CEBU, Philippines - Minimalism is a way to put a stop to the gluttony of the world. It’s the opposite of every advertisement we see plastered on the radio and TV. We live in a society that prides itself on the accumulation of stuff; we eat up consumerism, material possessions, clutter, debt, distractions and noise.
What we don’t seem to have is any meaning left in our world.
By adopting a minimalist lifestyle we can throw out what we don’t need in order to focus on what we do need.
I know firsthand how little we actually need to survive. I was fortunate enough to live in a van for four months while traveling throughout Australia. This experience taught me valuable lessons about what really matters and how little we really need all this stuff we surround ourselves with.
Less is more. Living a minimalist lifestyle means reducing. There are a few obvious benefits – such as less cleaning and stress, a more organized household and more money to be found. But there are also a few deep, life-changing benefits. What we don’t usually realize is that when we reduce, we reduce a lot more than just stuff.
There are various, simple ways to reap the benefits of living with fewer possessions:
Room for what’s important. When we purge our junk drawers and closets, we create space and peace. We lose that claustrophobic feeling, and we can actually breathe again. It’s important to create the room to fill up our lives with meaning – instead of stuff.
More freedom. The accumulation of stuff is like an anchor, it ties us down. We are always terrified of losing all our ‘stuff’. When we let it go we will experience a freedom like never before: a freedom from greed, debt, obsession and overworking.
Time for other essential engagements. When we spend less time at the home improvement store trying unsuccessfully to keep up with the Joneses, we create an opening to do the things we love, things that we never seem to have time for.
Everyone is always saying they don’t have enough time, but how many people really stop and look at what they are spending their time doing? We could be enjoying a day with our kids, hitting up the gym, practicing yoga, reading a good book or traveling – whatever it is that we love we could be doing – but instead we are stuck at the store shopping for more stuff.
Freedom from addiction to material possessions. All the stuff we surround ourselves with is merely a distraction – we are trying to fill a void. Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy comfort. Once the initial comfort is satisfied, our obsession with money should end.
We are bombarded by the media with promises of happiness through materialistic measures. It’s no wonder we struggle every single day. We must resist those urges. It’s an empty path, it won’t make us happy.
It’s hard not to get roped into the consumerism trap. I
myself need constant reminders that it’s a false sense of
happiness. I enjoy stuff, but I also recognize that I don’t need it.
More peace of mind. When we cling to material possessions, we create stress because we are always afraid of losing these things. By simplifying our life we can lose our attachment to these things and ultimately create a calm, peaceful mind.
The less things we have to worry about, the more peace we have – it’s as simple as that.
More happiness. In de-cluttering our life, happiness naturally comes because we gravitate towards the things that matter most. We see clearly the false promises in all the clutter; it’s like a broken shield against life’s true essence.
We will also find happiness in being more efficient; we will find concentration by having refocused our priorities; we will find joy by enjoying slowing down.
Less fear of failure. When we look at Buddhist monks, we see that they have no fear. They have no fear because they don’t have anything to lose.
In whatever we wish to pursue doing, we can excel – if we aren’t plagued with the fear of losing all our worldly possessions. Obviously we need to take the appropriate steps to put a roof over our head, but we also know that we have little to fear except fear itself.
More confidence. The entire minimalist lifestyle promotes individuality and self-reliance. This will make us more confident in our pursuit of happiness. (www.lifehack.org)