Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Downshifting with Marco Mattheis - German podcast review

Ganz Einfach Leben is a German podcast that takes environmentalism and economizing to the personal level. Host Marco Mattheis allows us to take part in his personal life and his personal strife to simplify his life. Eventually this is an excercise in discovering the good life with the minimum of means. (feed)

The effort to down shift, while obviously inspired by the need to bring down consumption for the sake of environmentalism and the need to simply cut costs, takes on a larger meaning of the good life. How to reduce stress, anxiety, compulsivity and the drive of the rat race by means of reducing the economic volume of ones life. Sticking to the minimum of possessions, to the minimum of credit should actually increase freedom and joy in life. The title of the podcast acquires a double meaning, not just to live simply, but also to simply live.

One can follow Mattheis on his quest to acquire this good life and both on the blog and the podcast see how this boils down to practical life. How decisions are taken what to purchase and why. What to cut away and why. Eventually this is not just an example one may consider to follow and take the podcast as a kind of guide, but it is also a possibility to connect with a community of people of like minds.