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.
Today, it’s such a pleasure to feature Karen, who’s written a beautiful and inspiring piece about why she’s a minimalist. Please visit her blog to read more of her thoughts.
Karen writes:
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’ve been on this minimalist journey for more than a decade. Minimalism has become part of who I am, and occasionally I’m asked about why I’ve chosen this lifestyle. Over time I’ve come up with several answers to that question; maybe one or more of them will resonate with you.
1. I want to be satisfied.
I grew up with a mother who was never satisfied. She always wanted a better car, a bigger house, trendier clothes, a more enviable vacation. My dad worked 60-70 hours a week to make it happen, and still she was never satisfied for long.
I choose to be satisfied with what I have. As long as my family’s needs are met, I’m grateful for any extras, and I don’t want to chase after more.
2. I want to feel secure.
My husband and I have been in debt, and we’ve been out of debt, and it’s easy to say which state I prefer. There is no security like that of being debt-free.
3. I want to be generous.
Minimalists spend less than they earn because they’re not trying to buy their way to satisfaction. Spending less means it’s possible to save and give more. I love feeling that I have money to spare so I can bless someone else. To me, having room in my budget for generosity is the ultimate wealth.
4. I want to have time.
Owning less (and living in a smaller home) means I can keep my house clean and have fewer chores every evening and weekend. Shopping less saves money, but it also saves time and energy for other things. Minimalism gives me more time to pursue interest, hobbies, relationships, and new opportunities.
5. I want to follow a different path.
The relentless branding of our world depresses me. I don’t want a Disney-fied world, and I don’t want Google or Amazon to invade my home and make it “smarter.” The pursuit of happiness is on a different road than the pursuit of possessions, and I want to be on that “road less traveled.”
6. I want to understand myself.
Minimalism requires me to choose, and to do that I need to understand what matters to me. Minimalism made me question assumptions I had made about my goals and purpose; in fact, it became clear that some goals (such as career advancement and home ownership) might possibly divert me from my real purpose. This isn’t true for everyone, but it was true for me. Minimalism helped me uncover the real me.
7. I want to feel blessed.
It’s easy to feel blessed when you appreciate the belongings, opportunities, and relationships you already have. It’s impossible to appreciate the things you have if you’re constantly obsessing over the things you don’t. This doesn’t mean you can’t have goals or aspirations, just that they aren’t driven by a false sense of deprivation or entitlement.
Minimalism has helped me achieve all of these things, and I think it can greatly improve your life too. Blogs like Miss Minimalist, Becoming Minimalist, and Zen Habits have been very helpful to me over the years. I invite you to visit my blog, www.maximumgratitudeminimalstuff.com, where I write about joy, contentment, purpose, and all things minimalist. I’d love to have you join me as I explore living with less clutter, busyness, and stress in order to make room for all the best things in life.
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or joining my email list.}
I love all your reasons, but #1, I want to be satisfied, really resonates with me. Once I stopped wanting bigger and better and more, I became a much happier person. Thank you for writing this, I look forward to reading your blog as well.
Thank you, Lea M. It took me a long time to learn I COULD be satisfied. When I was younger, I always had a sort of running list in my mind of the things I wanted to buy and do. Like I said, there’s nothing wrong with having goals (in fact, accomplishments of whatever stripe arise from goals), but my goals were skewed. They didn’t make me happy, and they didn’t make me a better person. Learning to be satisfied took me down a path which has been so much better for me, for my marriage, and I hope for my kids and others as well.
This is one of my favorite Real Life posts. I can relate to all of these. Minimalism has also made it possible for me to give more (both money and time), which is very important to me. I am glad to be on this “road less traveled” too.
Your comment made my day, minmarie! Best wishes as you continue to discover what brings the most joy and value to your life.
Beautiful list, Karen! I especially love how you weave in generosity – the opposite of greed + consumption. Also how minimalism has helped you know yourself better…and what you truly long for. Lovely!
You’re so right, Dana. I think as more of us turn from greed and consumption toward generosity the world will become more lovely. Best wishes.
One of my favorite posts! You seem like you have a very full and “rich” life without an abudance of possessions! I am striving every day to become more of a minimalist! Thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you, J! I’m so grateful for all of the inspiration I’ve received over the years from books and blogs like MIss Minimalist. I’m thrilled if I can pass a bit of it along.
#6…yes yes yes!!! To me, the 1st step in minimalism is always getting rid of the stuff. The hardest step is then dealing with their stuff that’s in your head and all the stuff that deals with yourself, on a non material level. Lookong forward to reading your blog!
I hear you, Heather. Sometimes getting rid of the stuff is the “easy” part. It’s the thoughts and emotions and worries that come bubbling up during the minimizing process that can really be a challenge to deal with. But it’s always worth it.
I loved this and can completely relate to it.
Thank you Karen :)
Thanks, Penny. I’m glad it was meaningful to you.
We are coming back from a 10 day Caribbean cruise. Again, we each took a carry on bag and a small tote. People in the line behind us at Customs asked how we did it. A load of laundry aboard was $20 and we did wash once. I still had a pair of slacks and 3 shirts I never wore. Next time I will bring an extra over the head sweatshirt. We are coming back to record cold and I was prepared for the 20’s. Most people brought one large and one small bag. My friends asked if I was going shopping for my cruise. I brought back some pictures, handmade recycled paper, and some coral from a parking lot for my bowl at home. There were people shopping like mad at each port. There were also people gambling which I never do except the occasional $1 lottery ticket.
Our friends just moved to a retirement community. We went to see their new place. My DH liked how big the closets were. I have not even 1/5 the clothes of my friend. Of course, he wants to buy new furniture and new carpeting after seeing their place. I would go much smaller and I get rid of a pile of stuff each week.
We are still giving away as much as we can. My younger son took four big bags of his books and games home. We emptied another big bookcase to get rid of. I am filling two bags for a food bank. I bought a purse for fall at a local thrift shop. I am giving an old one away. I was at the thrift shop looking for a red, gray or navy cardigan to wear this fall. I have my daughter a black one I had. I have a purple and a black sweatshirt but they are not dressy. We have a lot of places to go.
My neighbor threw a bag of clothes in the trash. He said he was too busy to go to Goodwill. I took 3 polo shirts for myself and the rest of the stuff went to the food pantry or Goodwill. In the past week, I have taken a big box of dishes to Goodwill and a bunch of craft supplies to the library. I also gave money to the Toys for Tots. I got an orchid from my neighbor which now lives at the local museum.
We are home with the pandemic all around. My daughter goes back to work Monday. Since Goodwill has been closed, I have six big bags of dishes and storage items I have pulled from my kitchen cabinets. I have two boxes of books for the library. Then there are all the craft items, baseball caps and underwear for the local food pantry. I have one wall just full of things we don’t need. I also have linens for the veterinarian. I can live with less.