MINIMALISM IN DESIGN
I am often asked the question: “So, What is minimalism?”It’s a question that comes in from all different angles: from people I’ve just met and from people I’ve known for many years. I usually respond with a short and simple explanation: ” Living with only the things I really need. But I always want to answer more in depth. I always hope they ask follow-up questions that allow me to explain the lifestyle further.
“Simplicity, clarity, simplicity: these are the attributes that give our lives power, liveliness and joy, since they are also the marks of great art.” – Richard Holloway
The characteristics of minimalism
And when they do, I like to add:
MINIMALISM IS INTENTIONALITY.
It is marked by clarity, purpose, and intentionality. At its core, the Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we value most and the elimination of everything that distracts us from it. It is a life that forces intentionality. And as a result, it forces improvements in almost every aspect of your life.
MINIMALISM IS THE FREEDOM FROM PASSION TO POSSESSION.
Modern culture has understood the lie that the good life is found in the accumulation of things, in owning as much as possible. They believe that more is better and have inadvertently subscribed to the idea that happiness can be bought at a department store.
But they are wrong. Minimalism frees you from the all-consuming passion to possess. He rises from the belt of consumerism and dares to seek happiness elsewhere. Value relationships, experiences, and caring for the soul. And in doing so, it finds life.
MINIMALISM IS THE FREEDOM OF MODERN MANIA.
Our world lives at a feverish pace. We are too hasty, too hasty, and too stressed. We work long and passionate hours to pay the bills, but we get into more debt. We rush from one activity to the next, even multitasking along the way, but we never seem to finish everything. We stay in constant connection with others through our cell phones, but true life-changing relationships continue to elude us.
Minimalism slows down life and frees us from this modern hysteria to live faster. Find freedom to unhook. Seek to keep only the essentials. It seeks to eliminate the frivolous and maintain the significant. And in doing so, you value intentional endeavors that add value to life.
MINIMALISM IS THE FREEDOM OF DUPLICITY.
Although no one chooses it intentionally, most people live duplicitously. They live a life around their family, a life around their co-workers, and another life around their neighbors. The lifestyle they have chosen requires them to portray a certain external image that depends on their circumstances. They are launched and rotated by the most recent ad campaign or your employer’s demands.
On the other hand, a simple life is united and consistent. You have learned a lifestyle that is completely transferable no matter the situation. It is the same life on Friday night as on Sunday morning … as on Monday morning. It is reliable, reliable and without fluctuations. It works in all circumstances.
MINIMALISM IS COUNTER-CULTURAL.
We live in a world that idolizes celebrities. They are photographed for magazines, interviewed on the radio and recorded for television. Their lives are held as the gold standard and are envied by many. People who live minimalist lives are not championed by the media in the same way. They do not fit into the consumer culture promoted by corporations and politicians. However, they live a life that is attractive and attractive.
While most people pursue success, glamor, and fame, minimalism claims us with a smaller, calmer, and calmer voice. It invites us to slow down, consume less, but enjoy more. And when we meet someone who lives a simplified life, we often acknowledge that we have been chasing the wrong things all along.
MINIMALISM IS NOT EXTERNAL, BUT INTERNAL.
In our first book, Simplify , we describe 7 guiding principles to help anyone put their home and life in order. The principles outlined in the book have helped thousands find freedom by eliminating much of the physical clutter in their home. The book focuses almost exclusively on the outside of life. And while you help people find freedom from external clutter, you are not taking the next step of helping people find freedom and unity in their heart and soul.
I have learned that minimalism is always a matter of the heart. After external clutter has been removed, minimalism has the space to address the deeper issues of the heart that affect our relationships and our lives.
MINIMALISM IS FULLY ACHIEVABLE.
A minimalist life is completely achievable. My family is living proof. We were just the typical family of four living in the suburbs accumulating as much stuff as our income and credit cards allowed. So, we find minimalism. We have adopted an intentional lifestyle of living with less and we will never be the same again. And we are living proof that minimalism is completely achievable (and unique) for anyone looking for it.
It generally seems to me that those who are generally interested in knowing “what is minimalism anyway” and take the time to ask the follow-up questions are based on lifestyle principles. After all, it offers almost everything our hearts have been asking for all this time.