Dearest Devotees,
Lately I've been looking into different ways of approaching life, because of my goal to renovate my life and I've discovered that the whole concept of minimalism is really popular in the lifestyle world right now. After learning more about a minimalistic existence through blogs like
Zen Habits and
Mmlist, as well as More Magic Always , I have decided that it is definitely something worth pursuing. We do live in a world that is far too full of stuff, things that people acquire to fill up a void they may perceive in their lives. After having to constantly discard things whenever it was time to move again, I soon realised that I cannot base my life on things or attach my happiness to stuff. I've found that whenever we are attached to something it is usually because of the memories we associate with it, and not because that item in itself gives us any kind of happiness.Upon this realization, I slowly began to detach my self from things and to place more value in my experiences instead. Detaching my memories from my stuff made it easier to let go of these items whenever I needed to move on.
In my anthropology class we talked about how everything influences us and how we influence everything around us, and I believe that this can definitely be extended to our personal space and the things we surround ourselves with. I have always appreciated the way our clothes depict who we are to the world, but only recently have I noticed how much more our personal space says about us than even the clothes we wear. Everything from the decor, to the level of organisation present, to the pictures, art and photos on the walls tells something about the person that inhabits the space. It is actually amazing if you think about it, because even in situations in which you are not able to redecorate a place according to your taste, the way you keep your things in that space can show your level of comfort in your surroundings, the amount of time you intend to stay there, as well as your reason for being there. For example, the way I keep my things when I am visiting family in Northern Ireland for a month and the things that I bring with me, are very different from the way I keep my things and things I bring with me when I am visiting Spain for a couple of days to renew my passport.
Organisation is something that does not come easily to me. Despite that, it is something I constantly long for. This is because, the level of organisation in my space is directly and positively linked to how organised, peaceful, happy and serene I am, and I feel this is true for a lot of people. Whenever there is chaos in my world, it is reflected in the level of chaos in my room. When things begin to look up, my room also begins to become more organised. Also, not only does the disorganisation in my room reflect how I feel, it also influences how I feel. If I have been out all day and return home to find my room in a mess, I become frustrated and overwhelmed and unable to do anything about it. Unless the cycle is broken by a definite decision, I could easily end up in an un-productivity rut.
In the MMlist link above she talks about how there are many different approaches to minimalism, and I couldn't agree more. You might just love certain aspects of it, or just the concept behind it and could therefore adapt it to your own lifestyle. The major goal though is to streamline your existence so as to not feel overwhelmed by everything around you. This could be done by getting rid of all your stuff and living in a new house across the country with less things or it could be by leaving your home and getting a
tiny house like this guy below. Or it could be something less drastic. The important thing is to approach it in a way that really suits you and takes into account everything that shapes your world, so that your lifestyle change will not hinder you but will help you grow.
In the next post I will talk about ideas on how to organise your personal space, and how to create (and stick to!) your own system.
Love you all and Stay inspired,
P.S. So let me know what you think. Do you strive for a minimalist lifestyle? How would you describe your current lifestyle? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
A video step by step guide to installing wood deck tiles. This video illustrates how easy it is for a DIYer to quickly renovate an existing deck or patio.
Australia's leading motivational speaker, Craig Harper, at one of his "Renovate Your Life" seminars.
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