Practicing Essentialism in Life

Talk about 'essentialism'..haha...use the lights sparingly

Lately, I watched a video about how the book on Essentialism impacted her life when she read the book in the past but when she went to Korea, it kinda went out the window and she started to buy many many things that caught her fancy. So it made her feel guilty because she spent a lot on things. Her husband, on the other hand, was a more careful spender and tried not to buy a lot in Korea. And he can use the same thing for many months, let's say a pair of shoes, until it had holes and instead of buying a new pair, sent those shoes for repair.

Someone I followed on IG, had a posting on her shoes, which was the only pair she had been using for the past 2 years. It started to have a hole that got bigger and bigger and the soles were totally worn off that she often slipped. One day, her friend, whom she had been using as a pillar of support like literally, just had enough of her slipping and sliding especially nowadays during wet weather and the floor is wet. She dragged her to a shoe shop, made her buy a similar looking pair, and then suddenly, her world just opened up on what a difference a new pair of shoes made to her life.

Back to the first story, so the shopping came about because where she came from, there was really nothing to shop. So it justified why she went a little cray cray at Korea with shopping. 

But tying back to essentialism, there are people who take it a little up to extreme by only buying things that are essential in their life and they call themselves 'minimalist'. For myself, I have cut down on buying things over the years because I really hate to spring clean and find endless things to throw out. But I also don't get how I accumulated them over the years because I didn't really buy that much because money was always tight. It's just that I get influenced easily like buying make up products recommended by you tubers online or Instagram. Then I also buy many stickers and papers that also accumulated because I don't get to use all of them and I have this 'some day' mindset where I thought that these stickers would be used some day.

I liked how the girl opined that essentialism is not only buying material goods. It can also be applied across in life such as our relationships, health and self care. What is considered essential in life like what do you consider essential to have a good health. Say, by cutting down on unhealthy food and focusing on food that do wonders for your health. What do you consider to be essential in having a good relationship. For example, open communication, care and concern and occasionally asking your friends and family how they're doing in life.

So it's about having the right focus. It makes us appreciate life more. We cut down on things don't let us 'grow' but rather on things that help us develop to be a better person in life. I subscribed to two things (besides Netflix coz that is an 'essential'..lol) that I make a monthly payment of and at times, I toy with the idea of giving them up, and actually I did for a month but later re-subscribed to a different plan. I feel that it's not wrong to buy shoes, make up, stationeries or signing up for short courses, which is essentially me. But not when I keep them, forget their existence or hardly make full use of them. 

For the lady with the 'slip and slide' shoes, she was trying to emulate a religious figure who lived on the barest necessities. She would rather focus on strengthening on her spirituality, rather than give in to materialism. I also have a colleague who has been eating just a jar of oatmeal for every lunch and not wanting to eat with the rest. She used to buy like bread at least but not anymore. She's totally in her own world.

I don't want to criticise them because everyone has their reasons for doing things. It may seem extreme to us but if makes life better for them, such as saving money for better things or a trip overseas, then it's just how some people choose to focus. But personally, I don't believe in depriving ourselves to such extreme and then end up being miserable or isolating ourselves from other people, you know. To have some varieties in life unless of course.

Hope this post gives you some insight on 'essentialism' and let's go into 2020 with the right mindset, okay? :))