"The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.” -Elise Boulding, 1920.
Isn’t it sad that we think that our happiness is associated with the number of things we possess?? We keep collecting stuff as we fear missing out on that “sale”, “limited edition items”, etc. We don’t realize when we start associating our success and happiness with the number of latest gadgets we have, properties we own, and the number of frivolous vacations we take.
Tell me why do we need vacations?? To bust stress, blow some steam off, and let our hair down?? right??
But what if your daily life can be stress-free, where you will have a lot of time to do stuff that brings you real joy, spend time on things and with people who matter, indulge in activities that fill your heart with joy, and contentment!
Yes, that kind of life is possible, if you live intentionally and minimally! When you live with the stuff that you need, you make room for stuff that matters! Let us break it down for you in the following points
Less stuff, more space-
Have you ever felt that your house is getting smaller by the day? And you have less and less space to keep adding stuff? This happens because over time you have been collecting stuff that you don’t need but because it looked cute, pretty, and was also on discount. That’s how the things that you can easily live without keep piling up, but just imagine how much space you will have if you could just own less stuff, how easy your life will be. It is believed that your house is a reflection of your mental state and life, so the more crowded your house the more chaos in your mind, and vice versa.
Less stuff, More Time-
Now just count the number of hours you spend just organizing stuff, folding clothes, putting away toys, storing unwanted stuff in boxes endlessly. Don’t you feel like spending the same time maybe having a relaxing bath, reading a book, or just having some “me-time”? Now obviously you can’t have all your belongings strewn all over the place, it needs to be neatly organized and look presentable. But imagine how much free time you will have if you have fewer things to put away, decorate and organize. And we are sure you can use some time to rejuvenate, so why spend it all with stuff that doesn’t even matter??
Less stuff, more financial security-
If you tell me you haven’t spent your hard-earned money to buy another expensive thing to feel happy, we will not believe you. As we have started associating our happiness with material possessions and belongings. We end up getting under huge debts to maintain social status. But essentially you don’t need a huge house and 20 pairs of the latest sneakers to survive. You don’t need to dine in expensive restaurants every weekend to feel worthy. These are the conditions imposed on us by society. By spending less on things that we are made to feel matter the most we can be saving for a better, meaningful, and sustainable life. Minimalism enables you to spend on quality and essentials, which in turn leads to lesser purchases gradually.
Less stuff, more freedom-
When you have fewer and fewer objects that you own, you can detach yourself from the materialistic cravings and focus more on building relationships and having life-changing experiences. Tell us one thing, what is the most dreadful thing about moving out, maybe to a new country, house or apartment?? It's hands down “The Stuff” that we own. People stay stuck to one single place and don’t move out as they dread packing and shifting! Is that ok?? To have the objects that you own stop you from moving around and exploring??
Less Stuff increases productivity-
With less stuff lying around your house you end up having a cleaner and organized workspace, which helps your mind to function smoothly. By living minimally you save a lot of money that you would have spent otherwise, which in turn can be used to build a business, start a side hustle, or create a passive income stream. A decluttered space helps to declutter your mind too thus affecting its creativity and productivity. Being a minimalist you focus on completing tasks that are necessary to avoid over flooding your to-do list unnecessary, this leaves you with a lot of time to take deserved breaks, leisure time, and unwind.
Less Stuff, Less Stress-
So why don’t you answer this for us?? What exactly is the cause of stress for you??
● Lack of financial security and stability
● Too many undone tasks by the end of the day
● Lessor negligible time to rejuvenate or raise your feet up
● Lack of “me-time” as most of it goes in organizing and taking care of the house ● Feeling of emptiness even after owning all the “materialistic stuff” that’s supposed to make you happy and fulfilled.
What’s your answer?? Either of these or All of the above??
Your cause of stress can be anything but the solution is choosing “Minimalism”. The only way to feel saner and aligned with what matters is to “let go” of what doesn’t. Once you start detaching yourself from the possessions you will start gravitating towards the simpler and more meaningful joys of life.
You all have one life and it just doesn’t make sense to live it by worrying about the next installment of the loan, buying a bigger house, booking the latest car, buying that diamond ring, missing out on the sale.
We know you are all pumped to adopt a minimalistic lifestyle by now, but it's not an overnight decision that you make. We suggest that you start by making small and simple changes in your lifestyle by becoming more intentional about it. Follow and learn from the experiences of experts in this niche and try to inculcate the best practices in your lives too! It might look like it but “Minimalism” is not rocket science and just needs to be understood for the life-transforming benefits it has to offer us.
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