In case you were wondering why I embrace minimalism or minimalist and simple living in my social media, well it’s not just for the bio’s sake – it’s what I have become and it’s what I’ve aspired my lifestyle to be for life. And just to help you understand where I’m coming from if you’d like to know, here’s my little story.
PRE-MINIMALISM
For so many years now, I had been obsessed with getting rid of my stuff. If I remember it correctly, I started selling my preloved stuff back in 2009. And even before that, I was in to buy and sell (gadgets). I never believed in letting things stay too long with me. Well, at least at that point. Fast forward to 2010, for a year or so, I became attached to material things. I worked way too hard and started to believe in the “I need to reward myself!” idea. I would build up a savings account so that I could afford a MacBook, my own camera, and a nice phone. I had developed a not-so-subtle addiction for gadgets and I didn’t feel so peaceful about it. I hold no judgment for those who do but for myself, this was not the standard I wanted to live by.
THE RISE OF MINIMALISTS
Minimalist, minimalism, simple living – these are the biggest words that came my way a few years before but it wasn’t until 2016 when my curiosity for it had started to grow. I’ve seen the rise of minimalists on social media so fast that it had encouraged me to really embrace the idea. At the back of my mind, there must have been quite a satisfaction you get for having so little! Something I never knew existed because I grew up in a society of more is better and less is a pure lack.
SIMPLE LIVING
Almost every girl dreams about becoming a princess. I used to when I was little. When I was asked to draw my dream house, you would see a two to three story home with so many shining, shimmering splendid kind of things. But as I grow older and study God’s word deeper, I had been confronted so many times about how “it is more blessed to give than to receive!” (Acts 20:35). Not to mention that verse where Jesus told the rich young man, “sell your possessions and give to the poor!” (Matthew 19:21). It’s no surprise that after Jesus said these words to him, the young man walked away in sorrow. These ideas are frowned upon by the world.
A few years ago, I met a wonderful woman named Erin. She was the person who screamed Simple Living in everything she did in spite of the fact that her life has so many demands. She teaches how to systematize your life and how to live simply. Learning from her, and seeing things from my own experience, all the more drew me deeper into minimalism and simple living.
Learning how to be a minimalist and embracing simple living is a journey. And as far as my own experience is concerned, I can only see it blessing me rather than making me feel without. Knowing more about my faith and what the Bible teaches about a true Christian lifestyle is my biggest motivation for this journey. Jesus teaches us to be detached/separated from the world and worldly possessions, to “store up treasures that do not rot” (Matthew 6:19-21) and I think the right mindset of minimalism supports that. Christianity and minimalism for me go well together. It contradicts the false idea of prosperity in Christianity – the exact opposite of what the Bible really teaches. And as I learn more on this, I am more than happy to share it with you with the hopes of helping you learn and become the same.
