I consider myself a Minimalist.
When you hear the word ‘minimalism’, you might think of art, music, fashion, baking, or architecture and decor. But in this post, I want to talk about the minimalist lifestyle and how owning less stuff has changed my life.
Before we get into understanding what minimalism is, let’s first clear our heads by understanding what minimalism doesn’t stand for.
People naturally think that it is about going to the extreme, getting rid of everything you own, and living your life out of a certain number of belongings.
This is not true.
Minimalism should never be confused with depriving yourself of good things, things that you love, the things that actually give you joy.
What is Minimalism?
Minimalism at its core is about intentionality. Some people even call it simple living, intentionalism or essentialism. Well, what’s in the name, right?
According to the minimalists, by getting rid of the stuff that doesn’t add value or bring joy, we can experience a lot of benefits like, financial & emotional stability, reduced stress, and my favourite, clarity about your passions in life. But only you can decide for yourself what is worth keeping.
Since everyone’s interests & values are different, we all own different things. And on top of that, our lives are constantly changing. So what we own now might be different from what we are going to own in the future. But, the key is that if we don’t make decisions about what to keep, we will hold on to everything.
So, if you are getting rid of the things you truly love, you are doing it the wrong way. The intention was never this.
But, the question that comes to my mind is – why do people buy stuff they don’t actually need?
The research shows that Millennials spend nearly 50% as much time shopping online each week (six hours) than their older counterparts (four hours). Most of the people buy stuff to show their status in society, to receive validations from others, or to please others. Basically, to fill the emotional gaps inside them which will eventually give them the feeling of being liked, or being successful.
If this is the definition of success for you, then it is totally fine. But if it is not, then create your own because if you don’t, someone else will do it for you.
Minimalism is not a magic bullet. I am not saying being a minimalist will solve all your problems. All I am saying is it is not a bad place to start looking for a solution.
After getting introduced to the idea of minimalism, I started to think differently about my values and the idea of happiness has flipped in my head. To me, it is no longer about acquiring things, now it is more about working on the things I am passionate about and most importantly, the things I love. I don’t spend any unnecessary time chasing things that don’t add value to my life. I have everything I need. I have ‘enough’.
Is being a Minimalist boring?
When does a person get bored?
Well, there can be a lot of situations for this to happen like –
He doesn’t have anything to do or doesn’t like his work.
He is alone.
Well, I hope you have got your answer.
Minimalism does not mean secluding yourself from the rest of the world. You can have as many friends as you like, provided they bring happiness in your life.
And if a person doesn’t like his work, he can’t be a minimalist because Minimalism, on the other hand, helps in finding your passion, finding the things that actually give you a feeling of satisfaction and mental peace.
So, to me, it is not at all boring. It is one of the things that I am grateful for the rest of my life. It has helped me to become more focused in my life by removing all the distractions from it. Once you start analyzing your life from this perspective, I am sure you will be amazed by how destressed you will be.
I hope you must have got some value from this post. And if you did, think of the people who can also get some value out of it. And don’t forget to share it with them.
Also do let me know your views on Minimalism in the comment section.
After all, sharing is caring.