It is very common for us not to feel enough about what we have or what we want. No limit makes us say, “Yes, it is enough. I do not need it any more”. Because we never accept that we can’t take everything, it will remain there with the dust and rust. We can only take memories with us to sense ourselves, not others.
Brain Facts
After death, the human brain lives for seven minutes by reviewing the best of the best memories of life.
This is where minimalism and less is enough come into play in our ups and downs to make them worth living. By following the minimalist lifestyle formula, which is very simple to implement, and understanding what less is enough, you’ll feel more freedom and will get better at everything.
Reading this, will open your eye to being a minimalist and accepting that less is enough is the way of living a worthy life better than others. If you get serious about it, then it will help you to avoid your financial, relationships, loneliness, distraction, and life-goal problems. I’m saying this because the day I understood and started the implementation, BooM! Till now, I’ve witnessed the power of a minimalist lifestyle, and less is enough formula.
I’ll share my one experience in a short story so you’ll have a fundamental understanding of how powerful it is.
Values are different, but the motive is the same (eye-opener).
Recently, a few months ago, my friend Brijesh purchased an Adventurer Yamaha Tenere 700 for around $10,799 because he loves adventure. I’m very passionate about adventure touring with my Yedzi adventure, which cost me $26039.74 approx.
The bike we both use is for the same purpose, but the difference is the price. After riding Brijesh’s bike for an hour, I felt more free than I did with my bike, but the purpose stayed the same. The comfort that my bike gives me is enough, but his bike gives it more. However, I’m happy with my bike, and I have made many beautiful memories and stories with my bike. That is enough for me.
This is the short story that reminds me that an individual can be happy with small things; therefore, I realized minimalism, and I started learning about minimalist lifestyles across the internet and experiencing real examples in my day-to-day life.
This is why I’m writing this article: to share my experience and knowledge of what I have learned so far.
From my perspective, I will introduce Minimalism.
Minimalism and a minimalist lifestyle: what is it?
Minimalism is the process of only purchasing what is necessary for day-to-day needs. On the other hand, a minimalist lifestyle is the way to have the necessary things to live life.
For example, my Yedzi bike, which fits within my budget, allows me to fulfil my passion for riding on the road and finding new places. I don’t need more than that. I don’t want to show the world what I have; I just want to enjoy the life that I have.
What less is enough?
I grew up in a lower-class family in a small village, where we were mostly connected to nature. My life was filled with nature up until 22 years of age, relying on nature and worshipping it, so I had no exposure to high technology or the modern world, but I still preferred it.
We did not have a lot of resources—no gadgets, a modern home, expensive clothes and shoes, fancy foods and drinks. However, we were happy because we had what we needed. We would say that each of us had 3 or 4 pairs of clothes that could be worn for 6 or 7 years, potatoes that we farm every year, rice also on the farm that will last for a year, oils we used to buy monthly in 1000 ml, and a wooden home strong enough to withstand thunder and heavy rain. There were fewer resources than we expected, but enough.
However, I was happy because my and my family’s minds were set that we had less, and we could not have more. We know we have less, but we used to live that way. After fully growing up, I realized that was the foundation of a minimalist lifestyle, which plays a very important role in your happiness.
I have seen the value of what I have and understand what makes sense and what does not. Most importantly, I have learned to be content with less and grateful for what I have. This has helped me be more mindful of my consumption and focus on living a simpler life.
Less is enough.
What is the philosophy of minimalism?
From my point of view, the philosophy of minimalism is to have a peaceful life living without burdens and debts, accepting impossible desires, financial desires, social comparison, being unhealthy, and having a negative mentality.
It’s very challenging to follow or integrate it into our lives, but we can manage to achieve some of it. No one is ideal; always there’s a lack, as I do, but we can try it because we are humans.
Sometimes I wonder by looking at my pets, cats and dogs if they do not have much work to do, they are here to fulfil their main responsibilities that they are made for, like controlling rats, dogs barking, alerting and protecting, eating, playing, loving, fighting with their kind, melting our hearts with their cuteness, and helping us to get comfortable and calm during our hard times. That’s it.
In a nutshell, that’s quite simple. But we are humans. We want more and more.
How to be a minimalist?
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To make you understand in simple words, I will share my points that fall into the minimalist lifestyle through a short story so you can relate to them and apply them.
Before we moved into...
Please remember
I’m not saying you have to follow or forcing you to follow the rules I have. I’m sharing the points that work for me so that you can understand and help you gain some control over your lifestyle to have a peaceful journey.
Below are the points that help you to have a minimalist lifestyle.
- Learn to say no that you do not need it.
- Do not make your happiness depend on others. Rather than make them happy.
- Practice personal finance and learn to manage things with what you have; do not demand more.
- Be happy with the clothing and shoes you have; don’t spend much on wearable things; don’t think about buying more and more. If we see, we don’t need much; the more clothes we have, the more stress it will create, so the mind will get distracted rather than finding peace and happiness.
- Do not let social media take your time, but use it to make your time more valuable; make them do your work, whatever the task you have.
- Keep one mobile phone that is suitable for every task for a very long time until it works; do not change or exchange it frequently. All phones were made for calling and not for features.
- Do not satisfy your hunger with fancy food. Prefer simple and natural food and have meals with family and friends.
- Make three friends of different personalities rather than 20 friends without personalities.
- Be satisfied with the money you have; do not desire it much. Focus on your goals with discipline, and you will always have both money and success. Do not waste infinite resources for finite resources.
- Plan every task in a simple roadmap: Do not acquire it with the wrong hands.
- Do not compare your personality with others: be happy with what you have and be proud of who you are.
- Learn to make time for everything; doing this relationship with anything will be deep and strong.
- Hate who deserves it, but forgiveness is the key to revenge.
- Travel the world even if you do not have money or cannot afford it. You gain more knowledge and remember it until your last breath. If you can afford it easily, make it even more memorable. Do not get blind; otherwise, do not travel.
- Visualize you as complete, happy, calm, and successful; otherwise, dreaming is not for you.
- Remove things from your surroundings, which distract you frequently.
From my point of view, these points will help to live a basic minimalist lifestyle. All these points mentioned above work for me and sharing it with you because I think it may be helpful to you.
If you agree then the next step is to make it a habit so that we don't have to repeat the mistakes ever. To do this, I'm writing another article about more things about minimalism to share my knowledge with you, till then stay calm and enjoy life.