BY: JESSICA BEUKER 

The mantra of the rapidly-growing tiny house movement is simply, “Less is more.”  People downsize, not necessarily because they can’t afford the “luxury” of a condo or a 3-storey house in the suburbs, – although the costs associated with tiny house living are substantially lower – but because they truly believe that a rich life is not defined by the material things that you own.

Instead, for minimalists, a rich life is defined by your relationships, you experiences and your ability to find happiness within yourself. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but it’s definitely worth it. The following quotes will inspire you to take a much needed leap towards simplicity, and in the process create a happy, healthy and full life.

“If one’s life is simple, contentment has to come. Simplicity is extremely important for happiness. Having few desires, feeling satisfied with what you have, is very vital: satisfaction with just enough food, clothing, and shelter to protect yourself from the elements.” – The Dalai Lama

“We don’t need to increase our goods nearly as much as we need to scale down our wants. Not wanting something is as good as possessing it.” – Donald Horban

“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” – Lao Tzu

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” – Will Rogers

“Love grows best in little houses, with fewer walls to separate. Where you eat and sleep so close together, you can’t help but communicate. If we had more room between us, think of all we’d miss. Love grows best in houses just like this.” – Doug Stone

“If one had taken what is necessary to cover one’s needs and had left the rest to those who are in need, no one would be rich, no one would be poor, no one would be in need.” – Saint Basil

“When you live in a tiny house, you live in such a small space that you have to get out in the world to do your living in places other than your home.” – Ryan Mitchell 

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” – Hans Hofmann

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.” – E.F. Schumacker

“Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter.” – Harold Kushner.

“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates

“Our excessive possessions are not making us happy. Even worse, they are taking us away from the things that do. Once we let go of the things that don’t matter, we are free to pursue all the things that really do matter.” – Joshua Becker