(Advanced TED) Less stuff, more happiness

Life Edited

Discuss the Life Edited video


Writer and designer Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.

Watch:

Less stuff, more happiness


Excerpt:

Try filling the gaps and re-forming the words in CAPS

What do the words in bold mean?

So how can you live little? Three main approaches.

First of __, you have to edit   RUTHLESS  . We've got to clear the arteries of our lives. And that shirt that I hadn't worn ___ years? It's time for me to ___ it go. We've got to cut the extraneous out of our lives, and we've got to learn to stem the inflow. We need to think before we buy. __ ourselves, "Is that really going to make me happier? Truly?" By __ means, we should buy and own some great stuff. But we want stuff that we're going to love for years, not just stuff.

Secondly, our new mantra: small is sexy. We want space   EFFICIENT   . We want things that are designed for how they're used ___ vast majority of the time, not that rare event. Why have a six-burner stove when you   RARE   use three? So we want things that nest, we want things that stack, and we want it   DIGITAL   . You can take paperwork, books, movies, and you can make it disappear - it's magic.

Finally, we want multifunctional spaces and housewares - a sink combined with a toilet, a dining table becomes a bed - same space, a little side table stretches ___ to seat 10. In the winning Life Edited scheme in a render here, we combine a moving wall with transformer furniture to get a lot out of the space. Look at the coffee table - it grows in  HIGH   and  WIDE   to seat 10. My office folds ___,  EASY    hidden. My bed just pops ___ of the wall with two fingers. Guests? Move the moving wall, have some fold-down guest beds. And of course, my __ movie theater.

____

Check:

So how can you live little? Three main approaches. 

First of all, you have to edit ruthlessly. We've got to clear the arteries of our lives. And that shirt that I hadn't worn in years? It's time for me to let it go. We've got to cut the extraneous out of our lives, and we've got to learn to stem the inflow. We need to think before we buy. Ask ourselves, "Is that really going to make me happier? Truly?" By all means, we should buy and own some great stuff. But we want stuff that we're going to love for years, not just stuff.

Secondly, our new mantra: small is sexy. We want space efficiency. We want things that are designed for how they're used the vast majority of the time, not that rare event. Why have a six burner stove when you rarely use three? So we want things that nest, we want things that stack, and we want it digitized. You can take paperwork, books, movies, and you can make it disappear - it's magic.

Finally, we want multifunctional spaces and housewares - a sink combined with a toilet, a dining table becomes a bed - same space, a little side table stretches out to seat 10. In the winning Life Edited scheme in a render here, we combine a moving wall with transformer furniture to get a lot out of the space. Look at the coffee table - it grows in height and width to seat 10. My office folds away, easily hidden. My bed just pops out of the wall with two fingers. Guests? Move the moving wall, have some fold-down guest beds. And of course, my own movie theater.


Discuss:

Do you think editing your life in this way would make you happier?



Dimensions - transform these into nouns


long
strong
deep
wide
broad
high




Other common words - how do you add  'th' to these?

grow
dead
true
moon
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...
heal
born



Make these into verbs

low
different
discovery
engine





Make these nouns into verbs:

length
shortness
width
breadth
strength
light
dark
enclosure
largeness
sweetness
straight
tightness

sweet  bright  broad  soft   loose  long   thick   moist  short  strong   worse   ripe

1. People say that travel ______ the mind.

2. It was hot so I took off my jacket and I ______ my tie.

3. You should ______ the cloth with water before you wipe the floor.

4. I need to ______ this dress as it is far too long.

5. She likes to ______ her tea with honey instead of sugar.

6. You can ______ the sauce by adding some flour.

7. Using moisturiser everyday can help ______ your skin.

8. Pilates is a good form of exercise to ______ your muscles.

9. They wanted to ______ their hotel booking from one to two weeks.

10. Painting the walls white will ______ this dark room.

11. I tried to help but I think I may have ______ it.

12. The green tomatoes soon turned red when I ______ them in the sun.