I encounter minimalism
A few minutes ago, I was scrolling through the shopping app. I was thinking about buying a doll that is like Barbie but of another brand. I spents hours looking at different box sets and beautiful dresses for a doll. And I was trying to decide on which doll I would like to buy. However, at the last moment I deleted every item that I had liked. Somehow deep down in my heart, I knew that this had to stop. First of all, I have already ordered some stuff which I still need to pay. Secondly, if I ever start something, it will just go on and on and on. It would be hard to draw a line.
It has happened so many times that I had gone crazy and purchased lots of things because of a new hobby. Here is the history I have with binge shopping. I started buying lots of comic books over time when I was in elementary and middle school. Later I got rid of them after I lost interests in them except for the classics like Sailor Moon series and Lady Oscar series. I had several bookshelf-full of comic books. I spent money on Game boy games for a short period of time as well.
Later I began collected or accumulated books and magazines that I thought I would read. Thank God that I am not a real hoarder because I like things to be organized. I would always try to get rid of things if I have no space or simply I lose interests in them. I was trying to define my self through buying books and magazines. Well, how can I forget about those CDs and movies. Boy, I had quite a lot of them! Later in my college days, I started collecting books of christian faith. I had lost count how many "bibles" I had! I only needed a few if not one! And about a year ago I started collecting fish, shrimps, turtles and aquarium plants. Yup, real living things. I still have turtles but I have managed to keep only 7 and I don't plan to get any more! As for the fish, shrimps and plants, they eventually died at different times.
Let's move on to instruments. I bought 5 flutes, 2 harmonicas, 2 ukeleles, 1 guitalele, 1 keyboard and 5 guitars but I have got rid of them and keep only a guitar and a kalimba I recently purchased. Beside that my recent ventures have been Sylvanian families toys and board games. I don't want to recall how much money I spent on them and how little money I got for selling them later.
There is another "thing" I also purchased for quite a lot and which is travelling. Travelling is a great thing and experience itself but it is not when you feel extremely lonely and trying hard to enjoy the trips. The best time I had in trips were always when I interacted with people. And those are the memories that I cherish the most.
After I learned about minimalism, I have decluttered 80% of my possession. I still do buy things but I have learned to question the things and purpose of buying each item. Because the best things in life are not things. I grew up learning to fill the void in my heart through buying things. There is some reasons behind it. There is lack of communication and emotional expression in my family. Anything we talk about is pretty superficial. And no one dares to go deeper. And I learned to binge shopping through my parents especially my mother who usually buys plants, clothes and art items.
I am glad that I was able to step back and stop this cycle right before I was about to start it. Because of the realization I have now, I am even going to declutter more, especially the things that I didn't want to let go of. I am really thankful that God brought me to minimalism last year. It has been a journey of learning about and freeing myself. It is a journey not really about getting rid of things or even what to keep but to know who I really am. And that I don't need to do what others do. It is kind of like being brain-washed. When I got hooked with some new hobby, I became so obsessed with it. Finding passion in something is a great thing itself but not if you are more into being known as enthusiast in something or having something to chase out of whim instead of actually doing what you love.
It is time to stop going after one thing after another thing. It is time to embrace who I really am and start living it.
It has happened so many times that I had gone crazy and purchased lots of things because of a new hobby. Here is the history I have with binge shopping. I started buying lots of comic books over time when I was in elementary and middle school. Later I got rid of them after I lost interests in them except for the classics like Sailor Moon series and Lady Oscar series. I had several bookshelf-full of comic books. I spent money on Game boy games for a short period of time as well.
Later I began collected or accumulated books and magazines that I thought I would read. Thank God that I am not a real hoarder because I like things to be organized. I would always try to get rid of things if I have no space or simply I lose interests in them. I was trying to define my self through buying books and magazines. Well, how can I forget about those CDs and movies. Boy, I had quite a lot of them! Later in my college days, I started collecting books of christian faith. I had lost count how many "bibles" I had! I only needed a few if not one! And about a year ago I started collecting fish, shrimps, turtles and aquarium plants. Yup, real living things. I still have turtles but I have managed to keep only 7 and I don't plan to get any more! As for the fish, shrimps and plants, they eventually died at different times.
Let's move on to instruments. I bought 5 flutes, 2 harmonicas, 2 ukeleles, 1 guitalele, 1 keyboard and 5 guitars but I have got rid of them and keep only a guitar and a kalimba I recently purchased. Beside that my recent ventures have been Sylvanian families toys and board games. I don't want to recall how much money I spent on them and how little money I got for selling them later.
There is another "thing" I also purchased for quite a lot and which is travelling. Travelling is a great thing and experience itself but it is not when you feel extremely lonely and trying hard to enjoy the trips. The best time I had in trips were always when I interacted with people. And those are the memories that I cherish the most.
After I learned about minimalism, I have decluttered 80% of my possession. I still do buy things but I have learned to question the things and purpose of buying each item. Because the best things in life are not things. I grew up learning to fill the void in my heart through buying things. There is some reasons behind it. There is lack of communication and emotional expression in my family. Anything we talk about is pretty superficial. And no one dares to go deeper. And I learned to binge shopping through my parents especially my mother who usually buys plants, clothes and art items.
I am glad that I was able to step back and stop this cycle right before I was about to start it. Because of the realization I have now, I am even going to declutter more, especially the things that I didn't want to let go of. I am really thankful that God brought me to minimalism last year. It has been a journey of learning about and freeing myself. It is a journey not really about getting rid of things or even what to keep but to know who I really am. And that I don't need to do what others do. It is kind of like being brain-washed. When I got hooked with some new hobby, I became so obsessed with it. Finding passion in something is a great thing itself but not if you are more into being known as enthusiast in something or having something to chase out of whim instead of actually doing what you love.
It is time to stop going after one thing after another thing. It is time to embrace who I really am and start living it.
Comments
Post a Comment