Thoughts on Minimalism
Minimalism seems to be one of the latest trendy topics, but it has struck a chord for a reason. Many of todays influencers are “hard core” minimalists. Others, however, are just trying to help people define minimalism for themselves by examining their lives more closely. Have you seen Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things yet? The two men that created this film aren’t trying to force everyone to throw out all of their possessions. They simply want people to try cutting back the clutter in their lives to see what positive impact it can have.
I love the definition of minimalism they have adopted (you can read it on their website). Here’s a small excerpt:
Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.
They are very passionate about their belief that finding true happiness has more to do with life experiences than just possessing things.
Without taking this trend to the extreme, we can at least use it to motivate us to simplify our lives. After all, when we say we “want to get organized” what we really mean is remove the excess items from our surroundings so that we can then, in turn, simplify our lives. Here are some things I’m adopting from this movement:
- Start giving more “experiences” as gifts vs. giving “things”.
- Start removing myself from unwanted junk mail and e-mail distribution lists…less time wasted on going through things that I really don’t want or need to begin with.
- Everytime I am shopping, ask myself, “Do I honestly need this item”? AND “Do I really have space to bring this item into my home?”
- When I bring an item into a closet that is “completely full”, I must remove at least one other item that I no longer want.
- Take time each week to “unplug” completely and spend time in nature.
If you are interested in reading more about the minimalist movement, visit these websites:
