Gandhiji’s power and influence partly lay in his apparent simplicity and minimalist way of living. He practiced simplicity and minimalism in all areas of his life and he left behind a huge legacy in how to live a life of simplicity.
“If one has wealth, it does not mean that it should be thrown away and wife and children should be turned out of doors. It simply means that one must give up attachment of these things!”
Minimization of Human Wants can be the Only Way to Cleanse the Society of All Kinds of Corruption..
Today there’s a fledgling but growing movement in the world towards minimalism – and we can learn a lot from the ultimate minimalist.
Minimalism isn’t about any of those things, but it can help you accomplish them. If you desire to live with fewer material possessions, or not own a car or a television, or travel all over the world, then minimalism can lend a hand. But that’s not the point.
Accumulate Little
We tend to spend a lot of time and energy looking after our possessions. By having fewer things to possess and look after, your life naturally becomes simpler.
Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom.
Lead a Simple, Stress-free Life
So don’t take life too seriously – remember to take time out to play. That doesn’t mean there’s anything inherently wrong with owning material possessions. Today’s problem seems to be the meaning we assign to our stuff: we tend to give too much meaning to our things, often forsaking our health, our relationships, our passions, our personal growth, and our desire to contribute beyond ourselves.
Want to own a car or a house? Great, have at it! Want to raise a family and have a career? If these things are important to you, then that’s wonderful.
A Quick look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is often portrayed in the shape of a pyramid with the largest, most fundamental needs at the bottom and the need for self-actualization and self-transcendence at the top.
The most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain what is called “deficiency needs” or “d-needs”: esteem, friendship and love, security, and physical needs. If these “deficiency needs” are not met – with the exception of the most fundamental (physiological) need there may not be a physical indication, but the individual will feel anxious and tense. The most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire (or focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs.
He also coined the term “metamotivation” to describe the motivation of people who go beyond the scope of the basic needs and strive for constant betterment.
Minimalism simply allows you to make these decisions more consciously, more deliberately.
If we had to sum it up in a single sentence, Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.
Minimalism has helped us…
- Eliminate our discontent
- Reclaim our time
- Live in the moment
- Pursue our passions
- Discover our missions
- Experience real freedom
- Create more, consume less
- Focus on our health
- Grow as individuals
- Contribute beyond ourselves
- Rid ourselves of excess stuff
- Discover purpose in our lives
By incorporating minimalism into our lives, we’ve finally been able to find lasting happiness—and that’s what we’re all looking for, isn’t it? We all want to be happy. Minimalists search for happiness not through things, but through life itself; thus, it’s up to you to determine what is necessary and what is superfluous in your life.
Start living a simpler life from today – and you will release a lot of time and energy. This will give you the space to create the life you really want to live, a life that is inspired and inspiring.
Shishir Mandya
