Andy Couturier on Increasing your Happiness by Simplifying Your Life

Andy Couturier lived in rural Japan many years ago and it changed his life. As he lived alongside people who were living profoundly satisfying lives, he learned what they were doing (or not doing!) to achieve this level of satisfaction and then he wrote about it in his book, The Abundance of Less: Lessons in Simple Living from Rural Japan. In this interview, Andy shares this wisdom and his experiences in such a way that you can apply the concepts in a practical manner in your life starting today. This episode is sponsored by Health IQ. Get lower rates on life insurance if you are health conscious. Get free quote here and by Hello Fresh- Get $30 off your first order by going to hellofresh.com and using the promo code FEED30 at checkout   In This Interview, Andy Couturier and I Discuss... The Wolf Parable His book, The Abundance of Less: Lessons in Simple Living From Rural Japan His time living in rural Japan That the people in rural Japan do not use money to entertain themselves Their way of life is slow, humble, connected to their community and time for individual contemplation How they don't suffer from "time poverty" That all life is connected in rural Japan Because there is less to do, the garner more enjoyment from each task The consumerism and busy characteristics of the industrialized west How "convenience speeds you up" Ways to make meaningful strides towards living a lifestyle inspired by the lifestyle in rural Japan Simplify simplify simplify Travel less, know your home city better Make meaningful connections with friends by spending more time together Diving deeper into things in your life in a methodical, thoughtful way I love doing _____. Wouldn't it be wonderful to spend more time doing it? Ways to make time for what we care about How they live profoundly satisfying lives in rural Japan That you don't have to "go back in time" to live this kind of life Building his house entirely with hand tools       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices