The Minimalist Experiment

I’ve entered a new phase in my life. I’ve realized that over the many years of life, I have amassed far too much crap.

Crap that just sits there, collects dust and tricks my mind. Tricks my mind into happiness, contentedness, and security. I threw out most things and donated the good ones.

My mom yelled in the background, “What are you doing? This is still good!”

It may be still good but there is just too much clutter in my room. I can’t think with all this noise. Everything just sits there, staring at me.

I was introduced to minimalism recently.

My Definition of Minimalism: The process of having few personal possessions, limiting the need to want.

I don’t need all these things. I’ve held onto these items forever and can’t bare to throw out anything. Do I need them? Everything changed when I went on that donation/throwing out rampage. I’ve kept these items in a vain attempt to physically manifest my perceived happiness.

Most of these things mean nothing to me. I have no real attachment to them, but I still feel the need to have. These items did not bring any happiness to me. And when they did, it was only momentary.

My money and time was invested in physical items that had little or no value and producing little momentary happiness. I’ve kept all the items that I hold dear: books (knowledge), some clothes (personal well-being), and assorted birthday presents (memories/treasured possessions).

Everything else went in the trashcan or the donation box. I feel good. I feel less cluttered. I can finally think and navigate my room with ease. I can breathe easy.

I’ve realized that the more things I had, the more I wanted. Surrounded by clutter, I had the subconscious need to have more clutter.

“What’s one more item in the sea of items?”

I kept spending frivolously on items that did not bring me long-lasting happiness. Now everything changes. I will start to save my money, spending them only on experiences.

I will spend on gifts for friends/family, social events, knowledge and trips. I will save and invest. I will invest in long-lasting happiness and treasured experiences.

I am fortunate enough to have everything I need. For most people, they can’t say the same. Yet, people live on next to nothing and still hold a gleaming smile.

“How? Why?”

People do not need much to be happy and strive. The basic essentials, good friends and experiences are all a person needs. We have been brainwashed by consumerist ideals.

They convince us that we need more things for happiness. A bigger house, a new car, a 100-inch HD 3-D television. In the grand scheme of everything, these things mean nothing.

I realize that now. Those items meant nothing to me. I can live happily without the clutter.

I feel like it has taken me 23 years to realize this one incredibly valuable lesson. I have the rest of my life to look forward too and I feel like this is a major epiphany in my life.

I urge you, my beautiful readers, to do the same. Petty items will not produce long-lasting happiness. They will clutter you, consume you and trick you into happiness. I urge you to live simply and simply live.

Speaking for myself, I already feel at ease. I am experiencing the calming effects of minimalism. Maybe it is just in my head. But, I figure, that’s the only person I need to convince. Myself.

Be bold, be free, and love on.

The Green-Eyed Monster

When I was in elementary school, there was this kid, my friend. For confidentiality, let us call him Q (I very recently watched James Bond, but completely irrelevant).

Anyways, Q had everything. He was good looking; he had money, friends and, the cherry on the cake, any girl to his liking. He was somewhat of a king at my elementary school.

He had his birthday party (I can’t remember which one) at his house. He lived in this massive house with archways, pillars and the whole shebang. We ran around and played with his home laser tag set and dined on homemade tacos. I was brimming with jealousy.

Every night I would go to bed, hoping to wake up in his house, in his bed, in his shoes. I would dream that I was him, surrounded by a mountain of money, girls and friends. I wanted the same fate. Why was I born in this life and him in that? I couldn’t comprehend it.

The jealousy grew inside me and slowly turned into hate and loathing for the world and for him. Before long, that was the only thing I could think of. It consumed me, occupied all my time and distracted me.

Jealousy always comes from a place of insecurity. I was incredibly insecure with myself. I did not feel comfortable in my own skin, I had trouble making friends, and I just felt different.

A) Be Sherlock Holmes

You have to identify where the jealousy is coming from. For me, it came from a lack of physical and emotional control. I felt like I did not have any control of my emotions or actions. It was almost like I was a soulless drone.

There could be one or a multitude of reasons behind your feelings. Be like Sherlock Holmes and connect all the pieces together into an intricate picture. Your lifeblood is at stake here. The circumstances are large.

B) Address it Head On

Approach the person or just do it internally. I don’t know where Q is now, but I never confronted him with my envy. I idled by until high school separated us.

Instead, I identified it internally. I wrote down what made me jealous and why. I’ve found that writing it down helps me analyze thoughts. I had to stop comparing myself to others. I still constantly do that and it is a terrible flaw.

Most people are trapped with the green-eyed monster because they fail to confront it. Instead, they let it fester and grow. Confronting the situation will kill that monster.

C) It Does Not Change Your Circumstances

Envying someone does not have any bearing on you. It just progressively puts you in a more depressed and anxious state. It just pushes you further from your goals.

Being jealous of material possessions does not make it easier for you to attain it. You do not need the latest iPhone or that 80-inch SMART television. But if you do want something, go and get it.

The only thing stopping you is your jealousy.

D) You are Amazing

You have to realize that you are amazing the way you are. You are different, but then again everyone is different. Different is by no means bad.

I view the difference as unique. I am not different. I am unique. The green-eyed monster cannot take hold if you believe that you are unique. With uniqueness comes a whole new set of ideas.

Maybe you want a better nose, but the nose you have now is great. It’s unique; it has a little point to it. It’s cute.

I don’t have mountains of money, girls, and friends but that doesn’t matter anymore. Envying someone that has that just pushes me further away from my goals

I have let jealously control my actions and thoughts for far too long. It is time I let go and focused on myself.

If you have any personal methods to overcome jealousy, please leave your comments below.