(1,750 words, takes about 6 minutes to read)
How can we benefit from living a simpler, more meaningful life?
Having too many material things not only doesn't bring happiness to life, it can even distract us from the things that make us happy.
Less is more, and if we reduce our possessions by 20%, we may improve our quality of life by 80%!
The minimalism Joshua Becker discusses in Minimalism is not refined egoism.
Rather, it's about freeing ourselves from the constraints of material things to pursue more worthy ideals.
This is the good life we've been striving for.
Minimalist living means that we will be free from material constraints in exchange for the energy and time to pursue our dreams.
The simpler the material life, the more time we have and the more meaningful things we can engage in.
We will have more time, more energy, more money, more freedom, and less stress, less anxiety, less waste, less pollution, and less comparison.
Minimalism is like a seed that contains a very simple message, but once it grows it is very powerful.
Here it is: Give up materialistic extravagance for spiritual freedom.
Minimalism is not about giving up everything to live an ascetic life.
Minimalism is not simply about organizing your home.
The pursuit of minimalism is a process of simplifying and returning to the basics, which is not achieved overnight, but requires continuous and repeated adherence and learning and practice.
At the same time, it is also necessary to resist the constant temptation of consumerism and the stupidity of the inner materialism.
Greed and materialism are primal human instincts.
In the information age, our smartphones are always collecting our consumption preferences, consumption intentions, and consumption records, and the precise push based on big data analysis makes it more difficult to resist the temptation of consumption.
The impulse to consume becomes an unquenchable desire, and the contradictory conflict between consumption and minimalism brings us remorse and pressure, greatly distracting us and making it difficult for us to be happy even when we consume.
Rejecting the psychological emptiness caused by the urge to consume does not make us happy either.
The pursuit of a truly minimalist life requires us to thoroughly recognize and learn to resist the temptation of consumerism.
Nowadays, consumer behavior can go from an impulsive idea to a completed order in as little as a minute.
The dopamine hormone produced by frequent "buying" makes us feel good for a short period of time.
This bad shopping habit can easily turn us into slaves to our materialistic desires.
Because, many of our spending decisions are not made independently and autonomously.
Rather, it's done under the lure of short videos, the deception of seller shows, and the drumming up of anchors with goods.
At this point, it's hard to rationally distinguish whether this consumption is based on necessity or materialism, safety or enjoyment.
People are social animals with weaknesses, and often need to hoard material goods in pursuit of security, comfort, and fulfillment.
Over time, it becomes a matter of giving up the good for the bad.
Gradually become a slave to material things, forgetting that what really gives us a sense of security is the care of family and the help of friends in human relationships.
The pursuit of minimalism is not a simple thing, but it can start with simple things.
For example, start by achieving the simplest of goals,
start by cleaning the simplest of rooms,
start by clearing out the easiest of clutter ......
But living a minimalist life, after the simple beginnings have been completed, comes the real challenge.
That's when we learn to let go of things that seem precious but are not at all substantially helpful.
We need to learn to keep the best. When we remember a person, an event, or a relationship, we keep a lot of memorable things, and the principle of keeping the best helps us to make those choices.
We can also save some of our childhood doodles, large inexpensive items, and so on by taking photos and archiving them.
The quest for minimalism is a whole new way of life, a whole new attempt at living, but don't give up.
Stick with it, and something will come of it.
If you're ready to try minimalist living, experimentation is a very necessary choice.
Here's how: If you're not sure if you want to get rid of something, isolate it in a storage room for a while and then make a decision.
Most of us, for the most part, have more than we need, just like there's never the right clothes in a full closet, and you can't always find shoes to take advantage of on a crowded shoe rack.
If you're going to embark on an experiment in minimalist living, "29" is a number you can't get around. For example:
When you don't want to experiment, stick to 29 days;
When you're organizing your closet, pick out 29 pieces of clothing you'll never wear;
When you're struggling to make a decision, segregate what you're going to get rid of for 29 days.
We're just one number "29" away from living a minimalist lifestyle.
Minimalism is a lifelong habit.
Once you start, don't give up.
Maintaining a minimalist life is not about getting bogged down in tedious chores.
Rather, it's always remembering to really reduce the number of items in your home and shedding the extras that are necessary to maintain a minimalist state.
At the same time, think of giving with love and charity as the pursuit of minimalism, and share your excess items with those who need them more.
What we don't use may be what others have been wanting for a long time.
The simpler you are, the more fulfilling it is.
Our value to the world does not depend on the size of our house, the luxury of our decorations, the fashion of our clothes, or the richness of our collections.
The significance of our life lies in what kind of life we choose to live and what kind of value we realize.
Minimalism is a good choice to give up the fetters of materialism and pursue the ideal of life.