By Steve Price
There is a certain expectation in Western culture to buy, to consume, to ingratiate oneself to the idea of owning many possessions. Of course, there is nothing wrong with consumerism on the surface in a free market, but is the acquisition of personal goods and items of worth the best course for your life? Some people relish this lifestyle and adapt to it quite nicely, acquiring new toys as a form of status symbol. For others however, the lifestyle of purchasing the next swanky item for your living space can be an unrelenting stress; your body fights the clutter as if it were waging a war. There is nothing inherently wrong with feeling overwhelmed in life either, for sometimes it requires a simple change in your proverbial arithmetic to find satisfaction.
The minimalist lifestyle often conjures up images of people sitting in spartan apartments, with nothing but the clothes on their back in an empty space. The reality is more nuanced, with people engineering their lives according to the principle of finding value and worth in the possessions they do own. Minimalism does not require a person to rid themselves of all possessions, but to take stock in what they own and how much they truly value it. Sometimes the clutter of life affects not only our physical living space, but also our mindset and our personal philosophy. This is where the minimalist principle truly comes into play.
Imagine a day where things are hectic, where your life is beset on all sides by challenges: your work, your family life, your personal affairs all converging into one tempest of immeasurable stress. The minimalist lifestyle prompts individuals to take account of the things in life that have meaning, and the things in life that possess little – if any – strategic value in your daily purpose. Shedding away the things that can be shed away without consequence is an amazing way to declutter one’s thoughts and present a more coherent way forward through the stressors of life.
How does this translate into physical possessions? Quite easily, in fact; minimalist thought suggests not to discard everything of value and live in a utilitarian hellscape. On the contrary, one can find value in reducing that which is not producing value in their life. How does this translate physically? One would choose to place value on the items that have meaning to you, discarding that which is superfluous. This entails tidying up the living space of things that mean little to you, maximizing space for those items that do hold a personal connection with you. In the minimalist philosophy, one does not simply do away with any and everything; only that which has no real meaning to you whatsoever.
Try this experiment and see how it suits you: look around you right now, be it in your home space or on your phone out in public. Think of what surrounds you, what binds you to the space that you are in, keeping you tethered to the clutter that life throws at us. Imagine stripping away the superfluous and finding only that which truly has meaning; a walk through a serene park, a beverage that you savor, the picture on your wall that reminds you of times gone by. Focus inwardly on what really matters and strip away everything that does not. You might be surprised to learn just how much exists in your life that can be abandoned wantonly without care or consideration.
Here is another challenge for those that seek to embrace a minimalist lifestyle; choose one room in your living space that could be considered a testing ground for change, be it your bedroom, your living room, your kitchen, wherever you feel as though your life could do with some changes. Take within you the power to rid yourself of that which holds no meaning to you; wall decorations that have no purpose other than taking up space, clothes that you keep stored in your closet without ever wearing, perhaps foodstuffs that sit on your counter or in your refrigerator, never getting used. Clean out this living space of the junk that you have accumulated, placing a greater degree of emphasis on the items that do have some value.
One may be surprised to learn just how much clutter you can accumulate in life, just in the simple confines of your living space. Once you have accomplished the one room, take a chance on another task at hand, such as simplifying your wardrove or decluttering another living space. If you really feel adventurous, attempt to declutter your life by shedding obligations that hold no value to you or no meaning to your greater purpose. Instead of feeling arbitrarily bound to a schedule that is regimented and inflexible, carve out time to just be, serene and calm. Find the capacity to engineer time for yourself where you can connect with something deeper than superficial tasks in the daily grind.
Having the ability to declutter one’s life is not always easy, but it can be a rewarding experience if you need to de-stress from the challenges of life. Having a minimalist approach to your purchasing power is another mechanism of finding value in that which is truly important. Instead of having a wardrobe full of clothes that you never wear, focus in on the handful of items that do hold value and discard the excess. When shopping, look for those items that move upon you somehow, generating the worth that is worthy of purchasing. Being a connoisseur of the finer things can mean finding value In everything that you purchase.
Embracing the simplified lifestyle is one of the fastest ways to finding peace and calm in a world where peace and calm come at a premium. The next time you feel as though you are living in a cluttered world full of excesses that hold no value to you, consider shedding that which clouds up your life. Fortune favors the bold, and bold choices to making your life healthier is a life lived well sewn.
