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Every item we purchase requires attention and care. She takes time and energy. By freeing the house from unnecessary possessions, we shift the focus of attention from what we have to what we do. Minimalism is open space, simplicity and lightness! The happiness of sufficiency is discussed by Francine Jay in The Joy of the Small.
1. We are not what we have
Contrary to what marketers would like to tell us, we are us, and things are things. There are no magical ways to blur these boundaries. Think about how many things you bought just for the sake of creating an image: bags, interior items, shoes, a guitar or a newfangled fishing rod. All this to impress others or to amuse your imaginary “I” – the one who is about to lose 10 kg, travels around the world, attends social parties and plays in a rock band.
In addition, we identify ourselves with things from the past and carefully store school certificates, sports medals or lecture notes. In justification, we say that all this is evidence of our achievements. Perhaps it is time to part with these relics.
Looking at things with a critical eye, one can be amazed at how many of them honor the memory of the past or embody the hopes for the future. Unfortunately, when too much space, time, and effort are given to these things, they become a hindrance to life in the present. We are not what we have, we are our deeds, thoughts and loved ones. Getting rid of the remnants of past times, unfinished business and unrealized fantasies, we make room for new opportunities.
2. Less Stuff, Less Stress
First of all, we worry if we don’t have a thing. Perhaps something caught your eye in a store or in an advertisement, and suddenly the question arose: how could you do without it all your life? My neighbor has it, my sister got it as a gift, a work colleague bought it last week. It starts to feel like we’ve been cheated… Then we worry about how to get it. As soon as we get what we want, we get a new headache, because the thing needs to be looked after.
Do things not dominate you enough to hold you in place?
How many precious hours do we spend visiting dry cleaners, how many Saturdays do we waste due to the need to change the oil or fix the car? How many free days do we kill for repairs or waiting for visits from repair services? How often do we have a tantrum (or give the kids a scolding) over a broken vase, a cracked plate, or stained carpet?
Let’s take a break and remember how carefree and happy students felt. And it is not at all accidental that it was then that we probably had the least property. Study, life and entertainment were much more important than possessions. And it is this state of joy that we will return to ourselves with the help of a minimalist worldview.
3. Less things – more freedom
Imagine that you have been offered a dream job, but to get it, you need to travel to the other side of the country within three days. Will you be happy and start making plans? Or, looking around your home, will you begin to think anxiously about how to pack all your belongings? Wouldn’t the thought of having to transport all your belongings thousands of kilometers horrify you (or, worse, the thought will seem simply ridiculous to you)? What is the likelihood that in the end you decide not to bother, because you are firmly settled at home, and over time, something else may turn up?
Such an assumption may seem wild, but do not things dominate you enough to hold you in place? For many, the answer is likely to be yes. Things can act as an obstacle to doing something new or developing new abilities. They build a prison wall around us. Having embarked on the path of minimalism, we dismantle these casemates and regain our freedom.
4. Get rid of the useless and ugly
The British poet and artist William Morris suggested this idea: “Keep nothing in your house that you do not consider useful or beautiful.” Great idea, but how do you put it into practice? Take inventory. By and large, all objects in the house can be divided into three categories: useful, beautiful and emotionally rich. Useful means functional, they help in business and make life more comfortable. But to be useful, the item must be used. This is the trick: most of us have a lot of potentially useful things that are sitting idle. These are duplicates or devices that are difficult to use. More items “in case of emergency” or those that “may be needed”, while away their lives in the bowels of the cabinets. These are the first candidates for dismissal.
We love beautiful things. But if a collection of Murano glass is gathering dust on a shelf or, even worse, is packed in the attic, then it is nothing more than multi-colored rubbish. Evaluate every item that stands in a conspicuous place: if a trinket causes joy and gives a feeling of comfort, harmony, then its place in your home is fully justified.
Finally, a huge part of the living space is occupied by memorabilia that symbolizes emotional attachment: grandmother’s service, father’s collection of smoking pipes, wedding dress. They remind of significant people, places and events. These are also gifts, family heirlooms, souvenirs. Chat with every thing. Ask her: “How often do I use you?”, “Will I replace you if you get lost, broken, or feel relieved to get rid of you?”, “Would I even like to have you?”. If you come across something useless, ugly or incomprehensible, throw it away.
5. Get control over your purchases
Each candidate for the purchase must be asked (mentally, of course!): “Do you deserve a place in my house?”, “How can you serve the household?”, “Will you make my life easier or will you cause more problems than good?” Do I have a place for you?”, “Do I have something similar?”, “Would I want to leave you forever (or for a very long time)?”, “How difficult will it be to get rid of you?”. If the item does not bring anything to your life in terms of utility or beauty, mentally hang a sign: “Sorry, there are no free places.” A simple initial refusal will save you from having to deal with tons of junk in the future!
6. Don’t keep unnecessary gifts
They definitely should not be removed out of sight at the bottom of drawers or in the depths of cabinets – we are struggling with clutter! The solution will be simple: don’t let them settle. Keep a dedicated giveaway box somewhere away from your living space and send unwanted items there immediately. When it’s full, take it to the nearest charity you like.
Photographs of a gift work wonders: if it’s a bauble, take a picture of it on the mantelpiece; if it’s a sweater or scarf, pose for a photo in it. Send the photo to the donor, and give the item itself, and everyone will be happy.
7. Enjoy without possession
We are incredibly lucky: in the modern world, almost all the masterpieces of mankind are available without the need to purchase and store them. Art, culture and entertainment are abundant in the big cities, and there is no need to try to replicate them at home.
Coffee machines, media rooms, home fitness centers are wildly popular in the market. It seems that people decided not to leave their homes at all. Perhaps instead of buying, maintaining and repairing all this equipment, you should just go to a cafe, cinema or gym? If you can’t resist buying beautiful things, repeat the phrase “enjoyment without possession” like a mantra when you go shopping. Admire the elegance of a glass figurine, the intricate workmanship of an antique bracelet, or the vibrant colors of a ceramic vase, but don’t take them home. Think of it like going to a museum.
8. Enjoy what you eat
The author of the Tao Te Ching, the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, wrote: “He who knows prosperity is rich.” Enough is how much? Enough for one, too little for another, and too much for a third. This is how it is: when the basic needs of food, water, clothing, and living space are satisfied, happiness has little to do with the amount of things. From this point on, the marginal utility of additional things rapidly decreases, and when saturation occurs, it becomes negative. When we have enough of everything and we are grateful for it, we will not want more.
What to do? Focus on what is, not what is not. A little exercise will help. Take a pen and a piece of paper. Walk around the house, making a list of all possessions. Include every book, plate, shirt, shoe, every knick-knack. Difficult? Try to limit yourself to one room. Still doesn’t work? Then try to describe one cabinet drawer. Too much, isn’t it? And do you still feel like you’re missing something?
9. “Live simply so that others can simply live.”
These words of Mahatma Gandhi are the most important motive for a minimalist lifestyle. We share the world with more than 6 billion people. Space and resources are not unlimited. Any “excess” that we allow ourselves means that someone else (now or in the future) will have to do without something. Every item we buy, from food to books to televisions to cars, uses a portion of nature’s wealth.
The way out is to reduce consumption as much as possible, preferring products made from biodegradable or recyclable materials. Buy furniture, household utensils, electronics, clothes, books, toys and more on the secondary market. This will help reduce the negative impact on the environment and the lives of others.
Source: Francine Jay “Joy of the Small” (“E”, 2018).