What else you couldn’t find at the store today? The lockdown was a rain on the parade for those who cannot settle for less. Well, we have always been told not to settle for less, but today I want you to look at it in another way: the less is more way.
Remember the fast-paced life we used to be a part of, the crazy shopping weekends we would have in our fantasy stores, the daily morning run to a job which most of us were barely counting on for the hard times, the fake persona we were busy wearing with the colleagues at office, the gap in connecting with our loved ones, the fading mental peace and the wellness plans we wished to stick to and woke up every morning just to keep for another day!
The past few months have given us an opportunity to look into our horrifying demands which progressed while the progress was demanded of us. We possessed so much just to lose the focus on the basics we already had. That is where minimalism finds its origins.
Minimalism is a way of intentionally living our lives with only the essential things required to live. And that doesn’t mean one is frugal. It is solely about minimising the resources to those which help me serve my purpose to avoid the straying of my mind in directions I am not supposed to stroll in and focus on what matters the most. Our thoughts might conflict here and we can introspect our needs and values.
We feel that life is about having loads of things and trying to discover happiness in all that. But that’s not even close to the truth because the trajectory to happiness is in building good relationships, accomplishing our goals, care and to be cared for, building reliable friendships and spending quality time on soul-care. It cannot be found in expensive restaurants with a lot of strangers around, making us want to step out at any moment after paying a hefty bill out of our hard-earned money.
Calamity instills the thought of minimalism in all of us. We can learn that more than the material, it’s the emotions we need to possess to keep ourselves happy. We can be the person we are. The burden of long bills from non-essentials is no more a concern. We can slow down, enjoy more and strengthen our inner selves. Our pursuit of the material will never be over if we do not recognise the demarcation between requisites and excess.
It can be accomplished, and that’s what we can try, and make it the new normal. Obviously, happiness shouldn’t be compromised but happiness mustn’t depend on perishables.
‘A new tomorrow awaits with less baggage and more smiles of hope!