Minimalism in a single sentence: Eliminate something and every little thing that now not contributes to the life you need to dwell.
I just lately had a useful on-line dialog with an individual I’ve by no means met.
I had posted about minimalism on social media (as I are likely to do) and he or she replied with a comparatively widespread response, “I’m simply afraid I’ll eliminate one thing I want later.”
There are, after all, no fast and straightforward replies to that concern—particularly after we’ve by no means met. I don’t know the place she lives, how a lot stuff she has, what she imagines her ideally suited life to appear to be, and even her propensity to throw away issues that she’ll want later.
So, I supplied my typical one-sentence reply to that query, “Aren’t you afraid of protecting extra stuff than you want?”
Her reply went one thing like this: “No, that’s a dumb factor to be afraid of. Why would I ever be afraid of protecting greater than I want?”
And in her reply, I used to be shortly reminded of the one perception that motivates all minimalist pursuits:
There is a hazard in proudly owning extra bodily possessions than I want.
The specifics of that motivation could look totally different from individual to individual.
For instance, we might imagine to ourselves:
- Proudly owning an excessive amount of retains me from high quality time with my household.
- Proudly owning an excessive amount of prevents me from reaching monetary freedom.
- Proudly owning an excessive amount of means I’m unable to share with others.
- Proudly owning an excessive amount of is a hazard to the setting.
- Proudly owning an excessive amount of means my priorities are within the unsuitable place.
- Proudly owning an excessive amount of slows down my journey of religion.
- Proudly owning an excessive amount of robs my alternative to pursue higher passions.
The precise motivation could change, however the overarching understanding remains to be the identical:
It’s not simply that possessions gained’t make me glad, it’s that they distract me from the issues that do! And it’s not simply happiness that extra possessions distract us from, however pleasure, that means, function, achievement, and significance.
That’s the lightbulb second that motivates minimalism.
There is a hazard in proudly owning greater than I want:
The hazard of dropping my life in pursuit of issues that don’t matter.
