Many people misunderstand what minimalism is all about.
It’s not about getting rid of what you enjoy.
If looking through those old photo albums brings you joy, keep them.
If those trophies you won way back when still bring you joy, keep them.
If the misshapen objects your children made when young bring you joy, keep them.
Minimalism is about getting rid of the things that don’t bring you joy so you are better able to appreciate the ones that do.
Quit displaying things you don’t like so you can bring the ones you do like out into the open.
Quit digging through clothes you don’t like so you can more easily find the ones you do.
Quit collecting recipes you will never make and focus on the ones you already know you like.
Quit collecting apps just because someone else liked them.
Quit spending time taking care of things you don’t like so you have more time to enjoy your life.
Minimalism is about deciding how you’d really like to spend your time and energy then getting rid of the obstacles to doing that.
That’s all.
There is no magic number of things you should own. Nor is there a magic list of things you should own. Nor a list of activities in which you should participate. Only you can decide what makes you happy.
What obstacles are keeping you from getting there and what can you do about them?
TTYL,
Linda
WELL and simply said!
happy greetings to you from a fellow minimalist friend. i’d finish by saying to anyone contemplating it…
“come on in! the water’s fine!” LOLOL.
and p.s.
cleaning is a breeze. that should be a major plus for anyone right there!
Yes! Thank you for this post! It’s like being frugal versus being cheap. Being a minimalist is like being frugal, but people think it means you have to be cheap. Frugal people make room in their budget for the things that matter to them and make sure to get as much value for their money (and time) as they can. Cheap people only focus on spending the least amount of money possible and have no room in their budget for joy. Declutterers/minimalists fall into these extremes, too. I don’t think there’s an equivalent word as cheap for an extreme declutterer/minimalist, but the metaphor holds. There are people who so badly want to win the ‘I have the least amount of stuff’ contest that there is no room in their lives for the things that bring them joy.
Since we sold everything when we full timed, we realize what we only need to be happy. Now that we travel part time, we are still every caution of “collecting” things we don’t need. I think we have learned from experience.
It’s funny how easy it is to collect more junk. I think I just need someone to go through it all for me. Most of it we don’t use or even want but hesitate to toss. Maybe that’s why we still have a few boxes in the storage shed.
Lovely. And I like Rae’s comment too about the difference/contrast between being frugal or being cheap. I think there is a lot of power in that. Minimalism isn’t necessarily Spartanism. It’s not trim down till you barely have enough to function; it IS all about getting rid of what means nothing or little in order to appreciate that which means the most.
Love this one. Excellent explanation of why we do this.