"You can never have too many shirts!"
It's something I've said too many times to count, and I know I'm not the only guilty one. I love going shopping, having new clothes to choose from, another makeup pallet, the best new iPhone. Little do we all know, we are trapped in the cycle that tells us we can never have enough. So what if we just had enough?
Last week, I came across a documentary on Netflix that interviews and follows a few people who have chosen a lifestyle that values experiences and relationships as opposed to things. My take away from "Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things" was mostly that as consumers, we do sometimes jump to buy things, a lot of things, we don't always need. We have a multitude of material things that are not necessities, which we think will make us happy, but in reality, they don't always do. We live in a society that prides itself off its possessions. There is a constant need to have the newest and the best of everything. The documentary made the argument that less is more and that living that way can set you free and bring you happiness.
This idea intrigued me.
Retail therapy never really worked and the idea that you can find happiness in freeing yourself caught my attention. I was actually inspired to be a little less materialistic and a lot more focused on doing the real things that made me happy, like being with the people I love, going on dumb college adventures, and writing. Let's be realistic, though, we can't all just go through everything we own and fill up half a dozen trash bags with things to donate to the local goodwill. So where to start?
It begins in the mind. Yes, you can go ahead and dispose of the abundance of shirts you never wear and the old CDs you haven't been able to part with, but just throwing away old stuff isn't going to change your life. The first thing that is important to understand is that minimalism isn't about getting rid of all your possessions, but rather removing yourself from the culture that demands you constantly consume more. It is about putting less stress on material things, and more on the things that really matter, like relationships, passions, and dreams.
I think everyone I know could have a little more of this mindset. It is easy to get caught up in the superficial and lose sight of your purpose. Purpose. An important word, especially for those of us currently pursuing a piece of paper unlocking a multitude of possibilities in the lovely institution known as college. Whether it is being successful in your career, raising a family, or just spreading love, living with purpose helps lead to happiness. You may not know what your purpose is, but I can promise it's not to waste your time trying to impress people who don't matter.
As millennials, we need to change this consumer culture. We have the power to do it. Let's empower more people, create more art, and spread more love. We can change the world, but we aren't going to do it by buying one more shirt.
If you read this article and take from it anything, make it be this: stop worrying so much about what you have and start focusing on what you can do. Put down your phone and hug somebody today. I promise you it will be more fulfilling.
"Love people, not things. The opposite never works." -The Minimalists
