What does minimalism mean to you? and why did you decide to apply minimalism to your life?
Can you believe that one can lead a minimalistic lifestyle without even realizing it?
It happened to me.
And that is the reason why when I started doing it, I did not care for its definition or what is defined as minimalist.
At that time I was backpacking around New Zealand after over a year working and moving along the country. During the first year, I bought a 7-seat second-hand car to drive to work and travel to nearby destinations. It was great as I could bring anything with me whenever I moved, just dumped everything in the boot and the back since I often traveled alone and there was plenty of room. I kept buying new things ‘cause there was still space for storage. It never occurred to me that these belongings would one day give me a headache.
I had a few months left of my stay, so it was time to sell the car. Until then, it hit me that I owned so many things, all boxes and containers filled with books, cooking appliances, and clutter that I picked up along the way or my friends gave me when they left. I kept these things with the thought that one day it would come in handy, but before it ever happen, I might be buried in this.
I planned to hitch-hike for the rest of my journey here, but nobody would give me a ride if I have too much stuff. And more importantly, it would be exhausting if I carry all of them.
I started to sort everything out, either donating, giving things away, or selling, I ended up with a few sets of clothes, hiking gear as I still needed them and my guitar. Though I had no idea what a minimalist was, I was only thinking about how to travel lighter and keep the bare necessities.
Needless to say, I enjoy travelling more than ever. I felt like a bird, fly as I like, stay as I please. I had more time and space to take in the scenery and talk to people without worrying about my luggage getting in the way.
Now, when I’ve been practicing minimalism for a while and have more time to learn about this lifestyle. I prefer to think of it as simplicity. I think one of the reasons minimalist came naturally to me is because I always prefer things to be simple and basic.
Whenever I decide to buy new things, I always ask myself if it is really necessary, if there is any substitute for it, whether I could borrow it from someone if I just need it temporarily.
However, it’s been difficult at times to decide what to let go of, especially when I come back home and live in the city.
The start of the new year is a wonderful time to look into new ways and practices on the minimalistic journey. I believe that this is a journey and not a destination and as a journey, we should be able to enjoy it, fail and learn from our mistakes.
Thank @millycf1976 for this initiative, I hope to learn more about the community and discuss with people who have the same interest or are on this journey.
I'd like to invite my dear friends @dora381 and @winnietran to join me.
Happy new year!
Enjoy the journey!