Is Minimalism Right For You?

Minimalistic interiors are super in right now. Actually, minimalism, in general, is very popular right now. Minimalism is all about surrounding yourself with things that give you joy. Things that make you happy and bring purpose to your life. I watched the Minimalism documentary on Netflix recently. It was a really great documentary about these two best friends who "essentially" came up with minimalism. This is how they describe minimalism on their website:

It’s simply getting rid of things you do not use or need, leaving an uncluttered, simple environment and an uncluttered, simple life. It’s living without an obsession with material things or an obsession with doing everything and doing too much. It’s using simple tools, having a simple wardrobe, carrying little and living lightly.

Minimalism is not just throwing all of your things away and living with just a few things. Well, it is if that's what you want it to be.

One thing that they said in the documentary is that they got asked by someone if they wanted to be a minimalist, would they have to get rid of their beloved book collection? These guys said "It sounds like your book collection is very important to you. Being a minimalist does not mean that you have to throw away everything. If your book collection brings you joy and happiness, then keep your books."

I loved that they included this in there. It's a common misconception for people to think that you just are supposed to get rid of everything and live with a total of 20 things in your home. Yes, that's definitely what minimalism can look like to some people. However, living with items that truly make you happy and often times are better quality, if you're investing in them, can be extremely fulfilling.

Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.

For some people, however, the idea of minimalism can be overwhelming and even a little ridiculous. Some people say that living like a minimalist is something only well-off people have the luxury of choosing to do. Which, I think, is a very good point. There are plenty of people around the world living "minimally", however, they are not choosing to do so. Critics also say that even when living minimally, stuff is still a conscious thought in your day. While a materialist wants to accumulate more stuff, a minimalist wants to get rid of more. Either way, you're still thinking about "stuff".

Whether you decide to throw out all of your possessions and only keep 50 things, or you decide from there on out you'll only accumulate things that add meaning and value to your life, I personally believe taking on somewhat of a minimalistic lifestyle can be helpful to many people and especially the environment.

Do you think the minimalistic lifestyle is for you?