Minimalism

My favorite channel to watch is TLC. While turning to the station I came across the TV show Tiny House, Big Living. At first I thought these people were crazy for wanting to live in such tiny spaces so I turned the TV and did not think twice about it. I just thought that people wanted to live like that only because they wanted to travel more. By not having to pay for an expensive house they would have more funds for travel but what I came to discover is that they wanted this lifestyle for something much more. After watching Minimalism I finally understood the reason why people would want to live that way. People want to live that way because they are happy and content with the little stuff that they have. They do not need money or items to make them happier. It is because we live in a world where people are constantly focused on what items or materials they have. I can say that I am quite guilty for this. I am the type of person who likes to keep up with technology and fashion. In the documentary they talked about how we will never be satisfied with what we have. I took a step back and actually realized how much stuff I have that I do not need. I decided to take action on this addiction. I went into my closet and took out all of the clothes that I have not worn in a year. I then put them in a bag an donated them to goodwill. The documentary also talked about two guys who both quit their jobs to become minimalist. I do not think that I could just up and quit my job like they did. I believe that you can be a minimalist with your job that you have with whatever amount of money you make. I do not think that I could be a minimalist but I applaud people who do. It’s amazing how such little things can mean the most.

4 thoughts on “Minimalism

  1. I like where you are going in this post, I feel that many of my hobbies and a lot of my lifestyle choices make for a pretty large carbon footprint, yet I have always been about having a smaller home, and less things. I guess it is because I hate how everything in a big house is such a task, yet when I am someones house that is really big i think: “do you all really need all of this crap?!”

  2. It is great that a documentary touched you enough to lead to you donating clothes to goodwill. It is easy for us to stop realizing how many extra things we truly have. All we really need is food, some clothes and shelter. Of course within that shelter we need running water and electricity-and I can imagine that some minimalists could argue that we do not even need that. It is amazing that these people can live off of the bare minimum which allows them to focus on things that truly matter to them. However, everyone has different passions. If you passion is something like technology or fashion, you should not feel bad for having more than what you need as long as it is within you means. Whatever makes you happy in life is what is best for you.

  3. I love Tine House, Big Living too! Before watching Minimalism I had the same beliefs that these people simply wanted to travel more, but I think your blog post does a great job of explaining the other reasons people are interested in ‘tiny living’.

  4. Thank-you for sharing your thoughts! I agree with Russ though in that you shouldn’t feel guilty about following your passions. You can still follow them while living a sustainable lifestyle. Just like one of the minimalists said in the documentary, if books make you happy, keep them!

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