Contents

Introduction

Minimalism, what is it all about? And what do we need it for? And how can we be so interested in him that we can devote a whole book to him? Especially when you consider that a lot of books have already been written about him. And this, my dear ones, is our philosophy of life and style based on simplifying and reducing redundant elements in various spheres of life, such as material possessions, lifestyle, design, art. It calls for the conscious choice of only those things that are really necessary to meet your needs and achieve your goals, and the rejection of everything superfluous that hinders the achievement of harmony and simplicity. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Pretty reasonable!

The point of minimalism is to get rid of the excess in order to focus on what is really important. This can lead to less stress, more efficiency, better financial standing, and easier physical and mental space. Why burden yourself with something extra, why incur extra costs, extra responsibility, if you can live easier and in many ways freer. After all, the less you have in your life that is superfluous, the less you dependon it all. And the less headaches you have associated with all this. Minimalism promotes a more informed and conscious lifestyle, helping people find balance and harmony in today’s world overloaded with information and needs.

Minimalism is attractive for a number of reasons, which may be different for different people living a particular life. Here are some of the main aspects that make minimalism attractive:

Simplify your Life: Minimalism offers a way to simplify your life by getting rid of the frills and unnecessary things that can be a source of stress and anxiety. It is very relevant for those who are exhausted by this life, trying to do everything in time, to do everything, to achieve everything. And then, once, an idea! Which says that it’s just not necessary. It is necessary only that and in such quantity that and how much is necessary.

Liberation from materialism: Many people turn to minimalism to free themselves from the constant hunt for material things and needs, sincerely striving for deeper meaning and satisfaction in life. Well, this is our common sense in general. We are not some hamsters who need to fill their lives with things in order to feel calm. Material values are necessary values. But not the most important ones. There are more important things. We’ll talk about them.

Focus on values: Minimalism helps people identify their true values and goals by throwing out all the unnecessary things and focusing on what is really important to them. For example, freedom, love, people. What, isn’t that more important? More important! If you understand this. We will understand this with you. That’s what this book was written for.

Environmental awareness: Reducing consumption and using resources in accordance with the principles of minimalism can help reduce the negative impact on the environment. Well, this is, of course, a global goal, but you may not be interested in it personally. But if a lot of things in your life also feel like garbage, it’s definitely a smart decision to minimize the amount of stuff that goes through you. You just need to tune in to this. And you’ll tune in. That is why this book is provided to you!

Financial Freedom: By reducing expenses and getting rid of unnecessary things, people can achieve financial freedom, having more free time and resources to focus on the important aspects of life. This means not constantly chasing higher incomes, which is still impossible, but rationalizing expenses. Then there will be enough for many necessary things. And most importantly, without spending money on any nonsense, they can be skillfully multiplied, putting, as they say, into action. And not in any junk.

Increasing happiness and well-being: Many proponents of minimalism point out that simplifying and focusing on essential things leads to higher levels of happiness, well-being, and life satisfaction. This is logical. This book will help you understand this. When the passion in life becomes less, it turns out that happinessи is not somewhere where it is most, it is already here, under your nose.

In general, minimalism is not only a lifestyle, but also a philosophy that helps people find balance, harmony and meaning in today’s world, saturated with consumerism and an abundance of information. In order not to let everything in, not to drag everything on yourself, not to overload your life, you can and should learn to do the main thing in everything. And stick to it.

I myself came up with the idea of minimalism at a time when моей жизниthere was too much stress in my life and too much, above all, psychological stress, because of which I began to lose control of myself and various other processes. And I realized, and then in the necessary literature I found confirmation of my thoughts, that life should be filtered, leaving only the important, necessary, and important things, and not trying to grasp everything. We need to get rid of the superfluous, unnecessary things, we need to go to a life free from noise and all sorts of junk, to get rid of any sensory overload in order to live normally, and not in a fuss. And this desire, and then an active desire for such a life, led me to a kind of harmony and satisfaction. Not immediately, of course, I had to go through a lot, review, abandon many habits and passions, rise above the animal essence, but the result appeared. I began to miss a lot of what I had. I no longer tried to have everything, to embrace the vast, to have time everywhere and do everything. Because it is understood that this is not necessary. I left only the main thing as I understoodit, focusing on fewer things and thereby significantly improved my life, simplifying it.

And then, of course, I started helping other people I worked with optimize their lives in a similar way. I promoted the idea of minimalism through the concept of freedom, through finding really important things in their lives with people, through setting priorities. But now, with the help of this book, I will describe the important principles of changing life towards minimalism directly through this very concept. I am sure that many of you who read this book will wonder if you need to have all the things that you already have or want to have, following your instincts and public opinion. Or it is better to live a simpler life, but with more peace and tranquility. Yes, and with greater efficiency.

