Min·i·mal·ism or minimalist Using just the most basic, most important aspects, as in the visual arts, writing, and design.
How Did I Get Here?
Everything in my life was heading in the correct path. As I demolished my debts and drew further to financial and spiritual independence, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Then it hit me: I was sick of having too much things. This included clothes, jewelry, electronics, artwork, collections, and everything else that wasn’t necessary.
Because I falsely believed that my belongings revealed something about my character, I had devoted my whole life to amassing a large number of items. For some reason, I felt that I needed those items in order to relive the enchantment of my travels, provide evidence that they had actually occurred, and validate my very being. There was no way I was correct.
My heart and spirit should be the only places where the things that truly matter in life remain etched. These cannot be physically grasped. My belongings do not define me. Trying to pin my identity on worldly possessions is a grave insult to my spirit. My journey toward minimalism started a year ago.
Why Minimalism?
The effects on our bodies and spirits of having too many material belongings are very detrimental. Your physical well-being might be affected by extreme clutter. (Think about hygiene concerns and ways out of a fire.) Your mental and spiritual well-being can be affected by even slight clutter. To combat these drawbacks, minimalism is the way to go.
Mental clarity: Destroying your subconscious is the power of clutter. To illustrate, supposing you get down to work but find it impossible to focus. You question your level of focus. A sense of vitality, readiness, and enthusiasm for the task at hand has washed over you. Nevertheless, you seem to have trouble focusing. Pay attention. Your mind is in a state of complete disarray that defies explanation. Clutter engulfs you as you survey your surroundings.
The clutter in your environment affected your thoughts even if you weren’t aware of it. Your mind is always taking in new information from the world around it. It detects a myriad of subtleties that you may not even be aware of.
Being in a serene and uncluttered space is key to attaining mental clarity. As a result, there will be less noise, less clutter, and fewer interruptions from things like social media, music, TV, or the internet.
Every living creature is subject to this rule. In your opinion, what are the reasons for the practice of blinding horses used in racing? These help the horse maintain his concentration on the track ahead of him and ignore other influences like spectators. Also, driving horses often wear blinders to protect them from getting startled or distracted, which is particularly important in congested urban areas. You are also subject to this! In order to gain mental clarity, you must first put on blinders, or an atmosphere free of distractions.
Physical health:Finding peace of mind is the path to serenity. Stress and blood pressure may both be reduced by being in a peaceful environment. A decreased incidence of ulcers, cardiovascular disease, and even the common cold is associated with a reduced stress level.
Productivity: Destruction serves as a diversion. No matter if you’re considering taking it up, dreading it, trying to avoid it, or doing it—you’re squandering time that might be better spent doing something useful.
Self-realization:You become disoriented when you place an excessive value on your belongings. Relying on material objects for happiness is risky, whether it’s a sports vehicle, a pair of shoes, a fortunate rabbit’s foot, a necklace, or a stamp collection. Since they are tangible items, material possessions are vulnerable to a wide range of tragedies, such as theft, loss, or destruction.
A thing’s worth is directly proportional to your estimation of its worth. Of course, certain items will mean more to you because of the feelings they evoke. Consider the significance of inheriting your great-grandmother’s wedding ring. However, you will continue even if that ring is destroyed in an unforeseen forest fire. No matter what happens, you will always remember your great-grandmother and hold her spirit in high regard.
Our fixation on worldly possessions is holding us back. Those are not who we are. You are not your work, your bank account, your vehicle, or the things in your walled garden, as Tyler Durden would say. You will be confronted with your authentic self as you start to purge your unnecessary material belongings. Your “things” will no longer serve as a shield from reality. Your true nature will be exposed. Coming to terms with who you are is going to be an amazing experience.
To start becoming the person you desire to be, you must first perceive yourself in your most basic, authentic form.
