As usual, I was hours deep in a Netflix session when I saw an interesting cover for a documentary; clean, simple, with the title Minimalism: A Documentary About Important Things. Instantly, I was intrigued. The movement, to me, seemed to be about rejecting consumerism and seeking true happiness from people, experiences, and from within. These all seemed like pretty basic life essentials, yet how many of us are actually attaining this?
Consumerism begins early: turn on the Kids TV network and you will be overwhelmed with ads for toys, snacks, new movies, etc. Although it may not be said bluntly, we are conditioned into believing that newer means better and happiness comes from things. As I looked at my closet, my room, my possessions, it was impossible to ignore that this idea has been embedded into me. As a result, I had a closet packed full of clothing, yet always felt I had nothing to wear.
My curiousity only grew from there, so I decided to see what other people thought about this, and my eyes were opened to an entire community on Youtube dedicated to seeking a path away from the norm. I watched people like Sarah Nourse who moved to Europe with only a few possessions; or Amanda Round the Globe who explained that after a year of minimalism, she realized that she had stopped searching for happiness externally.
By now, you may be wondering what really is minimalism? The basic idea is that instead of believing that you need to buy clothes/tech/etc. to stay in style, you instead only have few possesions that bring you real happiness or purpose. For instance, do you really need five of the same basic tees because they are in different colours? Or do you find yourself buying cheap, trendy clothing just because it’s on sale, only to wear it once and forget about it all together? We all know the horror stories of hoarders, but this cultural obsession with buying things we don’t need is also detrimental.
After watching multiple videos on the subject, I decided to try it out by assessing my own closet. Going into the experiment, I figured it would be easy to let go of the clothes, but I was wrong. I had internal debates with myself over nearly every piece, arguing with the voice that said, “You might need this sequin top someday right?” or “You can’t throw that away because your great aunt Susan gave it to you last Christmas.” In the end, I decided to stick to the minimalist approach and instead ask myself, “Does this piece really bring me happiness? Have I worn it more than a few times in the last year?” Any piece that didn’t pass the test went into the garbage bags. Two hours later, I had filled four and a half bags to be donated.
It’s important to keep in mind, however, that minimalism doesn’t mean completely rejecting society and living off the land. Personally, I love books and handbags and my collection of both bring me joy and peace. The lifestyle does not require you to give up all your possessions, but instead to be more self aware in your purchases and to understand that when you are not weighed down by things, your life will become more simple and free. Imagine all the cool things you can do with that saved money – things that you truly enjoy.
I still have a long way to go in my own personal journey, but I feel lighter and happier already. If you are interested, I suggest doing your own research on the subject; Youtube is a great place to start! Also, be sure to check out Minimalism on Netflix. Find beauty in the simple, HCUBC cuties, and you will be a lot happier because of it.