Why I Love Being A Minimalist
Hello, Minimalist community! It's so good to be here and I owe a thank you to @harlowjourney for making me aware of a community like this. I think I'm in for a fun ride and will benefit a lot from minimalists here. For the contest, I would be answering the third question,
What does minimalism mean to you? and Why did you decide to apply minimalism to your life, OR Why do you not want to embark on a minimalistic journey?
I've always been a minimalist but I had no idea what a minimalistic lifestyle meant until a few years ago. Growing up, I lived in a very cluttered house which I disliked so much. I was always decluttering and often got into trouble for throwing away stuff I deemed unnecessary. I believe every item around me should be useful and if it isn't, it should be given away or thrown out.
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Minimalism for me means living an uncluttered life and that in itself brings so much peace to me. Long before I realized minimalism was an aesthetic, I loved the idea of not having too much stuff. If an item doesn't spark joy in me or won't be in use, for the most part, I don't want it near me.
The first time I lived alone during my university years, I had the simplest space in the hostel. It was my little space that had everything I needed and every item had its allocated space. It was the most comforting apartment, without a single clutter and that was the point I realized I wanted to live like that forever.
I've been called stingy and broke before for not wanting to own stuff, I never really understand it. I love space and having the basics that do just what I want is all I need. This doesn't mean I don't like some decor here and there, I do.
My house is currently very simple. I chose off-white paint because I love how white opens up a space. Everything else is in neutral tones and it's not a lot. I was okay with just one couch until my husband decided we needed another for visitors and I had to adjust to having an extra couch. The walls are empty and I've been looking to get a painting to hang on one side of the wall but I haven't seen any that speaks to me yet.
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The rest of the house is also how I like it, simple. I've been talking about how I love my space simple and the truth is, my entire person is simple. I also have a minimalistic fashion sense, I don't like having a lot of clothes and I make sure every item in my wardrobe gets regular wear. It looks like I have a lot of clothes sometimes but it's really just me switching and combining basics every time.
If it doesn't fit, I'm giving it away. If I don't wear it often, I'm giving it away. Whenever I want to buy something for myself or the house, the question is always, 'do you really need this, can you live without it, do you have something similar that you don't use?' That pretty much shapes my minimalist lifestyle.
My current lifestyle is very satisfying and I'm happy to be in a space where I can think properly and not feel suffocated. There are still a few changes I would love to make as regards minimalist decor. I'm taking my time and I know it will come to me eventually.
Minimalism means different things to different people and it's okay to get inspired by someone else but the true essence of a minimalistic lifestyle is in individuality. That is why I choose to be a minimalist.
I'm inviting @kemmyb, @selfhelp4trolls, @macchiata and @iskafan to this community and to join in on the contest.
Discord - wolfofnostreet#4939
Hello @wolfofnostreet,
Hello @wolfofnostreet,
I'm glad you got around to submitting an entry; One that was well thought out too.
I also hated clutter growing up in my house. My mum had a walnut display full of crockery sets she received as wedding presents that she kept only for display. The cumbersome furniture took up excess space around a dining table that was far too big. Seldom she would serve food in some of those plates when she had visitors. It used to irk me: I thought that her family should be the most important people who she would want to serve her best crockery to. She never used it, and instead would use chipped cups. I could never get my head around that.
I asked her one day if she would donate some of the furniture to a young couple; her eyes popped out her head, not angry, but as if she thought I was mad!
I'm happy you found a way to maintain a minimalistic decor in your living space, and I do hope your visitors couch is not better than the one you utilise and enjoy everyday :)
Thank you very much for taking part in this initiative.
See you around in the community:)
Funny 😄
That's my mum's reaction too! We never got to use all the fine China in the house and all they do is collect dust. I don't even see anyone admire them so I don't see the value.
I actually like the newer couch now and it blends in nicely with the rest of the space.
Thanks for reading, I appreciate it.
