The transition into becoming a minimalist may seem easy, but keeping it up can be a struggle. I, for one, know how that is.
My junior year of college is when I first started to explore being a minimalist, so I got rid of a lot of things, but of course, back then, that is all I thought it was. Get rid of everything!
My journey as a minimalist can be hard at times, especially if there are people you hang out with that always wanna buy things. For example, going to the mall with friends can be tempting because when you go into a store, you might see something you want.
See, the keyword "want" is the problem.
When I go into a store or anywhere, I always ask myself questions like "do I need that?" or "will this only be a temporary happiness?" or even "will this bring me joy for the rest of my life or will I only use it for a few days or weeks then forget about it?"
There are some things that we just want and that is ok. If it constantly comes to your mind even after a few days, then bring back those questions to see how it can be a need, but if it leaves your mind, then it was not meant to be.
It is so interesting going through your owned items and seeing what you actually use from what you actually just store around. I'm not saying that it is easy to get rid of things, but at times it can be very difficult. We get attached to so many items we own and feel as though we cannot get rid of them. I declutter each month and it still doesn't get easier, but when months pass without those items, I don't think about them. Imagine the items you have in storage bins in your garage or in a room in your house. Do you know what is inside of each bin? Item to Item? Will you be using that anytime soon?
One thing from watching The Minimalist documentary that I have learned is that throughout life, we gather up so much stuff and end up keeping it all. What happens when we are gone from this world and leave our family members having to deal with all of our stuff? Most of it ends up getting donated and the rest ends up in bins and the cycle continues with them. That is why I turned to minimalism because stuff is not the ultimate source of happiness.
If I buy something, I try to make sure that it can be used for a long time until the end of its life. No lie, I have stuff that is just stored under my bed in a big Ikea bag that I feel like I will need in the future, but will I really? I have been through those items so many times and end up still getting rid of stuff out of that bag.
Maybe don't buy another candle until the one you own goes out, or don't buy another plant until you can actually take care of the ones you have (that was targeted to me) or even buying clothes until you have worn something you haven't worn yet in your closest.
Minimalism is set up for people to have a simpler life and not to be so overwhelmed with the things around us. Whether it be people, items, or time, all of us can benefit from having a simple life. Simple doesn't just mean doing nothing, it is about having time to do the things that will bring us happiness.
One thing I feel as though I need to work on is patience which is a big key to minimalism because we can't rush the things in our life. That is not living simply, that is living in stress. We need to be able to look at the little things in life and grow from them. With minimalism, it makes us slow down and look at the things we have around our life and learn how to eliminate the things, even within us, that gives us stress and anxiety.
According to the black doctor website, the biggest things that stress people out every day are work and finances. (https://blackdoctor.org/everyday-causes-of-stress__trashed/) Both of these things definitely stress me out especially when it comes to finances. I have to learn to relax and portion my finances for what is really needed at the time. A tip would be to start tracking your money to see where it goes. A lot of times with tracking money, it can help us see where our money is going. It can either be for good use or careless spending on something we didn't need.
With work, I need to learn not to let work stress me out because what you don't get done one day, will get done another. Don't let the stress of work ruin your life. A lot of people need to work to live, but we should not let work or school surround our life because that will cause a lot of stress in our life.
Becoming a minimalist definitely has its struggles, but it has taught me how to be more still and patient throughout the days ahead. Learning how to be patient and taking one day at a time without trying to cram everything within that one day has helped me grow and understand the meaning of a simple life is. It is a learning experience and everyone's journey is different. My journey through minimalism can be so so different than another person.
If you decide to start becoming a minimalist, work on one section at a time and build upon that. Look towards resources like readings, podcasts, youtube channels or even seeing what other bloggers have to say about their journey. Lindsay and I have a resource page of the different podcasts, YouTubers, and readings that will be good to start with. We can all learn from each other different things on how someone else views a simple life. Never hesitate to ask for help. There are so many people struggling with the chaos the world brings and through each other, we can go alongside and help guide through different struggles.
Overall, if you don't catch anything else from this post, I would love for you all to know to never let the stuff get in the way of your happiness. That happiness will only last for a short period of time then what do we do? Search for another source of happiness and the cycle will continue over and over and over again until we burn out. We can only carry so much stuff, so make sure to surround yourself with the things that you can cherish for the rest of your life.
As Hannah Montana states in one of her songs, "Nobody's Perfect" so try to live life as you want it and live the way you feel as though will benefit you in the future.
Thank you for reading.
-Azalea Brown
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