There has been a considerable shift in the upbringing, values and beliefs (though some deep-rooted ones remain) among various age groups and different generations of people. Though the traditional upbringing and lifestyle seemed to be the apt and practical one, we yet gradually shifted to a modernized way of living but now with the realization that the modern lifestyle is comparatively putting our health and life at a risk of living a potential content way of living, we now have gained insight and many of us prefer to adopt to what our old granny tales taught us. So, there has been a lag, a generation gap resulting in conflict of thought, values, lifestyle, health, etc. There has also been a huge difference from a median household income, education for previous generations in comparison to the young adults and boomers today.
While most of us practice being content and grateful, somehow at the end of the day we find ourselves with a feeling of “Not enough”. No matter how content we are, we do feel the necessity of having more. This could be purely circumstantial or simply social pressure. I have mostly tried to practice the habit of “what we need over what we want”. Having been brought up with a mindset of saving along with earning, being helpful, etc, these habits are naturally imbibed in me. The conflict arises with the mindset of the current generation. However, since I started training my children to potty seat, I also started spending time talking to them a lot, reading good books and trying to inculcate good habits. This has helped me in their growing up years as their tantrums became less and they tried to understand more.
Minimalism can be misunderstood. So, what is it all about? It simply means “Living with less”. I am the happiest to own less furniture in my house or have few clothes on my wardrobe shelf. I simply don’t like clutter. Minimalism could also mean having fewer financial burdens, debt and not needed expenses. While I grew up, I learnt to save while I earned, being helpful, etc etc. But through my journey till date, though some of my habits continue to be the same, some changed. The philosophy of minimalism would vary from person to person. It can be argumentative and debated. For many people, minimalism would be to get rid of all the excess things and life a good experiential life than possessing a materialistic approach to worldly possessions. This can be very helpful in the current lifestyle we adopt. As things get expensive day to day, education, your daily food, clothing, etc has shown a tremendous rise. The rise is more so of the brand you choose to buy rather than the quality of the product we buy. The desire to accumulate more, to shop every time you are out with your friend is simply opposite of what I think. To find happiness in what you already have will help finding inner contentment.
I am intrigued by a thought that Can I adopt adaptation instead of that perfect life aesthetics? The reason being is I realise that the materialistic possessions I hold would just vanish away some day. My family and friends and here to stay. If we declutter our lives and our mind, wouldn’t it be so embracing and practical? If we start appreciating and less whining, we would be able to adapt. We would be mindful towards ourselves, family, friends, our finances, health and enjoy our skills and passion.
There are numerous benefits of a Minimalistic Lifestyle. Most importantly, we would be very mindful to all the publicity that the advertisements carry with them. We are often influenced by society rules that shows pride in showing off and accumulating materialistic possessions that often lead to distractions and noise. Next minimalism would help us to pause and think to the gluttony of what is happening around us. We would be able to adopt a better lifestyle and focus on what we need rather to what we want. We actually do not need too much to survive. Maslow’s theory says it all. Less is more is the new normal we need to adopt these days. Maybe we can start by creating a space of just what we need. Purge and create your meaning. We have noticed how an Anchor is tied up with a thick rope to the ship. The ship does not want to lose it. Similarly, we do not want to lose our stuff and hence the clutter and greed. Freedom is not by accumulating but by letting it go. Promised by the flashy products and media, we compromise on our health and finances. The best food is home made food. Let us try to follow a path of fullness rather than emptiness.
There is so much more to this topic and one can go on and on. As I always mention, To each, its own. We all behave with regards to our upbringing, lifestyle and values. Beliefs. Well, adopting a better lifestyle takes no effort. We just need to realise and make a goal chart for ourselves.
I believe in “Stay Simple”.
18.10.20