Minimalist living is a lifestyle that gravitates towards simplicity, clarity, intention, and purpose.
It starts off with decluttering one's material possessions, freeing space to own only what is necessary and has meaning. There's no cookie-cutter approach to a minimalist lifestyle. One could live in a 3 bedroom home, keep a room full of books and be a minimalist. "Does it spark joy for you," Marie Kondo's voice chimed. If you nodded to that question, then the library becomes a part of your lifestyle.
Minimalist living entails freeing oneself from the obsession to possess and a life of excess.
A Minimalist at Heart
When I was 5 years old, I was expected to put on my Sunday best to go to church. I wore a red plaid dress with a white baby collar. It was simple and neat. It came unfortunately with a white eyelet tunic that covered the dress.
The red dress already looked beautiful without the garment, so I made a decision to leave the tunic in my room. I walked towards the door to join the family on their way out but my Mom grabbed the belt behind my dress and insisted that the tunic be put on.
I reasoned out, something I rarely did because expressing one's opinion was forbidden at home. I asked why a beautiful dress needed to be covered with a white lace overall. The extra layer made it hotter, itchy, and uncomfortable. It was impractical even to my kindergarten self.
"Sssh..." my reasoning was dismissed. Apparently, it was all for the sake of fashion and aesthetics. And if I were to argue further, I'd be left grounded in my room and will be punished after Sunday service.
I cried. There was a struggle and I was forced to put it on. To cut the long story short, I wore the ugly tunic to church in order to keep the peace.
That was the beginning of my minimalism journey.
Keeping Up Appearances
I can't remember how many watches I have lost for I didn't enjoy the feeling of something dangling on my wrist.
Growing up, we were fed the importance of appearances, the dream that in order to be happy, we should have a huge and beautiful white house on the corner block. I watched my ever fashionably dressed Mother bring home two new pairs of shoes per week while she spent her weekends with her side hustles to make ends meet.
Beautiful dresses. Boxes of shoes. New Furniture. Debt.
Living with Less
My Mom retired early and my Dad had sadly passed away two years before I finished college. I remember when the baton of responsibility was passed to me on my graduation day at the age of 22, I immediately wore the hat of a breadwinner, the weight of the whole family of 5's responsibility on my shoulders.
I took control over managing the household finances and cut down the unnecessary items we didn't need. That was my first lesson with living with less. I took on extra jobs to be able to pay all the bills. I sold things in our family home that we no longer used. I calculated things in my head and was kept at the edge of my toes. Our electricity got cut a few times and I read books outside under the street lamp.
I walked 4 kilometers daily to save jeepney fares. Despite having an almost empty wallet back then, I felt joy during those walks. They stirred a fire in my belly, a hunger to make things better for myself and for my family. What stood out was this silent feeling that everything is okay beyond what the eyes could see.
Freeing Oneself of Clutter
I have always been drawn to simplicity and order as a child. Back then, organizing and decluttering our home gave me a sense of calm from all of the chaos our external lives threw at us that was beyond our control. At least, clutter I could get rid of.
It still is a holiday family joke among siblings how they all ran and hid their stuff before I enter a room. Clothes and clutter found on the floor went automatically straight to the bin.
Immersing in One's Desires
When I found work overseas, gained independence while earning generously, I enjoyed a comfortable shopping lifestyle for many years. A credit card or two (which I cut into small pieces when I lived with @iamyohann), a car boot full of shoes, dresses to impress clients, and indulgences to fill desires rooted in my material deprivement.
I took pleasure in them, don't get me wrong, they satiated the fire in my belly, the need for more material satisfaction. That, however, came with a price. The responsibilities and sustaining that lifestyle meant I was stuck in a job I hated.
My Takeaway
Mind you, I still enjoy high-quality items and luxurious experiences but I have observed over the years that any purchase always had meaning or purpose behind it. I'd never buy anything just because it's beautiful or the trend.
I had to experience satisfying my desires only to learn that ephemeral happiness doesn't last. The purging process felt like demolishing an old building. Peeling away the layers of paint to reveal what's there beneath.
My journey to minimalist living took decades. Slowly shedding off possessions from a two-bedroom home in Dubai to a 20 ft container that we owned when we moved back to the Philippines, now all reduced to a quarter of that.
I hope to share these experiences with you in the community from minimalist packing while traveling, downsizing possessions, organizing, minimalist design, simplifying life, and consuming less.
Are you ready to embark on the minimalist path?
Thank you for reading!
"I am an old soul who simply loves coffee, who finds joy and beauty in both tangible and the unseen."
Curiosity and imagination lead to unexpected experiences. Interested in Nature, Places, Roads Less Traveled, Minimalism, Authentic Living, Anything French, and International Cuisine. Feel free to follow her, re-blog, and upvote if you enjoy her content.