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The Minimalists
The Minimalists are Emmy-nominated Netflix stars and New York Times–bestselling authors Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Alongside their podcast cohost, T.K. Coleman, this simple-living trio helps millions of people eliminate clutter and live meaningfully with less. Learn More.

A Special Kind of Freedom

Our friend Rob sometimes recites a parable about a first-century man who was walking home one night after dining in a nearby village. At one point he encountered a fork in the road: if he took the left path, he would come up against a Roman military outpost; if he veered right, he would find his way home.

It was dark, and he was a bit tipsy, so he accidentally took the left path. He soon found himself at a wall manned by a Roman guard who yelled down to him, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

The man didn’t answer.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

The man looked up at the guard, “How much are they paying you to do this?”

The guard was silent for a moment. “A hundred denarii,” he eventually replied.

“I will pay you double to come to my house every morning and ask me that same question.”

When we strive to question everything, our actions become more deliberate. And when we live deliberately, that’s a special kind of freedom.