So much of our life is lived in a fog of automatic, habitual, reflexive behaviour. We get so wrapped up in the hunt that it makes us miserable. We need to learn to be content with what we have, to rejoice in the way things are. When you realise there is nothing truly lacking, the whole world belongs to you.
Hello Lovelies!
Minimalism- It can be neatly described as living more with less, a term I deem very fitting. It’s a word that carries a lot of weight these days and is ironic for that very reason. Welcome to one of many posts I’ll be sharing on Minimalism. It has been my way of life since I was a young teen and will certainly follow me into my adult years. I was surprised to find I hadn’t written more on the topic but am grateful nonetheless to chat with you about what I’ve learnt so far. It’s fair to say that I have a well rounded view of minimalism and can speak to how it has renewed and energised my person and pursuits. In the coming weeks I hope to speak further about why you should choose minimalism for yourself and answer your burning questions on the topic. What have you always wanted to know but remained afraid to ask? Let’s start a discussion down below!
Today I’ll be sharing with you my minimalist origin story and why I gravitated towards the lifestyle. I can say without a doubt that it has affected significant change in my life and transformed my thinking in ways I hadn’t believed were possible. My outlook in general has improved so much and that is beyond priceless. Minimalism has freed up my mind and invited me to make a home in cleaner, simpler spaces filled only with the things that bring me joy. It’s taught me to let go of perfectionistic and controlling tendencies, to lighten up and truly be in the moment. Life need not be taken so seriously.
I began my minimalist journey in 2018 at the age of fourteen. It was at this point in time that I realised I needed breathing room to truly be myself. Looking back, I realise that the young woman I was growing into felt ruled by clutter and stifled by the chaos around her. Minimalism is a beautiful way of life and a conscious choice you make for yourself. It is a philosophy and way of being that you actively commit to day in and day out. For this reason, it isn’t the way to go for everybody and that is perfectly alright. There is no one size fits all in the real world.
It saddens me however that there is such a wealth of misinformation out there surrounding minimalism. I have heard of the lifestyle being named and shamed as being only for the rich, white, single population when this isn’t remotely the case. The minimalist lifestyle is very personal to everyone living out its values. It serves a loose guide rather than a strict regime. You get to choose what is right for you and forgo the rest. Essentially, you create your perfect fit. There is no rule that states you must cull all and live with nothing, no numbered list that decrees your new bedroom must be bland and whitewashed. I wouldn’t feel well represented by that either!
I am comfortable with and proud to be promoting the minimalist lifestyle as I’ve seen firsthand how empowering it is to take charge of your situation and surroundings. I’ve found minimalism to be a way of finding freedom rather than imposing restrictions upon myself. I liken choosing this lifestyle to following a certain Religious faith. Few things in life propel people to commit to acting in a certain way- there has to be sustained belief in a higher power or positive outcome. I am a non practicing Muslim but respect the role Religion has played in the formation of the identities of my loved ones and much of society. Women in the Islamic faith wear headscarves as a show of submission and devotion to God. It is seen as a veil of modesty and a cover to deter prying eyes. However, as the times continue to change and our world modernises further, these reasons evolve. Bangladeshi Immigrant Nazma Khan started World Hijab Day in 2013 as an expression of solidarity and support for religious freedom. In many places across the globe she is seen as a pioneer for women’s rights. This is how powerful individual belief and drive can be.
Adopting a minimalist lifestyle will help you immensely in striking that perfect balance between wants and needs. Just as with most things in life, too much either way is no good. It is unnecessary to deprive yourself of what is beautiful and live only with what is functional. Elements in the natural world frequently exist to serve a purpose whilst being pleasing to the eye. Neither characteristic is inherently more or less important than the other. The real problem with multitudes of material things lies in the meaning we attach to them. We forsake our relationships, health, happiness, passions and more in order to feed into and exacerbate an endless cycle of consumerism. That’s where issues begin to arise.
Don’t we all wish to pursue meaningful, purpose driven lives? I firmly believe minimalism is the key to unlocking that. Ridding your life of what is unnecessary sets you up to better chase and live out your dreams. They can and will become your new reality with a bit of focus and determination. The benefits to a minimalist lifestyle are endless- you eliminate discontent, reclaim time, regain your ability to live in the moment, discover your personal mission, experience freedom in its truest sense, radiate confidence and create peace of mind for yourself. No longer will you live in fear of failure or loss. Instead, you’ll cultivate self reliance and individuality. Minimalism is intentional living with only what you need- the items that support your purpose and help you hone in on what matters most.
Ultimately, I am on this minimalist journey so I can experience lasting happiness. I no longer seek to find my worth or contentment through material objects as they don’t contain it. They are merely created to satisfy us until we find reason to be discontent and yearn for more. Minimalism was my cure and it can just as easily be yours too. It’s simple and free, just like all the best things in life.
In order to seek one’s own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary, everyday life. Purity and simplicity are the wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature.
This is a wonderful post, Maryam! It was really nice to know more about your journey as a minimalist. There really is a lot of misinformation surrounding the lifestyle, mostly in the form of memes and people who know next to nothing about it thinking they can talk about it (such is life, unfortunately), but I do believe minimalism as a lifestyle has a certain amount of privilege behind it, because it is only when someone has so much stuff that they can think about what they don’t need or want. Of course, when we see it in the lives of middle-class, upper-middle-class and “rich” people, it is a great way to be aware of oneself, and can even be seen as a form of mindfulness – to fully use and enjoy what you truly have, but when we look at it compared to people who don’t have the ability to make that choice, who are forced into a kind of minimalism that isn’t attractive simply because of not being able to afford more, there is a need to realise the privilege that the minimalism we seek is driven by.
