631 00:27:18,532 --> 00:27:21,367 of where you are today. Maybe you 632 00:27:21,367 --> 00:27:23,317 have a lot of stuff. Maybe you have a 633 00:27:23,317 --> 00:27:25,333 5 bedroom house full of stuff. 634 00:27:25,333 --> 00:27:29,436 But just remember, that I was there in a 635 00:27:29,436 --> 00:27:31,871 similar situation 11 years ago, and it was 636 00:27:31,871 --> 00:27:35,396 a transition. Again, the way that 637 00:27:35,396 --> 00:27:37,505 I've done things is extreme but you don't 638 00:27:37,505 --> 00:27:40,273 have to go that far. And I know a lot of 639 00:27:40,273 --> 00:27:42,870 you probably would like to. You 640 00:27:42,870 --> 00:27:44,681 might be inspired. You might want to 641 00:27:44,681 --> 00:27:46,777 reduce the number of possessions you have. 642 00:27:46,777 --> 00:27:48,832 You might want to shrink the size of your 643 00:27:48,832 --> 00:27:50,803 house. You might want to live in a tiny 644 00:27:50,803 --> 00:27:52,824 house. You might want everything you own 645 00:27:52,824 --> 00:27:54,726 to fit in a backpack. So I've actually 646 00:27:54,726 --> 00:27:56,388 created another video for that. 647 00:27:56,388 --> 00:27:58,294 Tips on how to downsize your life that 648 00:27:58,294 --> 00:28:00,211 goes into that and shares my transition 649 00:28:00,211 --> 00:28:03,181 and gives you a lot of the tools and the 650 00:28:03,181 --> 00:28:05,586 guides on how to be able to do that. 651 00:28:05,586 --> 00:28:09,435 But, just keep in mind, it's a process and 652 00:28:09,435 --> 00:28:12,436 you don't have to go to this extreme, by 653 00:28:12,436 --> 00:28:14,454 any means, to drastically increase 654 00:28:14,454 --> 00:28:17,505 happiness and healthiness and be living in 655 00:28:17,505 --> 00:28:19,874 a way that is, indeed, more harmonious 656 00:28:19,874 --> 00:28:22,588 with the earth. And, another thing, for 657 00:28:22,588 --> 00:28:27,058 me, is this is life. Life is complicated. 658 00:28:27,058 --> 00:28:29,425 And I can't possibly go into all of the 659 00:28:29,425 --> 00:28:32,744 reasons behind this, but it's all based on 660 00:28:32,744 --> 00:28:35,929 a deeply thought out way of trying to 661 00:28:35,929 --> 00:28:38,430 live an examined life. Live with my 662 00:28:38,430 --> 00:28:40,915 actions being in alignment with my 663 00:28:40,915 --> 00:28:43,416 beliefs. So, for me, this is a practice 664 00:28:43,416 --> 00:28:46,117 of non ownership and, instead, sharing 665 00:28:46,117 --> 00:28:48,217 and being a part of humanity. It's a 666 00:28:48,217 --> 00:28:50,719 practice of non-materialism. Not focusing 667 00:28:50,719 --> 00:28:52,669 my life on what other people think about 668 00:28:52,669 --> 00:28:54,470 me based on material possessions or 669 00:28:54,470 --> 00:28:57,821 getting my happiness from possessions. 670 00:28:57,821 --> 00:29:03,740 It is a practice of my impermanence. 671 00:29:03,740 --> 00:29:06,173 Embracing that I am an impermanent 672 00:29:06,173 --> 00:29:09,676 person. Here for just a very short period 673 00:29:09,676 --> 00:29:12,577 of time and understanding that's okay. 674 00:29:12,577 --> 00:29:14,777 The less that I have, the more okay I am 675 00:29:14,777 --> 00:29:16,944 with the fact that I am just one human 676 00:29:16,944 --> 00:29:19,547 among over 7 billion. And that's 677 00:29:19,547 --> 00:29:22,832 just one species among millions of 678 00:29:22,832 --> 00:29:25,533 species. And just embracing that I'm just 679 00:29:25,533 --> 00:29:28,333 here for a very short period of time, and 680 00:29:28,333 --> 00:29:31,286 I'll be gone. And being okay with that. 681 00:29:31,286 --> 00:29:34,401 Non-materialism, non-attachment, 682 00:29:34,401 --> 00:29:37,636 non-ownership, and embracing my 683 00:29:37,636 --> 00:29:41,206 impermanence. if you got a lot out 684 00:29:41,206 --> 00:29:43,462 of this video and you're inspired, then I 685 00:29:43,462 --> 00:29:47,306 would encourage you to subscribe, if you 686 00:29:47,306 --> 00:29:50,541 aren't already, if this is your first time 687 00:29:50,541 --> 00:29:52,793 here. And if you think this is 688 00:29:52,793 --> 00:29:55,544 information that other people need, then 689 00:29:55,544 --> 00:29:57,727 let's help it get out there. 690 00:29:57,727 --> 00:29:59,026 Comment and like this. 691 00:29:59,026 --> 00:30:00,880 That's what YouTube loves. That's what 692 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:02,944 helps it get into that algorithm, so let's 693 00:30:02,944 --> 00:30:04,967 spread this stuff and then, of course, 694 00:30:04,967 --> 00:30:06,781 share it. Share it with friends and 695 00:30:06,781 --> 00:30:08,732 family that you think that this would be 696 00:30:08,732 --> 00:30:10,802 helpful for. Anyone who has been talking 697 00:30:10,802 --> 00:30:12,700 about this sort of thing, wanting it. 698 00:30:12,700 --> 00:30:14,868 Share this as some information and some 699 00:30:14,868 --> 00:30:19,920 practical information. 700 00:30:19,920 --> 00:30:23,373 I love you all very much and I hope to see 701 00:30:23,373 --> 00:30:25,522 you in real life one of these days and 702 00:30:25,522 --> 00:30:27,056 get a big hug! 703 00:30:27,056 --> 00:30:40,059 (acoustic guitar music)