The Idea of Minimalism!
Sometimes it feels like you live life like you are checking off boxes in your to-do-list. From home, work to parenting and other daily tasks. This comes with the rush. Rushing to finish. Wondering what is next in the list. Obsessing about the time available to finish. Trying to squeeze tasks as much as we can in our to-do-lists.
Then at end of the day, we end up exhausted, tired, fatigued and weak. Why? Because we tried to do as much as we can throughout the day to finish and still we beleive its not enough and we want to do more.
Recently I watched a TED talk about minimalism. It is interesting to reflect on our busy lives and think about it from different perspectives. Minimalism is the idea that encourages enoughness and getting rid of whatever you don’t use or whatever doesn’t serve you today. It can be physical items like clothes, furniture, cooking utensils or any other items in your home. Not only that but also invisible things like mental and emotional thoughts that don’t fulfil us today such as pleasing people, taking the blame for actions that don’t belong to you and carrying mental baggage unnecessarily with the weight of doing your daily activities.
But how it can be possible to practice the concept of minimalism in our day-to-day lives? Especially with the hectic busy schedules we lead? Well it could be possible by first going back to our personal values and beliefs towards ourselves, life and people in general. How do we want to live our lives? What beliefs we have towards ourselves as individuals? What perspectives we have towards connecting with people? What do we want from this short temporary life? What matters to us in this current moment? If we decide to live with people equally as individual human beings with individual needs and emotions, how would we be interacting with each other?
After that, according to your checked values and beliefs, now you may decide what areas in your life you think need the practice of minimalism such as your home, expenses, relationships, social activities, education, daily routines, digital life, care-giving, parenting and work life.
It can be tough at the beginning. Because we have been doing our habits for long time and it is not that easy or simple to change. For example if you got used to cluttering your home with items you don’t need or use anymore but probably you think you can’t just get rid of them. They are precious. They contain sweet memories. You might need them one day in the future. Or you keep them just in case or for back up. These are all mental excuses we tell ourselves so that we remain doing the same thing every day.
Personally from my experience, this is like taking baby steps process. Just take one baby step today and continue doing it daily. Then build it up with more baby steps according to your capacity and level. Then slowly you would see yourself gradually shifting from one spot to another. It is amazing when you trick your brain this way but also work with it and treat it with kindness and empathy. Its like you are dealing with a child and giving tender care, love, attention and presence.
I can’t forget this simple quote I heard once: “Be kind to yourself.” Using this also in the practice of minimalism can relieve you a bit from beating yourself up for not achieving or changing. Give yourself credit for taking small baby steps. You are worth the recognition and appreciation for showing up. Even if they are small baby steps, be proud of yourself for showing up.