A Peek Into a Minimalist’s Life
It’s all about living with less
We work long, passionate hours to put food on the table and pay the bills, yet we fall deeper into debt every day. Debts are like a never-ending black hole; there always seem to be debts we can never finish repaying. Besides working long hours, we spend the rest of our time and energy on maintaining our cluttered lifestyle.
Minimalism might be the answer we are looking for to live a happier and healthier life.
Minimalism is valuing experiences rather than things
The philosophy of minimalism is about getting rid of excess stuff and living life based on experiences rather than worldly possessions, lessening financial burdens such as debt and unnecessary expenses.
Minimalists value the intentional endeavors that add value to life. They seek to keep only the essentials and significant, aiming to clear the frivolous.
Living with less isn’t as bad as you think
You might be thinking: Isn’t it the more, the merrier and better?
The desire to own more might end up developing into compulsive hoarding, where we refuse to let go of anything we own. Compulsive hoarding is challenging getting out of it. Once a habit is formed, it can take months or even years to break it.
According to Mayo Clinic, compulsive hoarding is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions due to a perceived need to save them. People with hoarding disorder experience distress at the thought of getting rid of the items.
There are different types of items: some holds significant meanings to our hearts, while others are completely useless. Minimalists only keep what is useful and sentimental.
Having less is more. Living a minimalist lifestyle is decluttering. While there are apparent benefits of minimalism such as reducing stress and spending lesser time cleaning, what we don’t realize is when we reduce, we are reducing much more than mere possessions.
Having less doesn’t mean compromising on the quality. You can have quality essentials while cutting down on the unnecessary stuff.
On the surface, it seems like we are clearing and getting rid of what we don’t need, but when dug deeper, we are performing a mindset shift.
There’s room for others
Minimalists have more time for their family and loved ones. Instead of stressing over what luxury goods to buy next, the people they care about fill up their schedule. When was the last time you sat down and have a heart-to-heart talk with your family? For most of us, that was a really long time ago. Busy schedules and never-ending to-do lists occupy our lives today, and we barely have enough sleep, let alone the time for a chat with friends and family. Minimalists find happiness in experiences and maintaining relationships.
Lesser focus on material possessions
In the world we live in today, it’s almost impossible not to fall into the consumerism trap. All those Rolex Watches, Gucci wallets, Louis Vuitton handbags and Ferrari are a false sense of happiness. Pursuing materialism is an empty path in life; you won’t achieve eternal happiness. You’ll find the desire to have more continue growing stronger as each day passes by. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy comfort. We have unlimited wants; we will never satisfy everything we desire. The Art of Minimalism is desiring less altogether.
Clinging onto material possessions induces stress in us because we are afraid of losing them. Minimalists don’t worry about this, they’ve got nothing to lose. Living with only the essentials, Minimalists pursue simplicity, not complexity. The necessities in life are enough to keep them contented.
Desiring less is more valuable than owning less
Minimalism is a new way of living life. Owning the world’s most luxury goods does not necessarily make you the richest person on earth. The richest man on earth is the happiest person on earth. It’s when you have mastered the art of desiring less that makes you the wealthiest and the most valuable person. Life is not all about the stacks of cash and the Ferrari you own. There’s something else worth pursuing than physical goods.
When we shift our desire away from pursuing material possessions, we are finally free to pursue lasting worth we have yet to discover.
Naturally, happiness comes as we gravitate towards things that matter the most when decluttering our life. This is the golden opportunity to see through the false promises in the clutters, and realize what truly matters. Taking a step back, we finally get to enjoy life at a slower pace, with our priorities refocused and redefined.
You’ve only got a lifetime to make things right
Choose contentment. Invest in building and strengthening the relationships you’ve never had time to maintain, find purpose and meaning in your life outside of this materialistic world, discover the real meaning in life and grow spiritually. Our lives are too short and precious to waste on chasing possessions. Perhaps, the minimalist lifestyle is what you have been seeking for all this while.
Thanks for reading!