I think you’ll make a choice in favor of really important things, and you won’t want everything, and even more so at once. So what we’re talking about here is a smarter life. Let’s just say that you are being asked to rise a few steps higher, higher above your animal nature. I’ll explain why to do this, and how to do it. Minimalism is a sensible thing. It leads to the harmony of life. There’s nothing fanatical about it. You don’t have to believe in anything. Everything is verifiable and measurable. Read carefully, calmly, and think about what you read. And something, yes, will change in your life after this reading. Of course, for the better. I won’t recommend anything bad!

Chapter 1. Getting started

The first thing you need to understand for a person who has decided to embark on the path of minimalism is that minimalism is not asceticism, with which it is often confused. As for asceticism, it does not attract many people and, in my opinion, is often an inappropriate extreme. Asceticism may be useful for spiritual development, but it is not very suitable for everyday life. Unlike minimalism. Therefore, these things should not be confused. Minimalism and asceticism do have similar features, but there are still significant differences between them, which include the following points:

Goal and Philosophy: Minimalism generally focuses on simplifying life and focusing on what’s really important, with the goal of achieving balance and satisfaction. While asceticism is mainly focused on the renunciation of material pleasures and focuses on achieving spiritual or religious goals.

Attitude to material things: Minimalism assumes that material things can be present in life, but they should be minimal and serve specific purposes. While asceticism usually involves the rejection of excessive consumption, the excess of which ascetics sometimes see even as a necessary norm, and also it is the refusal to own things, to own them, sinceasceticsютbelieve that material things can distract from spiritual development. This is often the case, the more things there are, the more our minds are focused on them. But in the material world, they are needed, and it is absolutely for the sake of spirituality that to give them up is to go against one’s nature. It may make sense to some, but many people are not attracted to such a life.

Connection to religious or spiritual practices: Asceticism is often associated with religious or spiritual practices, such as prayer, meditation, or fasting, and seeks spiritual purification and enlightenment. Minimalism, while it may include aspects of spiritual practice for some people, is usually not as strictly religious or spiritual. A minimalist can be just an ordinary person, with a car, with an apartment, with other similar things, but he will not work hard to have a large number of them, so that they are constantly updated without any need. A minimalist defines a reasonable standard for himself, which he adheres to. It’s like eating just as much as you need to keep your body in a normal state. And do not eat too much, so that then the stomach hurts and extra pounds appear. But do not starve like ascetics, exhausting yourself in this way.

Aspects of life that apply: Minimalism often covers all aspects of life, including relationships, career, finances, and the physical environment. While asceticism tends to be more limited in its application, it often focuses on spiritual practice and renunciation of material possessions. Therefore, I repeat, minimalists, they are from this world, unlike ascetics, in whom some people see strange personalities.

Although minimalism and austerity have their own unique aspects and goals, they can both be ways of living that aim for a more harmonious and satisfying existence. I do not belittle any of the concepts, I only point out the differences between them and emphasize the most popular approach to life among people — minimalistic, in comparison with ascetic.

And here it is important to see and understand this difference, so as not to be afraid of minimalism, wanting to change your life. You won’t have to walk around in rags and eat scraps if you become a minimalist. Rather, your life will become more reasonable, rational, and efficient. After all, if you cut off all the excess, the rest that is important will get more of your attention.

Having separated minimalism from asceticism, then a person should understand why he needs it. That is, it is important to take into account all the advantages of this lifestyle. A minimalistic approach to life has many advantages. Including the following:

Reducing stress and anxiety: Freeing yourself from unnecessary material possessions and responsibilities can reduce stress and anxiety, as it becomes easier for a person to manage their resources. It’s like not having a hundred kids and then not having to worry about each of them, but having a couple, no more. But those who like it can have a lot of children, then other areas of life will subside. So with minimalism, either a person needs a quiet life, or he will be forced to live in vain and stress. Many people, I know, want peace, quiet, spiritual comfort, they do not need extra tension. Ideas of minimalism can give them all this.

More free time: Fewer things means less time spent on their care, cleaning and maintenance. This gives you more free time for activities that bring joy and satisfaction. But most importantly, this is a time to think about different aspects of your life in general, you can say that this is a time for self-development and increasing awareness. After all, if you fuss, do a lot of things, you just don’t have time to think properly about how you live and why you do this or that. And when you clear your life of excess, you will have more time to think about everything that is in it.

Focus on quality, not quantity: Minimalism allows you to focus on quality relationships, self-care and personal development, instead of striving to accumulate material wealth. This is a broader view of life, a more complete approach to it. It’s like eating a variety of foods, rather than stuffing your stomach with just one thing, no matter how delicious it is. To live only for the sake of material things is to look too narrowly at life, missing out on many other things that are in it.

