The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast | That Sounds Fun Network
Episode: 1KHO 633: When Your Stuff Steals Your Joy
Guest: Joshua Becker, Author of The More of Less
Date: November 27, 2025
Overview
This episode explores the profound impact our possessions have on our joy, time, and sense of fulfillment—especially as it relates to parenting and childhood. Host Ginny Urch (A) and guest Joshua Becker (B), a renowned minimalist and author, discuss how “stuff” steals valuable minutes from our finite lives, share their personal journeys toward minimalism, and deliver actionable advice for families hoping to reclaim time and meaning. The core aim: encourage listeners to intentionally choose less so that they can live and parent with more presence, freedom, and connection.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Joshua Becker’s Minimalism Journey
- Garage Epiphany—The Big “Aha!” Moment
- While cleaning out his garage instead of playing with his son, Joshua realized his possessions weren’t just failing to give him joy—they were actively pulling him away from it.
“Not only were my things not making me happy, but all the things I owned were actually taking me away from the very thing that did bring me happiness… that was the light bulb moment.” – Joshua Becker [05:19]
- While cleaning out his garage instead of playing with his son, Joshua realized his possessions weren’t just failing to give him joy—they were actively pulling him away from it.
- The Ripple Effect of One Conversation
- Parallels to Ginny’s own transformative moment about prioritizing outdoor play, highlighting how a single conversation can change an entire family’s trajectory. [05:47]
- Scaling the Message
- Joshua moved from personal blogging to helping others declutter and live intentionally, shifting his blog from a diary of what he got rid of to a resource for others.
“I want to play my neighbor’s role in as many people’s lives as I possibly can.” – Joshua Becker [07:32]
- Joshua moved from personal blogging to helping others declutter and live intentionally, shifting his blog from a diary of what he got rid of to a resource for others.
2. The Power of Experiments in Minimalism
- Trying On Simplicity
- Joshua encourages “trying experiments” for a set period, usually 29 days, to see what changes stick—be it nixing cable, living with fewer clothes, or hand-washing dishes.
“You can just try it for a month. You’ve got nothing to lose… It’s always win-win.” – Joshua Becker [12:49]
- Joshua encourages “trying experiments” for a set period, usually 29 days, to see what changes stick—be it nixing cable, living with fewer clothes, or hand-washing dishes.
- Win-Win Outcomes
- Some experiments, like hand-washing dishes and living with one TV, became permanent; others, like being a one-car family, did not. The point is to discover what actually enhances life.
- Technology’s ‘Promise vs Peril’
- Ginny shares how new conveniences can erode valuable connections (“Technology always has promise and peril, and all we talk about is the promise.” – Ginny Urch [13:34]), while Joshua references Cal Newport’s “any benefit fallacy”—the idea that we only consider benefits, never costs, when evaluating new tech. [14:36]
3. Consumerism, Advertising, and Generational Shifts
- How Consumerism Took Over
- Joshua discusses how, starting in the 1920s, advertisers deliberately fused happiness with ownership—backed by psychologists and later turbocharged by algorithms and influencers.
“Now… they’re able to tailor the ads to who we are and what our weaknesses are… the message is the same, they’re just able to deliver it in such a personalized way.” – Joshua Becker [23:35]
- Joshua discusses how, starting in the 1920s, advertisers deliberately fused happiness with ownership—backed by psychologists and later turbocharged by algorithms and influencers.
- Multi-Generational Patterns of Consumption & Parenting
- Silent Generation: tendency to hoard, residue of Great Depression.
- Baby Boomers: rise of dual-income households, suburban sprawl, more stuff.
- Gen X: first “latchkey kids,” reactionary helicopter parenting.
- Gen Z and Alpha: rising awareness and pushback against technology’s overreach.
- Each generation’s consumption and parenting behaviors are reactions to the previous generation’s choices and economic environment.
- The Shifting Algorithmic Landscape
- Modern consumer pressures are heightened by targeted ads and influencer culture. Algorithms personalize temptations, requiring even more vigilance.
4. Money, Security, and the Prosperity Paradox
- The Futility of Chasing Security Through Possessions
- Both hosts joke about the supposed safety of underground bunkers, but Joshua notes that ultimate security is always elusive, and prepping can make you a target.
- Why More Money Never Feels Like Enough
- Studies cited: Over 80% of millionaires don’t consider themselves wealthy; people always feel they need “2-3x” their current assets before they’ll feel secure.
“The more money we have, the more money we think we need. Over and over again.” – Joshua Becker [42:13]
- Studies cited: Over 80% of millionaires don’t consider themselves wealthy; people always feel they need “2-3x” their current assets before they’ll feel secure.
