Can we all be minimalists?
If you do a quick search in the blogosphere of websites about simple living, you’ll find a lot about the ‘Minimalism’ revolution; you will also spot a trend very quickly: it looks like minimalists have a lot in common (especially the ones who decided to blog about it).
They are usually in their thirties; they surround themselves with few (but super trendy) gadget; they all seem to have abandoned six figures incomes from too stressful jobs; and they all swear that when they did that they found their inner peace and real meaning in life.
They can live in a spotless city apartment, in a tiny house in the woods, or in a converted camper van near the beach, but they always look picture perfect. Some of them swear they’ll never touch a piece of plastic ever again; some managed to collect all their last year(s) rubbish in a single jar; others embarked in a journey towards self’sufficiency and eat only food they can grow. Some of them even managed to retire already, thanks to some clever investments, and can now focus on doing all the above without material distractions.
Aspirations vs reality
Don’t take me wrong, I love reading their stories, and I found them truly inspiring, and it’s thanks to those blogs that I came to discover that it is possible to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
When I read those stories, however, it always comes a moment when I can’t relate much with their main characters. I’ve never had a six figures income to give up to; I can’t always choose to buy the best (and most expensive) things; I still have a lot of plastic in my life; i like treating myself to take away and junk food now and then; I’m constantly moving house and can’t really ‘have’ a garden where to grow my vegetables; and my temporary fixed term contracts don’t exactly call for investing in the stock market and retiring at 40.
But here lies the problem, I think. It’s easy to ‘like’ this lifestyle when you see sleek photos on social media, but it’s even easier to be jealous of whoever claims to be living this life, and dismiss it as a fraud – ‘I’m sure they are hiding their rubbish’, or ‘I bet they park their camper van in their parents’ alley every night’.
From popular trend to life-changing revolution
The thing is, it doesn’t really matter if these stories are true or not. I’m sure that some of them are legit and others aren’t, but I think that we shouldn’t really focus on that if these stories manage to light a fire inside us. After all, you wouldn’t stop to go to the movies only because their stories are fictional, right?
We are all constantly looking for role models around us, but we should be focusing on us really, and on our personal journey towards a fuller existence. We should follow inspiring people but then make our own choices, opting for what’s best for us, accepting that it can change under different circumstances. By doing that you can truly start living a more ‘intentional’ life, and cherish every moment you get to experience.
Join me and thousands of people in a journey that will change your life.
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