A Rich Life with Less Stuff by the Minimalists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgBpyNsS-jU
Before you watch
Check the meaning of the following phrases:

discontent to forsake important aspects of your life

unencumbered by distractions to feel stagnant
trappings of chaotic world to contribute to others
intentional life to lack purpose
has nothing to do with wealth like a deer in headlights
to adjust for inflation to pass away
owning a bunch of stuff to simplify your life
the pursuit of happiness to make room for something
ostensibly successful to get the clutter out of the way
heaps of debt right there on the spot
gaping void to pack all your belongings
consumer purchases to come up with an idea
frivolous vacations to stack boxes
just around the corner to be eager to share the message
lather, rinse, repeat

Answer the questions:

1. What is American Dream?
The American Dream is the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or
what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society
where upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American Dream is achieved
through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.
2. What does it mean to be rich? Is it important to be rich?
The kind of rich that has nothing to do with wealth. It is not.
3. Is your life now different from what it was like 5 years ago? Do you have
more? Do you feel richer?
He had everything what every guy wants to have, he lived in American Dream. He did
not feel successful. He wanted more and more.

While watching (Up to 3:10)

Sort the words into positive and negative:
Clutter-N Discontent-N Growth- P Debt-N Stress-N

Distractions-N Meaningful relations-P Personal time-P

Match the words to make phrases

To run of stuff
To share car
Meaningful world
Chaotic relationship
To climb of the American dream
A bunch career
Pursuit a corporate ladder
Successful six-figure income
To earn a huge condo
A fancy a website
To own a story

Answer the questions:

1. What is the difference between rich life and wealthy life?
The rich have lots of money but the wealthy don’t worry about money.
2. What is the difference between simple life and easy life?
Living a simple life means having few material things, doing things the natural way,
and avoiding complications like debts. Easy living, on the other hand, is usually
associated with having all the luxuries that money can buy.

Could you explain the meaning?

 The closer I got to “the American dream” the farther away
happiness was.
The richer he was, the more he forgot about the people around him,
relationships, and mental values.

While watching (from 3:10 up to 6:18)

Could you explain the meaning?

  Everyone around me said I was successful, but I was only
ostensibly (apparently) successful.
Others thought he was successful, but he himself was nowhere near that

Complete the passage from the video:

And I got to a point in my life where I didn’t know what _________ anymore,
but one thing was clear, there was this gaping void in my life. So I tried to
_________ the same way many people do, with stuff, lots of stuff. I was
filling the void with consumer ________, I bought new cars and electronics
and closets full of _________. I bought furniture and expensive home
decorations and I always made sure to have all the ____________.

Oh, and when I didn’t have enough _______________ I paid for expensive
meals, rounds of drinks, and frivolous vacations with _________. I was
spending money faster than I earned it, attempting to buy my way to
______________and I thought I’d get there one day, eventually. I mean,
happiness had to be somewhere just around the corner right? But the stuff
didn’t fill the void, it widened it. And because I didn’t know what was
important, I continued to fill the void _____________. Going further
____________, working hard to buy things that weren’t making me happy.

Match the beginnings and the endings of the following phrases:

On the inside 60, 70, sometimes 80 hours a week.

I drank I was a wreck
I used as many stagnant.
I continued to work of the most important aspects in my life.
I forsook some pacifiers as I could.

I felt lacked meaning

My life a lot.

While watching (from 6:18 up to 9:18)

Answer the questions:
1. What kind of change happened to the speaker’s friend?
2. Why did this change surprise the speaker?
3. What was the reason for his friend’s excitement?
4. What was the speaker’s reaction?

While watching (from 9:18 up to 11:32)

Complete the passage with the words from the right
After nine hours, and a couple of pizza deliveries, everything was
packed. So there Josh and I were, sitting in my second living room. hard
packed
Feeling exhausted Staring at boxes stacked half way to my 12 foot
stacked
ceiling. My condo was empty and everything smelled like cardboard. empty
Everything I owned, everything single thing I had worked hard for cardboard
exhausted
over the last decade was sitting there in that room. Just boxes, stacked
on top of boxes, stacked on top of boxes.

Say what these figures refer to: 9 hours 12 foot 21 days 80%

While watching (from 11:32 up to the end)

Answer the questions:
1. What happened a month later? What did the speaker and his friend
decide to do?
2. What makes a real community according to the speaker’s words?
3. What do they encourage the audience to do?
After watching
Answer the questions:
1. What do you think about this talk? Do you think it is an idea
worth spreading?
2. Is there any question that you would like to address the
speaker?
3. What are the possessions that you treasure most? What are the
things that you can easily do without?
4. Can you give examples supporting or contradicting the message
of this talk?