“Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art.” —Richard Holloway
Minimalism is all about living with less. Three years ago I was unaware of the term and perhaps would have considered it nomadic if someone would have asked me to give up on 'things.'
Over the years my lifestyle and buying choices have changed drastically. Living in Japan has helped me become a minimalist and am loving it.
Let me brief you on how it all started. So I came to Japan in 2017 and was living in a dormitory. My room was small and so was the bathroom. I didn't have a lot of space to keep all the beautiful clothes or other fancy things I liked. I learned to manage my life in that small space with limited things.
Soon I moved to my new place and bought only the essential things like a fridge, microwave, mirror, bed, bookshelf, table, chair, washing machine. Mostly all the things I considered essential for a comfortable modern life.
In last few years I have learnt that for most Japanese people less is more. Japan has traditionally followed Zen Buddhism. During the old times this zen philosophy encouraged simplicity among people but over the years it has continued in the form of minimalism.
This cultural way of living has become quite popular in the USA lately. All thanks to the Japanese artist Marie Kondo who has been helping Americans tidy up their houses with her techniques.
I wish someday she starts with a show like that for Indians as well. Culturally speaking, it is really difficult for Indian people to get rid of things they have bought with love. It does not matter if it is useful or not.
Kondo explains many ways of decluttering our lives in her TV show but that is not how I discovered minimalism in my life. Living in Japan has unknowingly made me learn how to part ways with the things I don't use and would not use ever.
So let me explain one simple method I learned a few years ago that helped me say goodbye to all the clutter in my house and of course, my mind.
So to begin with move around all the corners of your house and bring all the things together that have not been used over a year.
If these things have not helped you in any way in the last one year or more, chances are they are not going to help you in the near future and you are never going to use them.
You have been in charge of these things for so long and now, you must decide their future.
So spend some time with these things recalling when and why you bought them and the last time they helped you.
Recalling all that emotional side of things, get a bag and dump them all in it.
Pass them on to their new owner or throw them away. Just part ways with them and all their memories.
Our mother nature would be so happy if we all could buy less in the first place. But that being said, it is never too late to adopt good habits. Minimalism in that sense is not only helping your house appear spacious but also change you into a more conscious consumer.
As consumers of our times we love having choices but it is these too many choices that bring us emotional strain and dissatisfaction. I hope this post would help you rethink all the things that need to go away from your house.
Create some new empty space in your house and let that space shine. You don't need something in your life that does not help you in any way.
Imagine how easy would it be to find your favorite things when all the clutter is gone. All the best for your new way of living.
Watch my video to hear about my experience with minimalism.
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