Bask, I say. Bask away.
Immerse yourself in Dee Williams' world and you'll get much more than tips on how or why to build a tiny house.
You'll find heaping helpings of gratitude. You'll be swimming in a pool of humility. You'll learn what it means to be a true member of a small community … and how generosity flows back and forth among friends.
I met her in-person at World Domination Summit 2014 and, let me tell you, she's a motivational force for good. Fortunately, I got to tell the story at the end of this episode of how Dee motivated me to help her hitch her 56 sq. ft. “retirement home” to her truck.
Unsurprisingly, she was grateful (and so was her dog, Ole).
For the record, Dee is the founder of Portland Alternative Dwellings, the author of the popular The Big Tiny, has been featured in The New York Times and CBS This Morning, and knows a good pair of overall when she sees one.
You'll hear some common themes from Dee with a lot of uncommon wisdom. For example:
It's very easy to stop seeing the beauty and adventure in the simple things. Writing a book was a reintroduction to these simple things that I love so much. – Dee Williams
It was a real gift to be able to see my life with a texture and a depth that I don't really think I understood before I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. – Dee Williams
And two more …
We have huge appetites for stuff … that we never actually use. – Dee Williams
There's nothing like hanging out with kids to make you rearrange your brain and slow down. You don't have any option around it. It's same with nature. – Dee Williams
Need more reasons to listen to this episode? Alrighty. Here ya go.
You're about to Learn …
- How downsizing increases your ability to ask for (and get) help.
- How confronting death reshapes your view of everything.
- Why (and when) Dee experienced the “perfect storm of awakening.”
- The intense liberation from shedding debt and stuff.
- How far Dee will downsize from her 84 sq. ft. house to her “retirement home.”
- How experiencing poverty or civil war – first-hand – changes you.
- Why Dee quickly had more time, money, and freedom post-tiny house.
- How to improve your relationship to nature … and find your sense of “bigness.”
- Why Dee contributes so much to (and gets back a ton from) her local community.
- How to have skyrocketing gratitude and humility.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe Now and Never Miss an Episode: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | RSS
Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode:
- Websites:
- Resources:
- SimpleREV Tickets
- How Much Does a Tiny House Cost?
- PAD Workshops and Events
- Books:
- Videos:
- Podcast Episodes:
Topics
- [05:32] Dee's seeds of awesomeness
- [10:48] Dee's trip to Guatemala and the health challenges that changed her
- [15:48] The decision to build a tiny house
- [22:11] What Dee has gained from living in her tiny house
- [28:29] The intent behind and impact of The Big Tiny
- [35:01] Slowing down and tending to your relationships
- [38:41] Dee's impatience and overactive brain
- [47:48] Where to find Dee online and offline
Awesome Ways to Subscribe to the Show
If you're not already subscribed for automatic notifications of a new show, please do so with one of the links below.
- Click here to subscribe with iTunes
- Click here to subscribe via RSS
- Click here to subscribe via Stitcher
Transcript
The transcript will not be available until I find a new transcriptionist (if you know someone good, let me know).
I'm Grateful for Your iTunes Reviews!
If you enjoyed this specific episode or the Smart and Simple Matters show in general, I always appreciate when people go to the iTunes page and leave an honest review. Every single review is a huge help and received with gratitude!
If you want to make me incredibly thankful, like the people who have recently left an iTunes review, here are the four quick steps (assuming iTunes is already installed):
- Visit the Smart and Simple Matters iTunes page here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/value-simple-podcast-joel/id545208089
- Click the blue button on the left labeled “View in iTunes” below the cover art of the show
- When iTunes loads, scroll down below the “Customer Reviews” section and click the link labeled “Write a Review”
- Write a review with whatever title you like, whatever length you have time for, and give the show an honest rating. If you don't think it deserves five stars, don't rate it as a five star show.
And if you have someone or something you'd like us to cover on an upcoming show, tell us in the comments below.
I loved this podcast episode, but wanted to point out parks, libraries, schools, police and fire protection traffic signals (and all that infrastructure) are not free. Property taxes and such support all that. Does Dee pay property taxes? The few who manage to downsize and keep a high quality of life because they have time for utilization of “free” public spaces are being underwritten by the working stiffs who pay large property taxes. Just playing devils advocate. It sounds like Dee paid in to the system for years, and does not have children, but if everyone opted out we would be in trouble.
You have some good points there, Mims. Only Dee could say whether she pays part of the property taxes for the land she keeps her tiny house on. And there’s no doubt that property taxes pay for all the things you listed (and then some).
I think the broader question here is this one: what are the ways that we – as a society – appreciate people supporting their community? You can tell from the podcast episode that Dee’s a tremendous asset to her local community and especially to the friends she shares land with. Are Dee’s contributions quantifiable in a financial sense? Should we even bother trying to quantify her impact?
I’d rather see property taxes play less of a role in funding local public institutions than they do, but I’ll save the tax reform commentary for another time and place. Thanks for playing Devil’s Advocate, Mims. I hope you appreciate me playing the role too. 🙂