In My Pursuit Of Happiness

Happiness. Isn’t that what everyone ultimately wants in life? Is it truly possible to achieve? I know that is what I want. Happiness. Now, don’t call me crazy, but I think I’ve found my solution. Minimalism. I first stumbled upon this idea on my YouTube recommendations. At first, I was skeptical. How can someone who throws everything our be happy? While the idea of chucking out my belongings seemed way to extreme, I was still very intrigued. I wondered if minimalism could ultimately lead to my happiness, as it had many others. In retrospect, I can safely say that adapting a minimalist mindset has given me many advantages, from achieving mental clarity and financial freedom, to supporting a more sustainable lifestyle, on my own pursuit of happiness. Two years ago, before learning about minimalism, I felt trapped, even without knowing it.

As Chuck Palahniuk from Fight Club states: “The things you own end up owning you.” They did. I was tied down by all the material possessions that I was unconsciously “collecting.” I never realized that I had so many things I never used and all my attention was put towards material things, and not towards the amazing people I had in my life. When I started decluttering my possessions, I felt a wright lift off my shoulders. After adapting minimalism, the biggest difference I experienced was how easy my daily decision making process was. By trimming away the excess, I can focus on just the essentials. For instance, I no longer have the “typical teenage girl dilemma” of struggling to decide what to wear every morning with my fifty piece monochrome wardrobe. Everything matches. The same concept applies with all other aspects of my life. Making most decisions is as easy as a walk through the park. Now, with a clearer mind and space, I am much more organized. I have more energy and time to put towards activities I either enjoy or value, such as studying, my hobbies and hanging out with my friends. When I was a maximalist, I thought that excessively shopping would bring me joy. I was wrong. I was unhappy. I was blinded by material things. The more I shopped, the more I wanted to buy. To own. To consume. And all I ended up doing was my wasting money and my time. If I did not discover minimalism, the old me would definitely be in debt by the time she reached adulthood from unconsciously impulse spending. Instead, I now put money away towards exciting future experiences, such as travelling. My passion for travelling has been ever growing since I became a minimalist. Most of my possessions can actually fit in a single suitcase. I even created a travel bucket-list, “30 under 30,” to see the best this world has to offer. I want to see the biggest cities and climb the highest mountains on Earth. I want to see all of Europe. From Paris to Prague. I want to see the breathtaking species that exist on this planet.I hope that adapting a more frugal lifestyle will enable me to be financially able to travel. I can buy less stuff now, for a more comfortable future.

Other than achieving mental clarity and financial freedom, I was actually the most intrigued about the positive environmental aspects of minimalism. The maximalist Angelina never cared how her stuff were made and where they went when she threw them out. However, after watching a documentary called The True Cost, I learned the truth about being a First World consumer and the unsustainable and unethical practices of popular companies, such as Nike, Forever 21, and H&M.

So I boycotted them. Because I do not want to support planned obsolescence. I do not want to support child labor or unfair wages. I do not want to support the big corporations that are killing this planet. Minimalism introduced me to a more sustainable way of life. One with reusable versions of disposable products. Waking up knowing that I create a small carbon footprint on Mother Earth makes me happy. With all the benefits of becoming a minimalist, the mental aspect, financial aspect and environmental aspect, I can now focus on what I value in life, my family, my friends, and mt ebooks. I used to feel trapped in a consumerist state, but after escaping and finding freedom, I am living a more fulfilling life, ironically, with less stuff. I am grateful for what I own on my own road to happiness.