Verlangen naar Minder by Jelle Derckx

Quick disclaimer: this is a Dutch book, so if you don’t speak Dutch it is kind of a no-go. But, a lot of people out here are Dutch and the book I am about to share is so good I had to share it. Today I’m sharing another book about minimalism. It’s a subject I can read thousands of books about. Each minimalism story is different. The past week a friend asked for book recommendations and I recommended this book I am about to share with you to her. It made me realize that I hadn’t shared it here. So, today I am sharing the book Verlangen naar Minder by Jelle Derckx.

Minimalism

There’s no guide to minimalism. There’s no number of stuff you should own to be a minimalist. That’s because it’s a relative subject: it’s different for everyone. What’s minimal to me, might be extreme to you and the other way around. That’s part of the reason why I could read so many stories about minimalism, they’re all different.

Verlangen naar minder

The story in Verlangen naar Minder is written by Jelle Derckx. It’s a very personal story and that’s what I love about it. Derckx is so honest about his journey towards minimalism, even if it’s not pretty. Maybe you think minimalism is about getting rid of stuff, and it is. But it’s also about much more than that. It’s about finding what you want for yourself and your life. Consequently, it’s about the important things, to you personally. Derckx tells you more about these questions. He felt like he was a big failure, paralyzed and like life was living him.

Dercks went on a holiday and read a book called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. That book changed his life. After the holiday Derckx started to focus on what he wanted in life and what makes him happy. Consequently, all the other things which did not make him happy went out the door. He made time for what he wanted in life. For example, he felt like the television was paralyzing him, so he got rid of that. That’s minimalism. Asking yourself: does this add value to my life? And if it’s not, you get rid of it. Stuff asks for your money and time. So are you spending your time right? Focussing on what you want in life?

‘Ik wil me alleen richten op wat essentieel is. De essentie die mij weer zo duidelijk werd op reis. Een tas met wat kleding, boeken, water, je geliefde, ’s avonds een dak boven je hoofd, eten en de planeet.’ – Jelle Dercks

To conclude, I loved Derckx personal story, it makes it feel like we’re all alike. We all want to be happy. And minimalism can help us in this journey. What I also loved is that Derckx talks about sustainability as if it’s something that makes you happy. It’s also aligned with minimalism. I agree, I’ve written a post about why sustainability makes me happy.

This book is a must read. Have you read it yet?

Yours sincerely,
Romee