Not to sound hysterical but I never took note of the word "minimalism" before I came on Hive. My first unofficial encounter with the word was in a book. The character Anna was a minimalist of some sort. She displayed certain characteristics that weren't brought to the limelight. Without even bothering to check the meaning, I concluded that minimalism was just another word for stingy.
Soon enough, I was onboarded and started seeing minimalism everywhere. I didn't enter a corner without reading about minimalism. It's either someone was ranting about how "impractical" they think minimalism is or someone was blessing the day they decided to take up the minimalist lifestyle. Everyone had an opinion.
Due to the popular opinions that kept flying around, I decided to actually check out what the word meant and boy was I mesmerised!
When you call a person a minimalist, you're describing their interest in keeping things very simple. A minimalist prefers the minimal amount or degree of something. Source
This was the definition I got and I immediately knew that I had the wrong impression from the start. It felt like the definition was describing me. In terms of simplicity, I like to keep things extremely simple. Making things complicated or tangled never feels right to me. Why put your mind through so much turmoil when you could just simplify things? Why make life more complicated than it should be?
Also, when it has to do with quantity, I'm also very considerate and conscious. Mindful usage and accountability of resources is a trait I picked up very early in life. After properly scrutinising this definition, my thoughts on minimalism changed.
However, I wasn't fully convinced. Was there more to minimalism? Why be a minimalist? Were there particular perks to minimalism?. I had a thousand and one questions so I went on a "minimalist research spree". I searched the internet for examples of people who took up minimalism and the first example that I came across was really surprising. One of the world's most influential men–Mark Zuckerberg–practised minimalism on a daily basis.
My research prompted me to give fulltime minimalism a try and I would say that I have never been happier. The type of happiness that comes when your body and lifestyle are in sync.
I wouldn't say this as a fact because I haven't met all the minimalists on the earth, but I know that minimalism saves people a lot of hassle and turbulence. Learning to live in peace and contentment. Being satisfied with everything you have and also being appreciative of every single thing life offers you; both the good and bad. Keeping an open mind and an open heart too. These and many more are the things minimalism has to offer.
It's funny how there was a time when minimalism meant little to me, due to my ignorance, but now, it is a major part of my life. I'm glad I chose this path and if given the opportunity to choose, I'd choose minimalism all over again.
All images used belong to me and were taken with my mobile device except stated otherwise
Love, Wongi ✨