How many of us struggle with space – be it for things, time, feelings or even thoughts? Do you find yourself complaining about not having enough of any of these? Chances are it is not a problem of shortage, rather that of having too much.
Every minute of our lives advertisements and social media bombards us with overt and covert messages of how we need more of something in our life. Clothes, furniture, gadgets, cars, status, emotions – we are continuously primed to want and need more of everything. Once we get caught in this cycle of wanting the latest and the most of everything, we automatically have less of the things that really matter. And then wondering about why we are still not happy and satisfied with our lives, we try to fill in that emptiness with more stuff.
Minimalist living is a radical idea that is gaining widespread traction nowadays for precisely this reason. People have found that having less can indeed be more. It can change the way we spend our hours, energy, time and money. It can actually free us up for the things that really matter in life and make it beautiful – like family, friends, relationships, community, hobbies and interests.
If you don’t need to keep buying stuff, you can think of ditching that job you hate but do for the money and find something that would give you more satisfaction. You can save a lot of the time you would spend cleaning, dusting, clearing the house and instead of shouting at your children for not helping out, spend time playing and laughing with them. Imagine not having to waste long moments staring at your wardrobe and wondering what to wear or the freedom of not valuing your worth by the size of your house, make of your car, brand of your phone etc.
That a healthier, less stressed body means a more confident, energetic and happier us is a no-brainer. So what are you waiting for? Get going for happiness!
And living with less need not be like walking on hot shoals. You can start small. Try it out in one area of your life. Experiment. See what works or does not work. And then try it in another aspect of your life. Pack up the clothes you have not worn in the last one month. Box up the things around your house you have not used in the last 3 months. If you don’t miss them in your life for the next 3, donate them away. Toys, kitchen ware, furniture, phones – more often than not, you will find that you can actually live happily with less than half of what you have.
Not all of us might be able to live in a tiny house of 10×10. But most of us could definitely live with a lot less than what we feel like we need to own and find the liberation and joy that it can add to our life.
