Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details.
This week we have a wonderful story from Daniel, The Minimalist Kanaka, who tells us how his Hawaiian heritage inspired his new, pared-down lifestyle. Please visit his blog to read more of his thoughts.
Daniel writes:
Aloha, Iʻm Daniel. I was born and raised in beautiful Hawaii and currently reside there. I canʻt say exactly when I discovered minimalism. The Hawaii lifestyle is naturally a minimalist culture. I remember when my brothers and I were young, our favorite toys were cardboard boxes. People would bring my family toys, but my parents ended up passing it to our cousins because we’d rather play with our cardboard boxes. Yes, we were and still are easily entertained.
But over the years, things have changed and the culture in Hawaii changed. I went off to college in 2003 in California and wouldnʻt return back to the islands for the next 10 years (other than visits).
During those years, I lost a bit of myself and my identity. I became unsure of what I wanted to do and felt like I was wasting my time in everything I did. In 2011, I came across two blogs that played a large role in my re-discovery and introduction to minimalism: The Minimalists, and Zen Habits.
I rummaged through their archives and read their posts daily. There was something about minimalism that I felt drawn to. The ideas were familiar but yet new to me. I wanted to learn more.
As I began to question the things I owned: objects, thoughts, ideas, relationships, debt, etc. I realized that I am in complete control of the circumstances.
While growing up in Hawaii, I learned the values of my ancestors of what it meant to live a purposeful life. The two main core values I remembered were:
Pono – living righteously
Aloha – the life force of unconditional love
So in 2011, I went through all of my belongings. At that time my wife and I were living apart while she worked in Hawaii and I worked in California. I got rid of the TV, went through all the kitchenware, decluttered my drawers and closets, created a spacious office and living space, and used a bike for my sole purpose of transportation.
The end result? A feeling of freedom.
But getting rid of objects was the easiest part. I didnʻt even second guess myself when I threw out the TV, and I loved watching ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’. The hardest part I had was getting rid of the mental and emotional clutter.
As a young boy I grew up partially deaf with a speech impediment. And being Native Hawaiian, I dealt with the inferiority complex that many Native Hawaiians deal with still today. I had low self-esteem, went through times when I would freeze in anxiety, and was scared to ask questions with the fear of not being understood or made fun of.
I spent hours writing down my thoughts and ways to how I could personally grow and let go of all the negativity I held within. The more I wrote and reflected, the more comfortable I became with who I am. I started to walk Kū Kanaka, which in Hawaii means to stand and walk tall. I saw my transformation mentally and began to see the changes around me as well.
Now that Iʻm back in Hawaii and with my wife, we are living with my parents (the cost of living in Hawaii is crazy!). My wife is not a minimalist and my parents have the tendency of holding on to and accepting objects because they have a hard time letting go and saying ‘no’. But there is an understanding between us and when we talk about minimalism, they are all very interested but respond with, “I could never do that, it seems too hard.”
One of my favorite quotes is by Miyamoto Musashi, “It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.”
So I write to share my story and thoughts about simplifying life in paradise, living pono, and finding Aloha for yourself and in the world around you. It’s a work in progress and I only hope to inspire other minimalists and people in Hawaii to see the beauty behind minimalism.
Minimalism isn’t just about getting rid of things. It’s also about creating a life that is filled with meaning and value.
Aloha and A hui hou. (Good-bye and Until we meet again)
Daniel, The Minimalist Kanaka
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
Hi Daniel – have you read or heard of the book by Marie Kondo, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up?” She describes the process of only keeping what “sparks joy” or essentially what is useful to you and makes you happy. Perhaps that is another avenue for sharing with your family members about how to simplify possessions and so forth. It becomes then not just getting rid of what you don’t want/use but a positive force to keep what makes you happy. You have to sort of get into it… :-) You don’t even have to buy the book and let it add to the clutter – it’s available as an audio via youtube.com here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKgS0PA3E7s She does point out that when you are an example of minimalism to your family, eventually they get on board. Hope that happens for you! Aloha!
Awesome! thank you so much for the reference and it’s definitely something we’ve been working on as a family.
Hi Daniel.. What an inspiring story, truly! Thank you for taking the time to post this and be open to sharing it with us. You bring a unique perspective to minimalism coming from the culture of Hawaii. Wishing you all the best, and that your wife and family grow to embrace minimalism, too. All the best!
Mahalo Robin, I found through minimalism that although I live in such a beautiful place, many people lose sight of such beauty. Minimalism has helped me reconnect with nature. Aloha
Beautiful, inspiring post, Daniel. Thank you for sharing:)
Aloha Susan. Mahalo for reading.
I think you are absolutely right–getting rid of stuff is the easy part–it is grappling with what minimalism truly means within that is hard like you said “creating a life that is filled with meaning and value.” I think at first when one looks to minimalism we think that decluttering will be the end all–when we clear it out life is somehow going to be perfect–however, when we strip away the stuff we give ourselves time and space to see what is truly happening in our hearts and minds and that is sometimes very difficult. I love Musashi’s quote. Thank you.
https://awellstockedlife.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/simple-parenting-am-i-enough/
Exactly! I think that’s what minimalism is really about – getting ride of the superfluous things in life and creating a life full of meaning and value. If you like Musashi’s quote, you may actually like his Book of Five Rings. Mahalo and Aloha
Aloha, Daniel! Thank you for a beautifully written post! It was what I needed this Monday morning! All the best to you on your journey :)
Mahalo for the kind words and Aloha to you!
I do think it is wonderful that you have an understanding with the people you live with who are not minimalists. And I agree with Gayle that when the emphasis is not on getting rid, but on keeping the things that bring you joy – that’s not difficult for others to appreciate. Best wishes to you.
