Minimalist Living: 2 in 1: The Joy Of Simplifying Your Life With Minimalism And Inner Simplicity: (eBook)

Before anything else can change in your life, you have to change your mindset. We can switch around our furniture or do our hair different, but when it comes to changing the way we think, some of us want to run and hide. The way our brain operates is dependent on each and every little thing that we have experienced throughout our lives. When there is a disruption to our pattern of thought, it can feel unnatural.

There are some people so set in their ways that they become martyrs for their cause. Think of people that are extremely hateful of certain groups of people, or individuals that are passionate about a specific idea or brand. Sometimes, being set in your ways is good, if your ways are healthy and productive. Most of the time, people tend to fall behind because of their inability to think outside the box or in a way that is different to what they are used to.

Becoming minimalist means there is going to be a change in the way that someone thinks. Some people might transition into a minimalist mindset with ease. It can be like a light switch for some. You might end up wondering why you did not live this lifestyle sooner. There are others that might struggle a bit more and feel as though they will never be able to give up the material things that are important to them. With the right amount of discipline and genuine interest in living a better life, minimalism can be achieved.

Looking at your brain and what makes you function the way you do requires us to look back on parts of our life that might be difficult. Maybe there was a past trauma that has resulted in our desire to purchase things to make us feel better about ourselves overall.

Someone that has grown up their entire life hating the way they look might buy fancy clothes and makeup products as often as possible in a way to try and make themselves feel more attractive. A minimalist mindset would be able to confront that issue and realize that buying things is not what is going to change the way a person feels about themselves. The real issue is confronting what happened throughout that person’s life to make them hate the way they look.

Looking inside yourself can help resolve what you might have been feeling that projects the direction of our life on the outside. This is not easy to confront. To face your fears means you have to face your flaws and the things that make you feel inadequate.

Why Minimalism?

There are many different lifestyles one could choose to live. Why, out of all the different ways people live, would someone choose minimalism then? Minimalism takes the core ideas of many different lifestyles and combines it into one. The basic idea is to strip everything to its core, look at the purpose, and find a way to apply relevancy. Minimalism seeks not to find purpose, but to create it.

It is a generalized lifestyle that can apply to any race, culture, sex, or religion. Those who are minimalist might have different levels in which they practice being minimal. They might live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, not sharing anything with those around them. They also might be millionaires that seek knowledge, like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg.

Everyone has a different objective in mind. Maybe it is your turn now to figure out what your personal goal is. By removing all the trivial aspects of your life that do not add as much value, there is a better chance you will be able to identify what goals and needs you need to home in on.

Steve Jobs wore the same thing every day, so he could put a focus on new ideas, not what outfit he was going to wear. It is important to remember this is not the way all minimalists have to live. The idea is to just find what your goal is and create focus around that. Perhaps your goal is to create a successful fashion line. If that is the case, you certainly would not want to live like Steve Jobs! The different aspects of how someone might be minimal are different, but it is all about focusing your life on growth rather than a meaningless distraction.

The more focused we can be on a certain goal, the easier it will be to analyze the different aspects of our personal life. If something is stressing you out, you can ask yourself if it is really worth it in the end. If it is not, there is a good chance you should cut it out as a minimalist. Different feelings of regret, obligation, and other emotions we have that take energy from creating ideas should be left behind. Instead, we should put all the energy we have towards upward expansion and creating a life with more meaning in the end. 

Happiness is Discovered

Many people might think that they know what they need to become happy, but often, there is a lot of misguidance. Many societies tell their communities that happiness comes along with wealth, success, and recognition. What a lot of people do not realize is that if they ever do achieve all those things, that is not what is going to be needed to make them happy.

What makes someone else feel fulfilled might make another person feel empty on the inside. Some people love the idea of having a big family while others might be repulsed by the idea of having kids. Either way, that is fine as long as that is what you truly feel is your type of happiness.

Some people will spend their entire lives chasing an idea of happiness, only to either never get there, or to realize that was not at all what they wanted. There are many people that are incredibly wealthy who still suffer from great depression that can be debilitating.

Some people might not have two pennies to rub together, but they could be the happiest out of anyone around them. Happiness is not determined by the amount of money in your account or how many cars are parked in the driveway. All these things are just different representations of what some people are trying to achieve in their pursuit of happiness.

Minimalism aims to cut down the idea that there is something that can be purchased that will bring fulfillment. Minimalism takes the goal of happiness, knowledge, or fulfillment to the deepest level, forcing those that practice minimalism to determine what is really important to them. Cars and designer purses might still matter, but a minimalist has to answer why.

This is the biggest question that minimalists will have to answer. True happiness might never be easily defined, but most of the time, it is the journey that it takes to get there that really matters.

A minimalist has to look inside themselves to discover what they truly need to be happy. Minimalists know that the key to their problems lies within themselves. They can buy a bag or a car or a house or whatever has a price tag on it, and it might make them feel good. But that feeling does not last.

It will go away, and then they will buy another car or house or bag, or designer dog, but a minimalist knows deep down that none of these things are really going to provide true fulfillment. The only way a person can find happiness is by looking at themselves and their lives and determining what is missing.

Life Becomes Easier

By cutting down all the extra things that are not needed or required, one can realize that they live much freer, with less stress and clutter. We might not even realize how many things around us cause us so much stress. Bills stuck to the fridge remind us of how much money we owe.

The extra garbage building up next to our bed is a reminder of all the food that we binge eat in bed. Clutter and other physical objects around our home are symbols. Every time we look at them, well at least on a subconscious level. Give that item or object attention, taking focus away from a different aspect of our life.

Minimalism is not about becoming a martyr, monk, nun, or other forms of minimalist living in which there is an act of devotion. There is a level of sacrifice, but not for the sake of religious purposes, or as a form of punishment or torture. Minimalists choose to give up the things in their life that they identify as meaningless. Things that do not bring joy or provide purpose should be purged, and instead only things that elicit good feelings should be kept.

Minimalism aims to take the attention from all the random little stuff and turn it into something more productive. Instead of thinking of all the little things we have to do, minimalism aims to give us a mindset in which we figure out how what we do next might affect the overall goal. There are little steps that are important, but for the most part, minimalists will take each experience as it comes, applying it to their overall life goals.

A Breath of Fresh Air

By getting rid of the many extra things in your life, you might feel a breath of fresh air take over once your life has been purged of all the things you do not need. We might have certain stressors that cause us daily anxiety, but when we are in a state of panic, it can be hard to pinpoint exactly why we feel so flabbergasted.

Sometimes, it might just be because we are scatterbrained, giving too much attention to different parts of our life while we should be focusing on different factors.

Many people do not realize that they will...