- Sacrificing What Matters for the Illusion of Security
- Relationships, community, and generosity bring far more real security than stuff. Chasing financial markers leads to moving goalposts and unhappiness.
“We just keep moving the goal posts… When in reality, certainly my faith, like that’s where I’m going to find my security.” – Joshua Becker [39:18]
- Relationships, community, and generosity bring far more real security than stuff. Chasing financial markers leads to moving goalposts and unhappiness.
5. Comparison, Embarrassment, and Redefining Success
- How Our “Normal” Is Arbitrary and Shaped by Peers
- Social comparison changes depending on who we spend time with (e.g., 2-millionaires becoming 10-millionaire wannabes).
- Shifting the Metric: From Material to Character
- Joshua advocates for comparing ourselves on generosity and kindness—not houses and cars.
“My contention in the book is that we often compare the wrong things to people… We get embarrassed that our car is worth less than the other person’s. We don’t even get embarrassed at how much we wasted on a car.” – Joshua Becker [46:46]
- Joshua advocates for comparing ourselves on generosity and kindness—not houses and cars.
6. Minimalism’s Broader Impact: Generosity and Purpose
- Letting Go Leads to Giving More
- Joshua shares how proceeds from his book fed directly into founding The Hope Effect, a nonprofit that moves orphans out of institutions and into families, now operating worldwide.
“We decided we wanted to solve a problem in the world… help get children out of institutional orphanages and into families.” – Joshua Becker [51:07]
- Joshua shares how proceeds from his book fed directly into founding The Hope Effect, a nonprofit that moves orphans out of institutions and into families, now operating worldwide.
- Upcoming Book: Uncluttered Faith
- An exploration of how Christian faith can—and should—lead to a more pared-down, purposeful life.
“Minimalism isn’t a sacrificial, boring life—it’s a better way to live.” – Joshua Becker [53:00]
- An exploration of how Christian faith can—and should—lead to a more pared-down, purposeful life.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Minimalism’s Realization
“All the things I owned were actually taking me away from the very things that bring my life meaning.” – Joshua Becker [05:19]
- On Experimentation
“If I like it, I can keep it. It’s long enough to assess if it’s going to work out in my life or not.” – Joshua Becker [11:12]
- On Technology’s Downside
“Technology always has promise and peril, and all we talk about is the promise.” – Ginny Urch [13:34]
- On Generational Shifts
“A lot of the way a generation grows up and parents is in a reaction to the way they grew up.” – Joshua Becker [29:45]
- On Money and Security
“Money and possessions never bring us as much happiness or security as we think.” – Joshua Becker [37:20]
- On the Prosperity Paradox
“The more money we have, the more money we think we need.” – Joshua Becker [42:13]
- On Comparison
“We get embarrassed about the brand of our clothing far more often than we do about how many clothes go unworn in our closet.” – Joshua Becker [48:44]
- On Generosity and Impact
“That ripple… there are now children in Honduras who are living in families that would have been living in an institutional orphanage.” – Ginny Urch [54:36]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [02:44] Joshua’s garage epiphany and the start of minimalism
- [05:47] How “one conversation” can redirect a life
- [11:12] On the value of running 29-day experiments
- [14:36] Technology’s double-edged sword (“any benefit fallacy”)
- [23:35] The rise of algorithmic, personalized advertising and its challenges
- [29:45] How generational shifts inform parenting and consumption
- [37:20] The illusion of security from money and possessions
- [42:13] The prosperity paradox—why “enough” is always just out of reach
- [46:46] On comparison, embarrassment, and societal expectations
- [51:07] Founding of The Hope Effect and using abundance to help others
- [53:00] Preview of new book Uncluttered Faith and its spiritual promises
- [55:20] Joshua’s favorite outdoor childhood memory: wiffle ball in the backyard
Tone & Closing Thoughts
Joshua and Ginny’s warm, candid conversation mixes humor, vulnerability, and hope. Both highlight the importance of small steps and mindful experiments on the path to minimalism, affirm that one conversation can spark powerful change, and challenge cultural norms around happiness, consumption, and security. They underscore the deep connections between minimalism, generosity, and true freedom—especially as it pertains to family and childhood.
“Shouldn’t owning only what we need be the norm? What a crazy way to live, huh?” – Joshua Becker [21:15]
For listeners seeking inspiration on recapturing joy, time, and meaning—for themselves, their families, and their children—this episode offers both practical steps and paradigm-shifting perspective.