Mahalo Freda, we’ve definitely had progress and have been slowly getting rid of the things that don’t bring us joy. It’s been liberating for the family as a whole.
So glad your journey has helped you stand tall!
I love that quote too, “It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.” – thank you for sharing.
Aloha, and thank you for reading!
Hi Daniel, what a lovely and inspiring post, I really enjoyed reading it this morning before leaving my house for work – thank you for helping my day start well :)
Aloha Paul, I’m always glad to help people start the morning off strong. Great start to the morning means a great day!
Daniel, I really enjoyed reading about your journey. I liked what you said about mental and emotional clutter and negativity. Congratulations on dealing with those too!
‘Minimalism isn’t just about getting rid of things. It’s also about creating a life that is filled with meaning and value.’ All the best as you continue to do so.
Thank you! it’s definitely been a process but it was very much worth it. Mahalo for reading and Aloha!
In my culture possess things is more important than anything, a materialistic culture, what little I know of the culture of Hawaii, and spirituality is a reason to be minimalist, it hurts consumerism overwhelm the traditions of that culture, the question is what are they your possessions? What use are they? Do they work in your life or hinder ?, if it serves you is garbage.
Daniel
Even though your family may not share your desire for minimalism, we do! You have ohana here! My family has Hawaiian heritage and we lived on Oahu for years, and we found it was so much easier to be minimalists where the cost of living is high: not much $$ left over to fill up rooms, and the rooms you do have are generally small and expensive. We lived in a condo on the beach and made the beach our living room: we were there every day after work. No furniture or pictures to dust, no carpets to vacuum in that living room!
Mahalo for sharing!
Aloha e Teri! Mahalo for the comment and reading my story.
Daniel;
Keep teaching your family to hold on to that what brings them joy and discard the rest. More importantly, enjoy the journey and make great joyful memories that they will hold on to along the way.
Thanks Tony for your comment. We’ve been focusing more on creating joyful memories as a family. Aloha
Hi Daniel! I enjoyed reading your story. I’m from Hawaii too, grew up on Maui, lived on Oahu for 20 years and I’m now back on Maui again. I grew up simply, in a small home, with just a few things. I do feel now like Hawaii, like everywhere else, is a bit more caught up in the bigger is better, status symbols and consumer society. I love design, business and innovation but I’ve gotten over having to own so many things. Less is more! I can also relate to much of what you’ve said here, the true benefits come from removing the clutter from our minds and emotions. We can also make true change in our life when we become more accepting and loving of ourselves. This is true for so many things including finances, relationships and health. Btw, I grew up with a Kui Aipa on Maui, not sure if you’re related or not.
Aloha Tania, mahalo for the read and I like your site as well. The Aipa family is from Maui and it’s a very big family as well. Less is definitely more and makes life much simpler.
Daniel, thank you for the wonderful post — what a great feeling we get when we discover minimalism.
Tania, I’m thinking of retirement in Hawaii but can’t make up my mind on Oahu or Maui. Any comments on the difference betwen the two and which is better (meaning better weather, least expensive, etc.)
Mahalo Denise for the read. It really is a great discovery!
Tania provided a great breakdown of the pros and cons of Oahu and Maui. Aloha!
Daniel,
You have a beautiful story. I too am on a journey (I always call it a journey) toward simplifying my life. I have spent years and years (I’m in my early 50s) defining myself by possessions, academic degrees, promotions, etc, and have never really just enjoyed “being”. I read many stories about minimalism, and have really enjoyed yours. Thanks for sharing.
Steve
Mahalo Steve for your comment. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. Please feel free to stay connected it’s always great to surround yourself with people who appreciate the simple things of life. Aloha!
Hi Denise! The pros of Oahu are: (1) larger and better public transportation (2) more walkable neighborhoods (3) wider variety of culture – art, museums and entertainment (4) more variety in dining & ethnic cuisine (5) a larger population can support a wider variety of events and also hours of operations for many businesses. The cons are: (1) traffic (2) crowds. The pros of Maui are: (1) less people (2) less traffic (3) beautiful beaches (4) casual lifestyle and dress. Cons are: (1) less public transportation with limited routes (2) less walkable neighborhoods (3) certain medical specialists are few and far between. In general Honolulu is more urban but still has beaches, bamboo forests etc while Maui is more rural. Both islands have a large number of mainland transplants but I’d say on Maui, the locals and transplants integrate with each other less than on Oahu. I plan to retire on Oahu. In fact I’ll likely move back earlier than that (I have about 25 more years before I’ll retire). The main reason is I can live in a small apartment on a bus line or within walking distance of a grocery store/dining. As someone who doesn’t have any children I believe Maui would be difficult for me to be alone and a senior. While Maui has many condos, more are in the resort area versus being permanent residents. Oahu also has much more job opportunities for professionals in certain fields but that wouldn’t be relevant for you.
Another reader mentioned the book about tidying up. She talks about respecting your possessions and having room in your drawers. I looked under a sink and found a few things to recycle tonight. Decluttering is the best way to live.
I saw a hoarding show where the hoarder lived in Hawaii, all I could think was they made a mess in paradise. I like to think about living in a smaller space.
Every time I find an article I want to save, I have to find something to get rid of. My daughter brought me a shirt and a jacket to pass on but I think I might keep them and get rid of some other things instead. I am losing weight and don’t want to buy anything new until I have lost a lot of weight. When I retired from full time work at the end of 2002, I started putting on weight slowly. It really added up over the years and now I have a lot to lose.
I gave a pile of art supplies to the children’s room at the public library. There are more I have to give away. My goal is to eliminate half the art supplies I have in the next few months. Some of my art materials are 5 years old.