Saving money: Buying onlyгоwhat is really necessary helps you save money and invest it in more meaningful goals, such as health, travel, education, such as assets that can then make a profit or for charity, thanks to which a person can create a good reputation for himself, many will love and respect him that you can also invest in some business. When you are loved and respected, you will be trusted. Anything is better than buying up all sorts of junk in excess, just to get emotions or completely excessive comfort that relaxes.

Environmental aspect: Less consumption also leads to a reduction in waste and negative impact on the environment, which contributes to the conservation of natural resources and a reduction in the carbon footprint. Well, this has already become a hackneyed topic. Because of our insatiability, we have almost ruined the entire planet. We’re making it worse for ourselves. Then there will be nothing to breathe and nothing to drink, and conflicts may arise over the remaining resources that will not be enough for a barbaric and predatory lifestyle. In general, we gnaw on our planet and spoil it, and we have no other home. And for what? For the sake of new clothes, for the sake of a new car, for the sake of some trinket that we thought was funny? And then tell me that man is a rational being.

Greater awareness and gratitude: Minimalism teaches us to appreciate what we have and find satisfaction in the simple moments of life, which leads to a deeper awareness of the value of life and all that is in it and gratitude for each daythat we are given. Everyone has seen how insatiable and ungrateful greedy people can be. Everything is not enough for them, everything is not the same, real madmen. And how peaceful can be wiser, more conscious people who understand the pointlessness of self-indulgence. You can realize the importance of a breath of air not only when you are sorely lacking it, but also when you think about it properly, having fun about all your fuss. A few minutes without air and you’ll be gone. And without all the stuff you go crazy to buy, you can live your whole life.

Overall, minimalism helps create a more conscious, balanced, and satisfying life in which a person focuses on what is truly important to them. Some say that in this caseя, people will not have enough motivation to live an active life, people will study less, work less, create all the fruits of civilization that make our life more comfortable, we will all become poor and everything will be in short supply. Controversial point. First of all, motivation can always be found, but not in those lowly manifestations of human nature that make him an animal, destroying everything for the sake of the here and now, without any sense and to the detriment of long-term comfort. That’s why the replacement of conditionally old furniture with a new one should be a reason to do something? What, you can’t motivate a person with something more important than this hamster fuss? You can, of course. And secondly, what makes us think that we need a frenzied motivation? What makes us think that progress should be fast? People are already too conservative by nature, any changes cause them excessive stress, so they often resist them, even if it is a positive change in many ways, so why should we drive horses?

Therefore, while all the main advantages of minimalism as an idea of life, they outweigh the disadvantagesthat can come to mind. But the most important thing about this idea is that it is not difficult for people to adopt it, if they agree with it, if they themselves want to livelike this. To do this, you do not need to cut your hair under one comb, you do not need to influence anyone, teach anyone to live, impose something on someone, as in the case of implementing other ideas. Everyone should act this way, this way — there is no such barbarism in this idea. If someone doesn’t want to live like this, it’s up to them. And who wants to, he will be a minimalist and he does not particularly bother anyone. You тут change yourself here, your behavior, your attitude to life, regardless of other people. Others can choke on all sorts of junk, with bulging eyes chasing after all sorts of surpluses, and you will live with enough things, benefits, while being fully satisfied.

Chapter 2. Conflict of Interest

Although I say that the minimalist does not bother anyone, because he leads a more reasonable lifestyle, without encroaching on other people’s goods because of the same greed, but in fact, some people, some forces may see him as a threat to their interests. For example, those who need to constantly sell something, which means that they need active consumers or those who follow the rapid development of the economy, so it is important that people consume more, and other people, respectively, work more and producemore, so they may not be interested in such a person at least. And all sorts of freeloaders, social parasites, just greedy people, want others to work hard, so that these parasites get more from their surplus labor. This is like a boss who wants the employee to not only fulfill the norm, but also over it, so that he, this boss, appropriates this surplus for himself. And that’s why someone who doesn’t need a lotто, who can go through ten years or more in just good pantsто, who doesn’t do any nonsense, like replacing a car with a new one every three or five years, is not only not interesting to those who are obsessed with all sorts of junk, but also can even irritate them. And if there are a lotof them, who doesn’t need too many? It is obvious that society, the economy, and business will have to be rebuilt.

And then there may be a conflict of interest. And it will lead to conflicts. Greedy people will want to use those who have enough to satisfy their greed at the expense of them. Although, if you think about it, looking at the current, even local, even global conflicts, you get the impression that because of greed and insatiability, laziness and stupidity, people already have enough of these conflicts, and these conflicts look more serious, in terms of tension and consequences, than the alleged conflicts due to people’s unwillingness to play consumption and their other vicious games. For some inheritance, relatives can bite each other’s throats much faster than if some parasite is dissatisfied with the fact that he can not climb on the neck of a minimalist who does not want to tear his veins for extra junk. Therefore, no matter how you look at it, people will find a reason for conflicts, they will have interests in neither one nor the other. ТSo you should not be afraid of these conflictsif someone decided to change their lifestyle and become a reasonable consumer, that is, a minimalist. But you need to be able to respond to them correctly. After all, any aggression against you requires a reasonable response. So that they don’t get bitten.

