Chicken Soup for the Soul: Makin Sedikit Makin Bahagia 101 Kisah tentang Mengubah Hidup dengan Melepaskan Apa yang Dimiliki

by Amy Newmark, Brooke Burke-Charvet

Makin Sedikit Makin Bahagia
Kebahagiaan itu ternyata sederhana. Kebahagiaan itu mudah didapatkan dan ada di sekitar kita. Dengan mudahnya, kita akan memiliki hidup yang lebih berarti dan memuaskan hanya setelah kita menyederhanakan hidup.
Dalam buku ini ada banyak cara orang-orang menjadi bahagia dan berkelimpahan justru setelah mereka menyingkirkan "kelebihan" yang ada di sekitar mereka dan memperbaiki cara hidup mereka, seperti:
- Menyingkirkan semua barang yang ada di rumah hingga seminimal mungkin
- Memutuskan pindah ke rumah yang lebih kecil
- Mengatakan "tidak" pada hal-hal yang tidak mereka kehendaki
- Memangkas jadwal yang terlalu padat
- Memutuskan tidak membeli barang dan hanya memakai apa yang sudah ada
- Mematikan smartphone untuk sejenak tidak terhubung.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

437 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2016

About the author

Amy Newmark is the bestselling author, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Since 2008, she has published 191 new Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, most of them national bestsellers in the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling the number of Chicken Soup for the Soul titles in print today.

Amy is credited with revitalizing the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, which has been a publishing industry phenomenon since the first book came out in 1993. By compiling inspirational and aspirational true stories curated from ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences, Amy has kept the thirty-year-old Chicken Soup for the Soul brand fresh and relevant.

Follow Amy on Twitter @amynewmark. Listen to her free podcast, The Chicken Soup for the Soul Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, the Podcasts app on iPhone, or by using your favorite podcast app on other devices.

Reviews

[Haniva Zahra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wah, akhirnya buku ini selesai jua saya selesaikan. Saya bahagia juga bisa menyelesaikan buku ini. Seperti yang pernah saya bilang sebelumnya, bagi saya menyelesaikan sebuah buku Chicken Soup, membacanya halaman demi halaman adalah hal yang luar biasa membutuhkan komitmen. Buku ini memuat kurang lebih 100 cerita mengenai hidup yang lebih minimalis. Bagaimana orang-orang tersebut bercerita ketika mereka berhasil mengubah gaya hidup mereka menjadi lebih sederhana. Saya tertarik sesungguhnya dengan ide tersebut: hidup dengan sedikit barang. Ada 10 sub-bab dalam buku ini. Pada dasarnya sub-bab yang ada kurang lebih berisi hal-hal yang serupa, yaitu tentang bagaimana melepaskan barang-barang dan hidup dengan lebih sedikit. Ide besarnya adalah tentang lebih sedikit jauh lebih banyak. Sebuah ide yang sangat menarik bagi saya (dan ingin bisa saya terapkan dalam hidup saya sendiri).

Buku ini cocok dibaca bagi seseorang yang gemar berbelanja seperti saya, memiliki lebih banyak pakaian daripada yang dibutuhkan, dan mulai merasa kehidupan penuh sesak. Ternyata yang kita butuhkan bukanlah menambah ruang, namun menyingkirkan barang-barang yang sebenarnya hanya memenuhi ruang, tanpa benar-benar membuat kita lebih optimal.

Well, mohon doa agar saya semakin mampu menerapkan apa yang sudah saya baca di buku ini. Buku yang menginspirasi!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. We all have to much stuff. Even people like me who hate clutter could stand to get rid of things I don't use or clothes that don't fit.
Like all Chicken Soup For The Soul books, some stories are good and some I think were just put in there so they could meet their quota. My favorite selection was probably chapter 5 The Joy of Sharing. Having a party where everyone gets to bring all the stuff they bought at parties (Tupperware, Stamping Up, etc) that they never use and give it to someone who will use it. And the Little Free Library was great.
Read this book (don't just leave it on your bookshelf to collect dust) and learn to simplify and live with less stuff.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

101 stories took longer than I thought, and I was a little saturated with the message by the end, but this is a great compilation for those that have an interest in the topic!

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't normally abandon a book that, for the most part, is an interesting read but this book is the exception. It wasn't even on my TBR list, but since I'm in the process of preparing to downsize I thought it might be helpful. A lot of the stories are entertaining and a few had some great ideas, but after a while the stories became repetitive. I lost count of the number of stories that dealt with a couple or a family living in a big house who decided to move to the mountains or to a smaller place. I read all the way through every story and had to stop at page 196. 101 stories on the same subject... ugh, it's just too much. Definite overkill. That and there are a few stories that had me shaking my head that people could really do such stupid things. I decided to go back to the beginning and skim the book to see if there were any "highlights", but none of the stories I had read really applied to me. I considered forcing myself to finish the book but I just couldn't do it. My head is spinning from reading so many of the "same" stories over and over. It's a good book if you need motivation to do Spring cleaning or downsizing but frankly they could have downsized this book into two smaller volumes. It would have been much easier to stomach. One good thing came out of reading this, however. After reading a story about a woman who was addicted to social media (Facebook in particular), I promptly deactivated my Twitter account. Because life's too short.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Netflix at our house, so I am not watching TIDYING UP WITH MARIE KONDO, but I am feeling
the urge to declutter, pare down, and simplify after reading THE JOY OF LESS: 101 STORIES ABOUT HAVING MORE BY SIMPLIFYING OUR LIVES. A Chicken Soup publication, each essay in the book tells how real people made the decision to cut the cable cord, make fewer time commitments, downsize to smaller homes (or even rvs), or just get rid of stuff. The main theme throughout is that no one missed the stuff, or if they did, they found new ways to handle the need. Almost everyone mentioned feeling closer to family and friends. Many were able to donate significantly to others in need. For some getting rid of stuff made it easier to move into a new phase of life. I finished the book last night. My task this morning -- cleaning out my bathroom vanity drawers and linen closet. Next was my shoe area. By no means am I a shoe collector, but even I could find several pairs to part with. Lucky for me, I was already planning a trip to a nearby town which has a Goodwill. My morning work led to a drop-off this afternoon. Time to tackle another area.

