Just as we can tear down interior walls to reveal space, we can tear down our fears and assumptions to open up new possibilities. The Not So Big Life reveals that form and function serve not only architectural aims but life goals as well. Through simple exercises and inspiring stories, Susanka shows us that all we need to do is make small shifts in our day–subtle movements that open our minds as if we were finally opening the windows to let in fresh air. In fact, the real joy of leading a not so big life is discovering that the life we love has been there the entire time. We do not have to lead a monastic life or give up the things we love. In The Not So Big Life, Susanka shows us that it is possible to take our finger off the fast-forward button, and to our surprise we find how effortless and rewarding this change can be. Our schedules are chaotic and overcommitted, leaving us so stressed that we are numb, yet we wonder why we cannot fall asleep at night. Now we barely have time to take a breath before making the next call on our cell phone, while at the same time messaging someone else on our Blackberry. For many of us, our ability to find the time to do what we want to do has come to a grinding halt. The bigger-is-better idea that triggered the explosion of McMansions has spilled over to give us McLives. Most of us have lives that are as cluttered with unwanted obligations as our attics are cluttered with things. Now, in The Not So Big Life, Susanka takes her revolutionary philosophy to another dimension by showing us a new way to inhabit our lives. In her groundbreaking bestseller The Not So Big House, architect Sarah Susanka showed us a new way to inhabit our houses by creating homes that were better–not bigger.

Have you ever found yourself asking, “Is this all there is to life?” Or wondering if this bigger life you have created is actually a better life? And do you wonder how it all got so out of control?

The not so big life