Purpose:Acquiring material possessions is an endless pursuit of meaninglessness. Your entire life will be consumed by the desire for material possessions. You are determined to work until you own a diamond ring. Then a Porsche is what you need. Until you own a Porsche, you will toil away. At that point, a mansion will be your ideal home. Working hard will pay off, and you will own a mansion. If so, an island will be ideal for you. Life will continue in this manner until you realize that it has slipped away from you. One day, when you’re old and grey, you’ll reflect on your life and ask, “What have I achieved?” There will be a lot of material possessions around you, but will they bring you genuine happiness? An excellent example of this is the tale of the fisherman and the businessman. (If you’d rather not read it, you can always watch the movie.
Intention: A minimalist lifestyle encourages self-awareness. The tenets of mindful living are quite similar to those of minimalism.
Environment protection:Native American culture and other traditional civilizations have a lot to teach us. That includes the concept of treading gently on our planet. Over the course of hundreds of years, we have lost sight of this in our relentless pursuit of greater and better.
The earth’s natural resources are being depleted, forests are being chopped down, water supplies are being polluted, landscapes are being altered to suit our requirements, air pollution, acid rain, and ozone hole formation are all results of our failure to tread gently.
You already know this: Although the issues are well-known, the remedies are not. Can I make a difference by purchasing environmentally friendly items? Should I invest in a more environmentally favorable vehicle? Is everything I use recycled? Of course. Those are all things you can do, and they’re all helpful. The best thing, though, is to cut back and carry less weight.
How To Get There
It isn’t simple to get go of your own possessions. We tend to hoard things because we think we might need them “someday.” Friends, here’s a hint: someday is rarely. (And even then, it frequently arrives after you’ve already disposed of the items, assuming it does.
I had been keeping everything until very recently. Everything I ever had, from vintage magazines and half-burned candles to vintage toys and day planners from my childhood—I preserved it everything. But I have begun removing the clutter, although slowly. We give or sell the good stuff and toss out the bad stuff.
Parting with certain things has been harder than others. My jewelry collection was notoriously (and humiliatingly) extensive. I have made it a point to buy a piece of jewelry at every location I have visited during my extensive travels. I still haven’t gotten rid of my necklaces from Kenya, which are the most sentimental things I own. It is becoming easier, though. With each item that I’ve let go of, I’ve felt a greater sense of freedom and a stronger connection to my own self.
Here are some quick & easy tips to declutter in no time:
- One room at a time: Takeit room by room around your home and follow these steps. Keep your weekly room count to a minimum. Do not rush through the procedure; it has the potential to become overwhelming.
- Piles. Arrange everything in piles.. Make three heaps: preserve, sell or donate, and dump. Things in the Trash pile should be recycled or discarded as soon as sorting is complete. Stop procrastinating and make a decision right now. After that, sort the items into two piles: keep and sell/donate. Do you think you should sell or donate any of the things in the Keep pile instead of keeping them? If that’s the case, put them in the right pile.
- The Three-Month Rule: Toss, sell, or give even more goods by following The Three Month Rule. Consider how often you use each item—at least once every three months. Keeping it on the table is a waste of time if you don’t.
- Google: Find “De-clutter Tips” or “How to Live a Minimalist Lifestyle” with a simple Google search. You’ll find a plethora of useful materials, and after that, you may start working. Hey, I did it and came upon this awesome post: Despite Downsizing, Here Are 5 Ingenious Ways to Live Larger. Those are some really original suggestions; my favorite is the “Reverse Birthday Party.”
- be carefree: Embrace the journey. The trip itself may be just as meaningful as the final destination, so keep that in mind. In times of difficulty, keep your eye on the prize. You are making your aspirations a reality. Dreaming a life that is true to who you are, what you believe in, and what you’re passionate about is essential. Remove the unnecessary and reduce the excess!
Conclusion
Even though I have come a long way on my minimalist path, I still have a long way to go before I reach my ideal state. One of my life goals is to reduce the amount of stuff I own to the point where I can fit everything into just one or two bags. I know it’s ambitious, coming from a hoarder myself, but I’m committed to achieving it. It will be fascinating to see my current situation in a year.
Where do you stand, then? From whence do you hope to achieve your objectives? Can you think of any original ways to live a life without junk? Let me know what you think in the comments section. I hope everything works out for you.
