Everywhere you look, people from all walks of life are “going minimalist” and getting rid of their possessions. Yet as exciting as it can be to throw out half of your belongings, does it really bring happiness? As Light Watkins says: “If you’re unhappy now, becoming a minimalist isn’t likely to change that… unless you do the inner work to cultivate happiness on the inside.”

Light is famous for taking minimalism to the extreme—and now lives his whole life out of a single backpack. In Travel Light, he shares his surprising revelation that being a “spiritual minimalist” means you don’t focus on material objects. What matters more than clearing out your closets is how much trust you have in your inner guidance. “Spiritual Minimalism is not about how much physical stuff you have,” he says. “It’s about how you communicate, incorporate service into your life, exercise, cook, clean, and express your love.”

Light shares his unique inside-out approach to minimalism using stories, anecdotes, and vignettes, along with real-world experiments and exercises that you can adapt to your own life. Learn more about Light’s latest book Travel Light: Spiritual Minimalism to Live a More Fulfilled Life from Sounds True.