Minimalism has become a very hot and in fashion topic in the past few years. There is a growing interest in tiny houses, and people that wish to take on the 100 things or less challenge. There is also a great interest in decluttering and organizing, getting out of debt and downsizing to a simpler and less hectic life.
There are many reasons why in 2016 people are making a deliberate shift towards minimalism. I feel that we as a western society are just "saturated". We are saturated in consumer debt, which leads us to need to work and work and work just to pay the bills to survive. We are saturated in obligations to our employers, our colleagues, friends, family, children, husbands, and wives. We fill our frustrations, stress and general unhappiness with our jobs that we must do, not necessarily want to do, by consuming more, buying luxury items on credit and going deeper in debt because the outwards appearance of prosperity and abundance makes our chaotic lives seem in control. Everywhere we turn there are advertisements to consume more, to do more, to be more, but the fact is we have all have a limited amount of resources and time at our disposal. Especially time, tomorrow could be the first or last day of the rest of your life so to speak, and that being said, I think that many of us are coming to a breaking point and are starving for a change. Thus the allure of minimalism.
What is minimalism? Is it about getting rid of possessions? Disposing of unused items is a result of the life shift towards a more deliberate and simple life, but it is not what makes a person a minimalist. I read once that owning a statue of the Buddha does not make you a Buddhist any more that owning 100 possessions makes you a minimalist. That really rang true to me. Being minimalist is first deciding what the very most important desire of your life is, whether or not you think it is achievable. Is it your health? Is it your relationships with family and friends? Is it having more solitary time for yourself? Is it travelling? Whatever that desire is, usually other things in life are cluttering our time and using our resources so that our true passion becomes unattainable. Minimalism gets rid of the excess and leaves room for what is the most important to you.
Where does stuff fit in? Stuff and material holds us to it, it owns us, we don't own it. We need to care for it, store it, or trip over it. We attach importance and memories to our possessions. Many of us derive our artificial sense of self-worth and importance from it. That is why getting rid of any possession that truly does not bring us any level of comfort, usefulness, or joy is not worth keeping in our lives.
The same goes with non-material things like commitments that occupy your time. Do you love being on the parent's committee or coaching the soccer team, or you said yes, but now feel it taxes your time and you are no longer enjoying it? If you don't enjoy it anymore, stop. And yes, be selfish, don't worry about letting people down, they will survive without you on the parent's committee, they will "get over it". I used to say yes to people's offers, and I just learned to say "Thank you, but my time just does not permit". It is as simple as that. If you were to die from stress tomorrow, they wouldn't have you on the committee anyway, so start thinking about yourself. You have heard it before, that you are no use to anyone if you are not healthy, so your mental sanity and happiness counts towards that health.
You can own a Keurig, and a TV, you can even own skis and camping equipment if you are minimalist... You can own a thousand things as long as those things add value and happiness to your life. If you use them happily, then they belong in your life. The clutter in the hall closet that you know you need to get through and organize doesn't.
Think about what you love, what you are passionate about, and if there was all the time and money available to you, what would you do with it? That is your first step towards a minimalist life and living with passion.
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