Why Everyone Should be a Minimalist

MINIMALISM FOR BEGINNERS 1

Before you get offended, here me out.

I am not going to ask you to strip your house bare or throw all things out.

I am going to introduce or re- introduce you to MINIMALISM.

What is minimalism? It is a mentality that results in a lifestyle that focuses on living happily with as few possessions as possible. It is based on principles of ‘less is more’ and ‘live simply so that others may simply live’. Don’t worry, we are going to break it down.

When I was first introduced to this lifestyle, I thought it would be difficult. It is not. It seems difficult because hardcore minimalists make it scary by painting everything white and stripping their houses bare. Although at some point, you might decide to do the above, minimalism is bigger than that.

Minimalism is a lifestyle therefore it is subjective. The way we practice it will differ for every one of us because we are different people. The principles do not change but how we apply them is different.  For example, there are people who find that they work better in disarranged places. So, they can never be minimalists, right? Wrong. Minimalism is for everyone. Let me tell you why.

It’s been a year since I adopted minimalism and it has been great. I always wanted so many things and I would end up being sad realizing it will take forever to get all of them. Every time I opened my cupboard, I would be covered in an avalanche of clothes but whine that I have nothing to wear and end up wearing the same things. I didn’t know whether I should buy that sparkly dress, or go for the high heels or whether to buy a gift for a friend who didn’t attend my birthday. Yes, my life was a mess. And no, I’m not going to claim that now everything is perfect, I have all that I wanted or I don’t want anything more. But now I know what to do and how to get what I want. Here is what Minimalism will do for you...

MAKE YOUR PRIORITIES CLEAR

We live in the age of consumerism and fast fashion. The first step to minimalism is monitoring what you spend money on. So, it will definitely result in cutting down costs on items that you never needed in the first place. This will ensure that you have more money to spend on the things you actually want. Maybe you can actually take that overseas vacation you always wanted but could never afford because you were busy buying more designer handbags than you ever needed.

BRING OUT YOUR INDIVIDUALITY

The aim is lesser number of items due to which you will be forced to focus on what you genuinely like and not on items that are popular. This is the most wonderful benefit of adopting this lifestyle. It is living intentionally that will let you know yourself better. Remember my avalanche of clothes? It no longer occurs because now I have less clothes and I wear all of them. Learning how to use one item multiple for multiple tasks  is actually fun.

GIVES YOU MORE SPACE

This is a no-brainer. Having less items will increase space and make your house spacious and welcoming. More space will give you a sense of freedom.

MAKE YOU FEEL BLESSED

‘When you love all that you have, you have all that you need’   This is the criterion to decide what you want. Imagine being surrounded by the things you love, the things that lead you to your goal. There will be no other possessions distracting you. It is the highest form of self-care, of reminding yourself that you are worth it and what you love is important. Okay, I know it sounds dreamy but trust me, that’s exactly what happens. You will go from craving more things to giving things away. It will make you feel richer and grateful.

HELP YOU DISCOVER YOUR MISSION

When you stop focusing on trivial things, things that truly matter come into the limelight. What drives you? What makes you forget time wasters like television or social media? Who you are as an individual? What kind of impact you want to have on the rest of the world? When you adopt this approach to life the answers to these questions become crystal clear.

HELP YOU MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

The are living in the age of consumerism which is negatively impacting the environment. According to the Business Insider, the fashion industry alone emits more carbon than international flights and maritime shipping combined, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply and pollutes the oceans with micro-plastic. So, if you’ve been thinking, “what good can one person do?”, think again. Minimalism doesn’t just deal in less items, it also stresses the need of using the right items.

There are many more benefits to of a Minimalistic approach to life. I sincerely hope that you have understood why it is at least worth a try. If you want to start right away then I suggest you read Francine Jay’s book The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide or allow Google to find a beginner’s guide. I would suggest Becoming Minimalist or following Clean my Space on YouTube. There are many other blogs that will help, choose what makes sense to you. I will be posting ‘Some Guidelines of Minimalism’ based on the above book with how I imbibed them in my life. So, if you’re interested than follow my Instagram account to get updated as soon as I post it.

Leave your thoughts, criticism and requests down in the comments. Thanks for Reading!