Voluntary Simplicity

Minimalist way of life /  by Marco Secchi

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.

Henry David Thoreau

crayon portrait of Henry David Thoreau as a yo...

I have blogged before about my challenge to 100 things. While I still own more than 100 items...if you take off the equations my work stuff, items I jointly owned with my wife....I am getting very close!

A minimalist lifestyle is the one that is free of complications, clutter,confusion and distraction. Its where you have taken your life and streamlined it to make it the most efficient it can possibly be. It is also more of a process than a destination, minimalism is something that you will need to continually work on as many other factors in life are constantly going to try and complicate things for you. Why ? because the rest of the world has not stumbled onto this way of thinking yet. The vast majority still believe that if something is more complex and complicated then it must be better, rather we as minimalists prefer to look for elegant simplicity as the deciding factor of quality.

Minimalist living, in simplest terms, is to live with as less as possible, mentally and physically until you achieve peace of mind. The concept is simple but achieving it is hard. Just look at the the room where you are now or at the desk you are sitting on: how many items does it contain? Is your desk surrounded by papers, notebooks, books, pens and pencils?

What about your closets, living rooms and bedrooms? How much joy does all this clutter bring you? What clutters you physically also disables you mentally.

While I am no expert at living minimally, it is something that I practice. I know how it is when I started and I believe will free you of the excess baggage that nothing else can bring.

What should be your first step? Get rid of excess. Go through your closets and pick out all the things that you don’t need any more. Donate all clothes to a charity of choice. I promise you, this might seem tiring but at the end of it all, you will feel ecstatic for not only helping yourself, but helping others. I will be writing about how to make this process a bit easier.

What was once considered ‘cheap’ (with a negative connotation) is now expressed as ‘minimal’ and ‘smart’ thanks to this economy.

10 Things I do not own

Television,  DVD player,  Stereo system, remote controls,  Entertainment center or TV stand ( No need for it when you don’t have a TV), Car (Ok I live in Venice...quite easy), Bookcase, Coffee Maker, BBQ, Magazine Rack, Video Games.........

5 Minimalist Quotes I love

1. “In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple.”

2. “If you want to become full, let yourself be empty.”

3. “If you want to be given everything, give everything up.”

4. “If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich.”

5. “When there is no desire, all things are at peace.”

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