Let me begin with a disclaimer: I am not a “minimalist” by definition (…yet). Rather, I am a person working towards attaining a more minimalist lifestyle, learning to simplify the means by which I live.
This blog is a recollection of that journey, equipped with tips and tricks along the way that I hope can help others become more intentional in their lifestyles, too.
Minimalism begins with “why?”
As you embark on the minimalism journey with me, it is important to remember that minimalism is a lifestyle. It manifests in many areas of life, not just material possessions, but in finances, relationships, career choices, etc. Because of this, it’s important to identify your reason or purpose of wanting to live a more simple life. This reason may differ from person to person. You may be fueled by tight finances, the pursuit of happiness, the desire to downsize, or even necessity.
Whatever the reason, your “why” becomes your foundation for this journey.
It serves as a reminder of why you began this journey, a baseline that you can revisit later down the line if you ever drift from the path (which, may I add, happens often… so don’t get discouraged!)
For me, my desire to live more simply is rooted in my first trip to the Philippines. (As a millennial growing up in America, if you ever want or need a major reality check, travel to another country). Going home to my ancestral origin was nothing short of a privilege check. I visited the ancestral home, met relatives I had only known by name, and was exposed to a country so stricken with poverty. I spent a majority of my vacation pondering and processing how God had blessed me, out of all my other relatives, with the opportunity to grow up in America and attain all the privileges that that brings; whilst my relatives lived in homes smaller than my American living room, struggling to make ends meet, and making constant sacrifices to provide for basic daily needs. But that wasn’t the only difference I recognized.
Although they lived with much less than I did, somehow, they were happier, more joyful.
This became the major catalyst for my lifestyle change. Seeing the pure and genuine joy of those who lived in poverty helped me to recognize that happiness is not found in wealth nor material possessions, that money can’t buy happiness — a cliché, but a universal truth. I became increasingly cognizant of the excess of belongings I owned and how those possessions provided no added joy to my life whatsoever. So I made the conscious decision to live more simply, with the hope of finding that true joy.
Throughout my journey thus far, I found friends and relatives also interested in this move towards simple living, who did not quite know how to start. Thus, I intend with this blog to help people who are rarely taught about concepts such as minimalism, to embrace a lifestyle towards a more simple and joyful life.
So let’s begin, what excites you about minimalism? What motivates you to live more simply? What drives you to let go?
What’s your WHY?