Yeah, you're right! That's because it's probably crammed with so much that you cannot see it. No value at all😆
You're very welcome. See you around:)
I think growing in a family of hoarders made me minimalistic, these days anytime I feel like I am in clutter I give things away, it doesn't matter if it isn't my thing to give.
It's the same for me. I saw years of hoarding that wasn't appealing to me and I made a conscious effort not to be a hoarder too.
The same mehn, I don't understand why people can't just throw or give things away.
Being a minimalist is actually the best way to live your life. We humans especially Nigerians tend to bombard ourselves with a lot of unnecessary things that end up being a burden. I used to laugh at my elder sister whenever we had an outing. She had a lot of clothes and each time we wanted to go out, she'll be clueless on what to wear. She'll spend hours rummaging through her big box of clothes and at the end of the day she still wouldn't find anything appealing for her to wear. She'll end up being angry, frustrated and tired. Whereas, for someone like me who has few clothes, I just easily pick one that I think would be suitable for the occasion and I'm good to go.
I love being minimalist and just like you a lot of people have tagged me stingy, they keep asking why I dont want to spend money buying things for myself. What they don't know is most times I might get attracted to something so much now, maybe because of peer pressure or trends and at the end of the day, after I get to buy that stuff I easily lose interest and stop using it, it ends up being a waste. So what I do instead is give it time, time in which I get to really analyze if I really need it or not then I make my decision.
I honestly like the way you live, most women are obsessed with so much things, they spend a lot of money on things that'll end up being a waste. You're the ideal kind of woman but, you really need to get something hanging on those walls, even if it's a portrait drawing of you and your husband, atleast it'll add a little spark to your house. Take it from me dear ❤️
I can relate to your sister not always having what to wear 🙃 It's a lady thing because we have so many options compared to guys although being a minimalist makes it less harder.
For trends, I don't do trends at all. I find some trends really nice but the greater part of me isn't inspired and I find it hard to go with the flow.
This is actually a reminder to get it done. I'm not big on having my face on a wall so it's going to be a small portrait placed on the TV stand or maybe I'll make like a picture shelf eventually.
No lies there, ladies really have it hard choosing what to wear and y'all always want to look your best, that perfect look that would turn some heads,. 😂🥺❤️.
I get what you mean, not everyone is really moved by trends. Some are just obsessed though.
That's a nice idea though, just do it whatever way you want it. Even though you don't like seeing your face I'm sure your husband would and it'll intrigue your visitors.
I did tell your husband that your house was very simple. It shows. Most married women like to gather things like say dem go carry am go heaven. Unfortunately my mom is guilty and when i try to detoxify, she starts preaching sentimental value 😂.
Seems the mothers are alway guilty of this crime..
My mum is a serious hoarder, that entering into her room you would barely see enough space to do anything.
When i go home for holiday , i make it my mission to arrange and throw away as much as i can even if she gets angry or not about it.
My mum hoards but my dad is actually the bigger hoarder.
my dad is more than hoarding... If there is anything higher than being a hoarder..thatz my dad... Maybe when you get old you put more sentimental value to items that have no value.
Wow... I don't want to be a hoarder... It makes me feel pressured seeing the clutter
Yeah, I like it simple. Collecting stuff or keeping things for sentimental reasons is very nice but it's a thin line from hoarding. I bet if you give some things away without her knowledge she wouldn't even notice, at least it was like that with my parents.
I'll try that...
I love that statement, "Simplicity is very loud" because, indeed, it really, really is. When we create space, each item, sound, colour can vibrate in a really pure way so it can be fully SEEN, HEARD and APPRECIATED.
Somehow, for me, simplicity is deeply connected to gratitude.
You're spot on!
Ohhhhh can I still write about it if my minimalist days are behind me? There is a store in Tokyo called Book Off which sells used books for $1 and used games for $3 and this store prevents me from being a minimalist....I guess I've got to write about it now.
Ofcourse you can.
If I had a bookstore like that close to me, I'm not sure about being minimalist in that area. Can one really be minimalist with books?
I suppose doing all e-books is compatible with minimalism, if you don't consider a full hard drive anti-minimalist hahaha