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Ryan and I visited Miami University last week to speak to an auditorium of undergrads.
Whenever I talk with young people, I’m reminded of something that’s easy to forget: there is tremendous power in the years before expectations harden into identity.
So we ended our talk with this message…
You are at a rare moment in your life.
Before the mortgage.
Before the golden handcuffs.
Before the promotions you don’t even want yet.
Before the clutter calcifies into identity.
Right now, you get to decide.
What will define success for you?
Will it be accumulation?
Or contribution?
Will you measure your life in square footage and salary?
Or is there something more than having more?
Because here’s the truth…
If you don’t decide what is enough,
the world will decide for you.
And it will never be enough.
Minimalism isn’t about merely owning less.
It’s about making room for the person you want to become.
So ask yourself: what can you let go of today so tomorrow you can become someone greater than yesterday?
Not someone richer.
Not someone more impressive.
Someone freer and more considerate.
Someone more intentional.
Someone fully alive.
Now is the time to choose.
P.S. Young people may have a time advantage, but simplicity belongs to every age. At any stage of life, letting go creates room to live.
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