[Kristal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Something I’ve realized is that when I’m in a book funk I should read short stories, and this one did the trick. I love reading articles about minimalism& simplicity and each story is about an article in length (1.5-4 pages). They are good bite sized chunks so I can read a few while on a coffee break.

This book encouraged me in my endeavours to continue with minimalism; that happiness is not found in possessions and family & faith are so important. I wouldn’t do what everybody in this book did (like live in an RV) but it’s interesting too note what simplistic living looks like to all different types of people. Really enjoyed this book.

[Deborah Makarios · Rating 2 out of 5]

The introduction says "It's a rare person who doesn't feel that he or she has too many material possessions". One story refers to cutting down to six suitcases of belongings for one couple as giving up "all of our worldly possessions." Another, not unreasonably, suggests that "Twenty pairs of shoes ought to be enough for anybody."

Basically, if you're a comfortably-off Westerner in a big house drowning in way too much excess stuff, you may find this book helpful and/or inspiring. If, however, you are seeking more simplicity than the Western norm, this book may not do more than astonish you at how much stuff some people have.

[Hera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jika harus memilih beberapa buku untuk saya simpan, saya akan memilih buku ini.

Buku Self Improvement / Inspiration yang saya baca lagi di masa yang akan datang. Khususnya jika hasrat untuk menimbun barang, kembali datang. Tapi semoga tidak.

Membaca kisah masing2 orang di dalamnya, memotivasi saya untuk tidak selalu terikat dengan materi / barang-barang.

Saat saya mencoba declutter barang-barang, saya merasakan apa yang mereka rasakan. Perasaan bebas.

"Semakin banyak yang kau miliki, semakin kau terikat. Semakin sedikit yang kau miliki, semakin bebas dirimu" ~ Mother Teresa.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The obvious discussion is about cutting back on our possessions, but it also talks about simplifying hectic activities, giving up cable and/or TV, celebrating birthdays in a way that retains the joy but eliminates the hassle, and so on. This book fulfills the reputation of the Chicken Soup enterprise--light reading that gives a little lift just when you want one.

[Patti Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

Like all Chicken Soup for the Soul books I have read, it touched my heart. Being on a quest myself to declutter and reduce our stuff, this was a great book to read.

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. At this point in my life, it's a perfect companion. We have just downsized to a motorhome, things still in storage. This volume of the series has so many appropriate stories that are definitely going to be helpful as we go through what is in storage. Fabulous book!

[Catherine Lape · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's not a "how-to" for minimalism, but stories of people changed forever by living with less on purpose. It took me a bit to read this one because of other commitments, but I was inspired by the stories and advice given.

[Rosabelle Purnama · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can't stand to read the Indonesian translation :( So I just scrolled through the stories.
I have another translated Chicken Soup for the Soul book with a different translator, so hopefully that one would be better.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book inspired me to start giving away more--and, in return, to receive more! More peace of mind, more space, more reassurance that I have enough. What is to be gained by holding on to items that could be such a blessing to others?

[Becky Rhyno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great tips and fantastic ideas of learning to live with less , creating a fuller life

[Heni Mujaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the world of consumerism, be a minimalist 💅

[Irina Goldberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay

[Asa Firda Inayah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book to inspire minimalism lifestyle.

[Lisa Grimm Maus · Rating 3 out of 5]

daily readings

[Yuniyusdianis · Rating 3 out of 5]

di dalam buku ini banyak sekali cerita2 inspiratif mengenai kebisaan hidup minimalist dan sederhana prinsipnya "less is more".

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of cute stories and quotes. I dont feel like this book truly captured what minimalism is. I also feel like this book is geared towards boomers, other generations won't relate in my opinion.

[Victoria Ellerbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the short stories, they're especially nice if you're looking for a good way to get a little bit of reading done every day. Lots of the stories in these made me stop and think, and that's a good thing. Thanks for a good read.

[Melina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Acutal Rating: 2.75/5

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

great short stories to ponder on simplifying our lives

[Keshia Burchette · Rating 4 out of 5]

From one who has way too much stuff this was a great read.

[Jeniffer Joi · Rating 4 out of 5]

hehe yang aku baca versi terjemahannya sih, but yes this is a 9/10. seri chicken soup for the soul emang tidak perlu diragukan~

[tya · Rating 3 out of 5]

ini bukunya tentang hidup minimalis. sebenarnya lumayan bagus cuman membosankan aku ngabisinnya satu tahun lebih😭

[nin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book suit me. I like to declutter stuff. 🩷🩷🩷