But when one has been lucky enough to be granted the opportunity to make that choice, it is a really beautiful, wholesome lifestyle. Thank you for sharing!
I’d like to start off by saying that I really appreciate you not only reading this post but leaving such a thoughtful comment! What you discussed here in regards to minimalism as a choice and forced minimalism was very interesting. While my minimalist lifestyle is intentional and I am free to choose differently at any point, this is not the case for people who have very little and are used to living as such. While my minimalist lifestyle includes buying less but shopping for quality items or forgoing them entirely in favour of experiences, this could look significantly different to another person who is less fortunate. You’re absolutely right- it’s crucial that we acknowledge our privilege wherever it appears and when possible. If you don’t mind, I’d love to include your comment in an upcoming blog post where I delve further into the topic of minimalism.
Of course :))
Thank you!
This is such a great post sweet, Maryam <3 I have to say, that I did not know of all the prejudice things that come with minimalism. To me minimalism is such an individual thing, and just like you wrote it's a journey of learning what is nice to have and what one needs to have. I can't really believe that this is a philosophy that anyone would want to hate on. I mean, we live in a world now where we're surrounded 24/7 with things, products, subscriptions, gadegets etc. which essentially isn't a need – but a nice to have. Also, I can't help but think of the environment when we talk about minimalism. I like to think that I purchase and consume as little as possible. Of cause life is about enjoying and experiences, but no, I do not need 25 t-shirts that are made of bad quality, potentially made by kids, shipped half way around the world, ended up in my hands for only £5.
Sorry, I got carried away with writing this. But I guess I'm just really passionated about it. I wish you the lovelies day and October xx
Oh, no reason to be sorry at all! Reading beautiful, insightful comments like yours makes my day. Wishing you a lovely October also.
I agree completely with all you’ve said here. Minimalism is a tool that not only simplifies our lives but increases its quality. We learn to refocus and put value not on what is monetary but on what can be experienced. It’s priceless really. The world puts forth so many distractions designed to stop us from living out our full potential as happy, content people. We are not designed to be caught in these traps of longing and desire when God has created so much to be freely available to us.
❤️
Thank you for reminding me of how great minimalism can influence one’s life. I totally agree with what you said about being content with what we already have. If we try to find happiness in material things, then we would never be satisfied. Minimalism isn’t all about decluttering and having a whitish environment :)) I’m with you on this journey. God bless you!
Thank you so much for reading Maeve! Hope you’re doing well. Minimalism can easily be designed to fit an individual. There really are no rules to it, just a loose guideline of accepted minimalist values. I love colour and definitely incorporate this into my daily life! My wardrobe is majority neutrals with pops of colour and my bedroom is just my happy place. I think what people don’t realise is that you can keep things that are meaningful to you and still be regarded as a minimalist. The point was never to take away what you love, but to pare back all the clutter and junk that hides those special things. For example, I have a decent stack of Frankie magazine issues which I love to read when I have a spare moment.
Lovely post!! I shall have to look into the minimalist lifestyle more, to see what I think. But it sounds lovely! Thank you for this post!
Thank you so much for reading Keziah! It’s wonderful to hear that you’re interested in the minimalist lifestyle and will delve further into it. Plenty more related posts to come!
Hope you’re well lovely x
Yay, so excited to hear that!
Have a lovely day. ❤😊
This is a great post and it’s very educational! I didn’t really know how awesome and beneficial a minimalistic lifestyle was until now! I also admire how you started from a younger age, it show a strong sense of self discovery and confidence! It’s great to see how minimalism is even more than a lifestyle, too. It also includes values, attitudes and beliefs. Thank you for this, Maryam! 😊
Thank you so much for reading Jorja! What a sweet comment. I love what you said there- the minimalist lifestyle really is so much more than that. It encompasses a whole system of ingrained beliefs, values and attitudes and that’s where its strength and appeal lies. At fourteen I realised that it was important to me that I discovered my truest self. At that point in time I couldn’t pin point my aspirations or even simple things like my style! So, I started from there and did a major declutter of all my belongings. My mind felt so much clearer after that and I started to build a vision. I was pretty much a hoarder at one point. I had a whole room filled with colourful trinkets. I think I’ve still got the photo lying around. It was quite terrible, haha!
I loved reading about your personal journey and how you came to adopt a minimalist lifestyle. Thank you so much for sharing! It is through reading posts like this that I feel motivated to incorporate more minimalism aspects into my own life. Especially in today’s society, we are surrounded by so much STUFF. And I also think that nowadays, we struggle to be present in the moment and be thankful for the place we’re at right now. It’s like so many of us are constantly chasing after more.. And I don’t think tjat we even know what “more” means.
I find it admirable that you were already self-aware enough at 14 (!! – I know I wouldn’t have been) to know that something needed to change in they way you lived and perceived life. I also loved that you wrote about the modern misconceptions of what minimalism truly means and what this lifestyle stands for – this was also such an educative read for me! I think so many people believe minimalism to be this trend that merely started a few years ago when in fact, the minimalist lifestyle has been practised for thousands of years.
Again, thank you for sharing, Maryam, I truly enjoyed reading this post! xx
Thank you so much for reading and leaving such a thoughtful comment! Appreciate you Fiona. The minimalist lifestyle has truly brought me so far with my wellness journey and had such a positive impact on my quality of life. I finally feel that I am living for the right reasons and seeking out people and experiences rather than mindless material things.
At fourteen I knew I had to take the initiative to really discover who I was. I was quite a hoarder for a time and had built up a room full of knick knacks. It got to be really overwhelming so I just went for a big clear out. I started off by defining my style and once that was clear, let that influence other areas of my life.
Hope you’re well! What’s your lifestyle like at the moment? ☺️