Living with the minimal: An overview of minimalism

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• It’s when you start using fewer things that you gain an appreciation for more. -TheRhymeRula

This post isn’t to present a guide with ideas on how to achieve a minimalist lifestyle, all I’m merely doing is explaining the benefits of something that might bring stability into your life. Furthermore, there isn’t a set of arbitrary rules or a strict code an individual needs to adhere to, but there does need to be a dedication to the process and a commitment to remain disciplined which will thus maximize results.

If you were to ask a group of people what minimalism is, you would probably get contrasting answers and that’s understandable because for most minimalism is not merely a lifestyle, but a philosophy that has an array of unique perspectives about the things that bring value to one’s life and what isn’t necessary anymore for personal growth. I’ll expound on this later. With that being said, I would like to begin by presenting the misconceptions surrounding minimalism and the journey to becoming a minimalist which isn’t too difficult but rather the commitment to remain consistent is the true challenge. In other words, once we begin the process of decluttering our minds and the frivolous things that hoard our living spaces, then we will be able to create room to develop new positive habits and a more constructive outlook on identifying what matters to our well-being. Furthermore, this goes without saying, that this can only be achieved and maintained with discipline and accountability.   

Some people dismiss minimalism as a fad and don’t believe in its legitimacy because of the “restrictions” that entail pursuing a life of minimalism. As a result, it leads to these nonbelievers claiming that they’ll “never be a minimalist” because living that kind of life would essentially mean depriving themselves of their pleasures. To put it in another way, even though this sounds extreme, they might perceive minimalism as a “pejorative” because it conjures up thoughts of monotony and a mundane outlook on life. However, minimalism isn’t about any of that, it can help you accomplish and develop a meticulous mindset on what matters to you and also the significance it can bring to your life. This in turn will give you the confidence to share it with others who may question your new endeavor. I believe minimalists can attest to what I will present next which pertains to the freedom minimalism provides. 

Minimalism is a tool that can assist you find freedom in things such as… 

• Freedom of fear 
• Freedom from worry 
• Freedom from overwhelming energy 
• Freedom from guilt 
• Freedom from depression 
• Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve been inundated with and built our lives around. 

Look, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with owning material possessions. Today’s problem with materialism stems from us placing too much value on things and once we constantly assign sentimental significance to stuff that can depreciate, then we’ll leave ourselves vulnerable to having those “valuable” things control our lives. To put it differently, being too fixated on materialism can cause an individual to forsake their health, relationships, passions, personal growth, and their desire to contribute beyond themselves. 

Understand that you can still keep everything you own and continue what you enjoy doing but by practicing minimalism as a novice and once you enter an expert stage (I’m not sure if there is one) you’ll realize that minimalism simply allows you to make decisions more scrupulously and with conviction. Additionally, the way each minimalist approaches their lifestyle will be different and that’s because of their different life experiences before embarking on a quest to become a minimalist. Not to mention, they all share two things in common: they are minimalists, and they have a determination to pursue purpose-driven lives. By implementing minimalism into their lives, they’ll be able to acquire lasting happiness and aren’t we all seeking that? Regarding this, minimalists search for satisfaction not through things, but through accumulating experiences and it’s up to you to figure out what is necessary and what is superfluous in your life.

All things considered, minimalism gives us the freedom to organize, declutter, and manage our physical and mental space. Granted, this will vary depending on the individual. In any case, this will therefore give us the clarity to recognize our past behavioral patterns and learn through trial and error ways to avoid being consumed with excess. Additionally, this newfound respite allows us to free up time for activities that align with our values and priorities. However, we must take accountability for holding onto frivolous things that dictate our lives and focus more on eliminating distractions so we can identify and control things that are essential for personal growth. On another note, there is something else that minimalism can help us achieve aside from everything mentioned thus far (freedom) and that’s a motivation as I mentioned earlier to remain consistent. In addition, I believe an appropriate first step for us to take is identifying areas in our lives where we have more than we need and cutting back on those areas. Also, since some of us have more than we need, clutter will interfere with how we organize our daily objectives, therefore becoming a hindrance. Moreover, carrying around excess in our lives can obstruct our freedom, but once we make the appropriate changes that will suffice, it’s only then that we’ll begin to experience contentment because we’ve reset our minds and living spaces. Although circumstances may change and you’ll need to replace the things you’ve decluttered, it’s imperative that you maintain a balance so you’re able to do what works for you and ultimately what’s right for your well-being.

WORKS CITED 

“What Is Minimalism?” The Minimalists, The Minimalists, 5 Aug. 2022, http://www.theminimalists.com/minimalism/.