important things Archives

In a world that is driven by more money, more achievements, more prestige, I loved the refreshing perspective offered in the Netflix special called “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things.”

DOCUMENTARY

I watched it last year and again this year. I think this documentary brings us back to our roots, reminds us that our time is short, and that materialistic things are fleeting. It also brings me great relief and peace because it reminds me that a happy, content life is achievable and simple – that it actually involves having less and being less crazy busy.

The documentary follows the journey of 2 guys, who call themselves the Minimalists. They have a blog here: https://www.theminimalists.com/ They had 6-figure incomes and successful careers, but they yearned for a more fulfilling life. And so they left most of it behind to pursue minimalism, and to travel the world teaching others about it.

MINIMALISM

The concept of minimalism is to boil your life down to the essentials that you need to be happy. And to not get wrapped up in all the fancy, elaborate things that you think will make you happy, but end up just adding clutter and burden to your life.

They emphasize that being minimalistic doesn’t mean being cheap or depriving yourself. You can still buy nice quality items, if they truly bring you joy. There’s just no need to buy an excess amount of them. It means spending your resources and time on things that actually matter to you. For example, one of the guys sold his house and now he has less stuff to maintain about his house. The documentary also showed the concept of tiny houses. And without the burden of taking care of a big house, these people had more time for quality time with loved ones.

BEING INTENTIONAL

Another way to put it is that minimalism is about living a very intentional life. For every expense you have, you question whether it’s worth it. You become more careful about resources and energy, and start to make room for the important things in life according to your values.

WHERE I’M AT

I tried minimalism for awhile, and I don’t think I’m quite a minimalist. I do like simplicity because I get overwhelmed easily. But there’s also lots of things that I have that make me happy, that I’m not quite ready to give up yet, ha! I guess it’s just about finding the right balance for myself.

I had a recent incident of ants in my kitchen, and had to fumigate it to get rid of them. That involved moving a bunch of my stuff into the bedroom and covering it with plastic so the fumes wouldn’t get onto it. In the process of moving all my items, I realized how much stuff I have that I don’t use.

For example, I have SO many books I don’t read. That prompted me to donate a huge amount to the library – 58 books in fact! It was bags and bags of books – I had to make 4 trips back and forth to the car. Afterwards, I felt like a huge weight lifted off me. I don’t think I want to buy anymore physical books, if possible. I’m going to go with digital books or library books, so I don’t end up with too many books sitting and collecting dust.

That donation gave me some momentum to declutter, so I’m going to start getting rid of more things. There’s no point in keeping things I will never use. Sometimes it’s the guilt of getting rid of them, but you just have to hold it in your hand, thank the item for being part of your life and for the role it played (i.e. if someone gave it to you), and then donate or toss it. (Marie Kondo advice) Clearing physical spaces clears our mental spaces, and makes room for new things – new ideas, new beginnings! And I want more of the latter!