Minimalism: the power of less
Minimalism is a rapidly growing trend popularized by people who might surprise you—the relatively well off. The people who tend to give up the majority of their things and choose only to keep what they really enjoy, are the people who have already purchased everything they thought would please them and found out it didn't.
For those of us who have yet to reach the pinnacle of materialism and realize it isn't all that, it's tough to imagine being happy with less stuff when we're still so hungry for more. If you're one of those people, here's how you can analyze your desire for more stuff, and how to experience the power of less for yourself.
So what happens when you're rich?
Everyone dreams about being rich. What is it exactly, that you dream of though? Unless you enjoy sitting around counting money itself, it's probably that the money in itself isn't what you want, but what it can offer. You probably actually want things like better health care, dental work, a vacation in Tahiti,or a home.
By being more specific about what exactly it is you want, you may discover that being a millionaire isn't actually what you want at all. You can still get many of the things you want by actively working out to get those specific things, rather than hoping for a fortune to drop on your head.
Look at what you've bought in the past
What would you rather have, a single nice watch, or twenty cheap ones? Many times we have so much stuff, we end up buying duplicates without meaning to. We have 3 can openers, 5 coats, and dozens of lighters, but we don't really need or probably even want more than one of each of these things.If you have stuff sitting around you house you haven't used in years, letting it go can be liberating. You no longer have to maintain that item, shift it aside to get to what you need, or deal with it when it spillsout of its overstuffed container.Until you get rid of it, you don't actually notice how much it weighs on you.
The joy of having less
It seems backwards to be satisfied with less, but it can truly be liberating. When you can look around a room and see only things that you need and use frequently, it's very satisfying. It's easier to find the things that you do like, and if you stop to question whether you need an item before you buy it, the things that you do purchase in the future can be more valuable because of your choices.
You don't have to live with nothing but a single cup and a throw rug to adopt minimalistic practices.You don't have to get rid of keepsakes. Getting rid of things is the action, but living with less is about curating your collection to things you need or enjoy—and getting rid of the fluff.
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