The Everyday Minimalist has a terrific post up today that really reinforces something I learned this past weekend. She points out how individual the minimalist philosophy is. Minimalism isn’t a game to see who can live with less. Rather, minimalism is about living your life in the best possible way for you. As she says:
When I finally embraced minimalism, I discovered it was more of a journey to achieve a certain sense of balance to where you feel comfortable.
I spent the weekend in Wisconsin with James. On Saturday, we drove to Milwaukee to visit my cousin who was visiting friends herself. A bit about my cousin: about two years ago, she and her boyfriend adopted a radically minimalist lifestyle. They sold their things and moved to Europe with approximately $4000.00 between them. They have spent the better part of the last two years couchsurfing and WWOOFing their way around the planet spending time gardening in Spain, building greenhouses in Bulgaria and working on a reforestation project in India.
She is an absolute inspiration to me. Her happiness with the path she has taken has really caused me to reevaluate what I want in my own life. For example, I recently sold my two-level, fully furnished house 40 miles away from my job and moved into a one-bedroom apartment 3 miles away. Is this as radical as vagabonding my way around the planet? No, but it is a step in my minimalist journey and it fits my life.
So many times, we can slip into a rigid mindset that minimalism, or any other -ism really, means one thing and one thing only. There is no absolute way to lead a minimalist life. Being a minimalist asshole and pretending otherwise only serves to push people away. Minimalism is a journey that anyone can take. Recognizing this requires us to remember that everyone on this journey is moving at different speeds along different paths.
My cousin’s version of minimalism is extreme and wonderful. Okay, so the steps I am taking are not as extreme; they are still steps in the right direction and I am proud of them.
What steps are you taking in your journey that you are proud of?
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The best thing about downsizing was selling our car and finally becoming debt-free!
This is a great post and so timely. I’m in the process of writing up an update on the 100 Thing challenge. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for the comment Tammy!
I am glad that the post was helpful. I can’t wait to read your update. I am slowly (ever sooooo slooooowly) purging my stuff and would love to get down to that level. I have to keep reminding myself to take my time and make conscious choices. It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of elimination isn’t it?
*high five*
I am totally on board with downsizing and making minimalism your own philosophy.
A lot of people are Minimalist Assholes. Just as how some people are Smug Personal Finance Assholes who think that they’re the ish for counting toilet paper and cutting down on their usage in the bathroom :\
I just don’t know where we got the idea to be so extreme
Am going to add you to my reader. I can sense some awesome posts here!
Thanks TEM for the comment and add to your reader!
The more I think about it, our emotions can be cluttered just as our physical space can. Whether you are holding on to anger or jealousy or you are are obsessively policing those around you to make sure they live the PURE form of whatever -ism you try to follow, it all can distract you from the life you want to lead.
Purging clutter of whatever type and living consciously should be the goal!
There seems to be something in the water this week…I just did a guest post on this topic as well! The bottom line is this, “There is no one right way for people to life.” Period. What works for your cousin works great for her, and more power to her by the way, but it wouldn’t work for many other people. What is working for me is working for ME.
I second what TEM said, I’m adding you to my Simple category RSS…I sense a likeminded individual!
I am actually moving 12 miles away from work to a more walkable part of town. I started last year by starting to ride a bicycle which led to me selling my car. I am actively removing one item from my apartment when I buy something similar. I also practice 5S in my office.
@ Jesse – Thanks for the comment and words of encouragement on the blog! If you think about it, focusing on how you are not doing it the “right way” is just another way to distract yourself from taking any action at all. Yeah, I am going to fuck up, a lot, but at least I am giving it a shot!
@ Abhishek – Thanks for the comment! I love living closer to work and, actually, using the index at walkscore.com, I have a very walkable neighborhood at 80/100 points. Also, thanks for mentioning the 5S. I hadn’t heard of them before but your blog set me straight. It is something I am going to think about implementing!
I think we can define ‘extreme’ in many ways. To someone dying to have more and bigger, you selling your bigger home and moving to an apartment may seem very extreme in downsizing your life! To me, it’s all about the needs we find in our own lives, much as you commented on the clutter factor being more that just things.
Just like there should be no right and wrong way, we need to let those who haven’t figured out less can be more see in our own lives what we’re talking about (as we find it out ourselves), instead of just telling them how wrong they are…
Wow! Thanks MJ for the insightful comment!
I particularly liked what you said about there being no right and wrong way and choosing to serve as examples rather than pontificating to others.
Your comment reminds me of a book about Hinduism and their idea of reincarnation. The author basically said that some people are going to go through this life chasing physical pleasures. Some people will go through this life chasing material possessions. Some people will go through this life chasing enlightment. All of these paths are okay because everyone moves at their own pace. Over time, lifetimes perhaps, a person will come to realize what is important and begin focusing their life towards those goals.
Preaching is useless. Our time is better spent focusing on our own path.
Glad to find your blog and agree on your highlight of TEM’s excellent post! Minimalism, Less is More, etc. does not require competition. When did this become a contest of “he/she with the LEAST stuff wins?”
Enjoyed reading about your cousin’s adventures, as well as your own in choosing a lifestyle that provides you with a better quality of life.
Although I still have to drive to work, I now live in an apartment (with a roommate, even!) close enough that I can walk everywhere but to work. And, thanks in part to having said roommate, I may be able to pay off one of my debts next year.
I’d love to bike everywhere, but I haven’t biked extensively since childhood…I’d almost forgotten that biking takes muscles that walking does not! So I’m slowly inching my way along, building up my bicycling legs. Baby steps, baby steps.
Thanks for the comments Jean and Fox. I really appreciate them.
@ Jean – Right on! We all have to find our path but sometimes it is hard to break out of the doctrinal thinking of the ONE WAY to do things.
@ Fox – LOL! They say that once you learn to ride a bike, you never forget. I came pretty close! When I first started riding my bike again, it was touch and go for a while. I laugh when I think of how far I used to go on my bike when I was a kid and how easy it was to do all sorts of tricks. Not so much anymore…
Thanks for saying what so many folks are thinking. Extremists in all categories tend to be assholes. Green extremists, minimalist extremists, islamist extremists, christian right extremists… they all share the “all or nothing”, “I am holier than though” attitude. There is room for everyone in all categories and extremism hurts all of us.
I try to live more minimal. I believe that the world can have more if I consume a little less. I’m not perfect… but I am trying. Every day I get a little better. Kudos to you for calling a spade a spade.
Thanks Christine for the comment. You make a great point in saying extremism hurt us all. Extremism sets up meaningless divisions where they don’t have to exist and distract us from the job at hand.
Like you said, I do what I can everyday. Sometimes I fail, sometimes I succeed, but at least I am trying. I am walking my path…