I’m sitting on my patio in the stillness of a clear Southern California morning, enjoying the quiet before the streets fill with life. There’s comfort in watching the steam rise from my cup of tea, swirling gently as it blends into the air. Long shadows stretch across the ground, saluting their forms, while crisp light zigzags from building to building as if playing hide and seek.

I wasn’t always a morning person, but now I cherish these gentle transitions into day.

It’s the simple things that bring me joy now—these quiet moments. Birds singing their morning anthems. A loved one’s laugh or smile. It doesn’t take much anymore for me to feel content.

My name is Nolan Haener, and I’ve let go of trying to define exactly what that means. In a previous chapter of life, I would’ve called myself a music aficionado—with a collection ranging from 1,000 to 1,500 records that somehow never felt complete. I also loved collecting synthesizers and samplers, building a personal studio, and making music. And for a while, I did. I loved it.

But somewhere along the way, I realized I was chasing fleeting moments that always seemed just out of reach. The items that were supposed to define me were actually distracting me from being present with others. So I started letting go.

It wasn’t sudden. It wasn’t a lightbulb moment. But with each thing I released, I felt better. There was more space. Less to clean. More time in the day. A quiet kind of freedom began to take hold.

Eventually, I understood something simple but profound: the simpler I make life, the more I enjoy it. This concept applies to every part of living, once you really look.

With this blog, I’ll share stories, resources, and reflections with the hope of inspiring others on their own path toward simplicity. At the same time, this blog will serve as my own guidepost—a reminder to live intentionally, to stay grounded, and to let go of what no longer serves me.

This isn’t just another minimalism blog. It’s about peeling back the layers, releasing what weighs us down, and finding joy in a simple living.