Minimalism is sort of a romantic ideal for me. As much as I admire the notion of living life simply, with as little possession as possible, some how I would often unconsciously end up buying things and accumulating stuff. It's something that takes consistent effort. But it is possible. A lot of people who found themselves suddenly jobless in the midst of an economic crisis somehow learned to adapt to having every little.
When I was jobless - with no income, I bought very little. I used the library often, I spent mainly on food and necessities. I don't even buy CDs anymore, and I bought no new clothes. Now that I am with an income again, I look around, and I see how much I have been spending, buying, consuming - it's a vicious cycle.
I just found this 100 Thing Challenge. Dave Bruno basically outlines the minimalistic effort in 3 steps:
Reduce (get rid of some of your stuff)
Refuse (to get more new stuff)
Rejigger (your priorities)
Our possession is somehow tied to our state of mind. I know whenever I feel overwhelmed by emotions, clearing the clutter around me helps. Maybe it's a psychological thing - what happens within manifest itself without. Just that when I look seriously at the things around me, I often wonder: "Is this something I need, or something I would like to have?"
That is a question for the heart too: "Do I need this, or I am just holding on because I think I cannot be happy without it."
Going to explore http://www.becomingminimalist.com.
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