I Live a Complex Minimalist Life
Minimalists harness the flow with lighter vessels
What does minimalism mean? I never started to follow what is called minimalism; however, minimalism is the best definition that adheres to the way I decide day by day what objects and activities deserve my attention. I would like to talk about the meaning of minimalism and how one comes to live this way by caring for one’s time and loving freedom.
Living simply means taking care of the basic things that best serve what makes you happy. Minimalism is now for me the most direct way to manifest the most effective and concrete lifestyle to embrace the complexity of the world, by transforming it into what I desire.
Complexity is not a problem. It is not something to be avoided or eliminated. Complexity keeps living systems healthy, keeps us active and curious. But instead of trying to make things happen arbitrarily in my life, work, and relationships, it has been easier to create spaces where what I desire can emerge from the complexity of the flow of life itself.
Work and social life are the two areas that most drive and influence our lifestyle. Associated with them are the material goods, skills and qualities we develop to maintain the direction we have taken. All of this requires our attention and ultimately a constant emotional investment.
It is attention and interest that change the quality and meaning of our time: minimalism is the most direct way to successfully manage it. Just as water follows the path of least resistance in relation to the shape and structure of the land, our energy and actions follow a path set by the underlying structures of our lives. In some structures, the path of least resistance coincides with and leads to what we want. In others, it does not.
What are the structures that make up our territory?
They are the result of the way we organize the relationships between our perceptions, ideas, values, beliefs, desires, fears, and external reality. Minimalism is the best way to be in control of that part of the territory that allows us success.
As mentioned earlier, success can be pursued in two ways: by accumulating material goods that we use to increase our influence, wealth, access, and ability to meet new challenges.
Or by surrounding ourselves with only what is necessary and shaping the land in a manner consistent with our vision, thereby increasing the quality of our time. By working with the path of least resistance that forms between vision and reality, actions flow naturally toward what we desire.
Minimalists harness the flow with lighter vessels
Minimalist people take advantage of the current with lighter boats instead of countering it with heavy ones. Instead of taking aspirin or stress relievers, or spending money to distract ourselves from the burden of our responsibilities, we can create structures that lead to a life and work that is not only stress-free, but voluntarily sought. The minimalist is a seeker of simplicity: by focusing on what matters and embracing reality, seekers of simplicity move to a new level of consciousness and tap into one of life’s most persistent impulses: the impulse to create.
Free time and increased awareness and meaning of the surrounding things increase our energy, ability to focus, and clarify our direction with every action. A structure is created that contains and guides the resolution of creative tension. If we are not aware of these relationships, it is easy to get stuck in structures that do not support our most important values and desires.
This is how creation works. Structure aligns your daily choices and actions to support the outcomes you want to create. Living in an environment built around your vision makes it easy to stay open to the forces at play. You can embrace surprise and newness. You can use what emerges from your creative process to help you maintain direction.
Today, I am fully aware that when my mind and attention are less overloaded, I can actually listen to myself and what I need. I am more aware of what I am feeling and why I am feeling it, I have the space and flexibility to make changes without having to wait until I am in a moment of crisis.
Look at your life from a different perspective. Rather than wishing you had new things, minimalism encourages you to reevaluate what you already have and give it new value based on its purpose in your present and future life. It all depends on what you need. Is it more shoes, a new car, or is it more time, fulfillment, peace of mind, love?
You will see that designing and creating life from this perspective is much more powerful than problem-solving when you think of your life as a complex, self-organizing system. Minimalism simplifies the complicated through focus. Like laser light, focus creates coherence.
It also creates energy, the power you need to make your dreams come true. What doesn’t matter stops affecting your path, the superfluous disappears. You feel that you are living the life you want, and that is what matters.
