The old apothegm about the teacher learning more than his students is true. Suffice it to say, we’ve learned a lot during our 33-City Meetup Tour.
The third leg of the tour starts in March 2012. If you’d like to meet us, you can RSVP here. And you can see photos of past meetups here.
Six Lessons Learned on the Road
The 100%. We’ve learned that the minimalism movement is applicable to everyone, from the Occupy Wall Street folks who showed up in St. Petersburg, to the Retired CEO who owned four homes and attended our Atlanta meetup. Irrespective of our income level or social status—whether we’re part of the 99% or the 1%—we’re all looking for answers. Minimalism can clear the excess from our lives and help us find those answers.
The Growth. We grow whenever we get outside our comfort zones. This isn’t easy. Getting outside our comfort zone involves embracing change, facing our fears, killing our doubts, dealing with our internal flinch, and embracing uncertainty. But it is then and only then you grow as individual. And when you grow, there is so much more of yourself to give to others.
The Packing Party. So many people have been intrigued and inspired by Ryan’s packing party during this tour (including a UK writer who is working the full story into his book). We’ll likely write more about it in the months to come.
The Kindness. During our first eleven cities, we had to pay for only one motel. All other nights we stayed with some amazing people—like David and Meg in San Diego, Derek and Carrie in Kansas City, and many other cool people who took us in and accepted us as friends.
The Help. Every city has had an amazing meetup leader who was willing to find a venue and coordinate the event. We couldn’t have done it without them. When you add value to other people’s lives, they are willing to add value to yours. Contribution begets contribution. Contribution is inherently reciprocal.
The Hugs. We’ve hugged hundreds of people in the past few weeks. People react differently to a hug than a handshake. Try it out. Hug someone you hardly know today. It just might change their life. It just might change yours.