For example, based on my experience, I can say something about women, especially attractiveones, because of which men often strive for too much and even risk their lives for this, getting into various conflict situations. Such ladies are wortha lot and want a lot. They will not put up with the minimum that a man can offerthem, as a reasonable amount of resources for a normal life. A woman will ask for more, especially a crazy woman who is unable to realize her senseless greed. Some of them, let’s put it bluntly, need a donkey that will plow on them from morning to night, for the sake of satisfying all their endless desires. In return, they offer their bodies, which for men who are obsessed with sex is the only valueof life, sometimes the only one, because they do not know about others, they have not fully feltothers. But not for all men, intimacy with a woman is such a great valuethat for her sake they deprive themselves of their freedom. You can live with women and simpler, who have more modest requests, and even better, with like-minded women to live, for whom such a way of life, where you are content with a minimumof om and om необходимого, and not choke on greed, wanting to have everything that is possible, is also a value.

Then you don’t need to do too much for the sake of women and risk a lot, no matter how gorgeous they are, because they are not worth it. But this is if you think rationally. Feelings that arise in people because of attraction, in particular, a man to a woman, usually go against common sense. And women know it. They know that if a man talks about love, then he’s on fire. And then it depends on the woman what she will do with it. Either use it in a parasitic way, or it will respond in much the same way — with feelings. But the man is already on the hook if he has lost his head. Therefore, it is important to try not to expose yourself to temptation and avoid close communication with mercantile and obsessed with material values women. Well, so as not to be lost. Such women do not need a man anyway, he is only a source of benefits for them, a kind of lemon that they intend to squeeze to the last. Therefore, it is necessary tothink ten times whether a man needs such an expensive doll, which not only requires resources in abundance, but even worse-a man is ready to exploit mercilessly and substitutethem for them. And since men often do too much precisely because of women, including committing crimes for them, it is important for a man who has decided to embark on the path of a minimalist to first deal with his relationships with women and with his attitude towards women.

Because there will definitely be a conflict of interest here. If a woman is chasing material goods, she will not get along with a minimalist who does not need much. She’ll either break it, or she’ll take it out and finish it. And then a man will either do something stupid out of emotion, or break up with such a woman, but at the same time there will most likely be a wound in his soul that will prevent him from living a normal life.

Chapter 3. Freedom

The main thing that gives minimalism is freedom! And freedom is valuable in itself. This is a great value that many people do not fully realize, because they are not properly familiar with its taste.It is always relative, subjective, illusory, but when you feel it, when your life becomes less completely unnecessary obligations, debts, restrictions, you definitely become happier. Even the acquisition of expensive and beautiful things, the same houses, cars, fashionable clothes and other things, will not make a person as happy as the freedom thathe will find thanks to minimalism, among other things. Of course, I agree that it all depends on the configuration of the brain. Some people long to be in chains, to feel calm and comfortable, because this worldview was instilled in them with their mother’s milk, because they are used to unfreedom. And even if they have to plow for ten people, they consider it normal, because they have not seen anything else and do not know. But a life free from the burden of unnecessary responsibility is better, because such a life is easier and calmer, as well as more diverse and beautiful. When you’re chasing more things, more possessions, you’ll never get enough. This is an objective law of life, which is expressed in the subjective experience of each person, who is always not enough. Getting rid of the feeling of dissatisfaction is like starting to breathe deeply.

So when people who have earned enough money to provide for themselves with the most necessary things, say that they still have little money, then we can safely conclude that they will always have littlemoney, no matter how much they do not haveit. And they don’t get it often. Therefore, they will always suffer, no matter how much they receive. They will live their entire life or most of it in a state of dissatisfaction. And this state will not differ much from a similar state that occurs when a person really lacks the means to live, when the necessary resources are not available and he is simply forced to suffer. The situations are different, but the feelings are very similar. This can also be understood by the crazy things that people do because of dissatisfaction. For example, people who, for example, lost five out of ten million, according to my observations, are more likely to attempt suicide or do something else crazy withделатьthem than people who simply have nothing to eat. ПBecause the contrast of emotions is different. Negative emotions are stronger when you lose something than when you don’t have something.It always hurts more to fall from the top than from a small height.

So, financial freedom and mental freedom are two different things. One doesn’t necessarily lead to another. Otherwise, many people advertise financial success многие, as something perfect, instilling in people that if they разбогатеютget rich, and it doesn’t matter how, then everything, their life will become paradise. But nothing like that. Not only do people get rich in various ways, some of which make their lives dangerous and stressful, but the sword of Damocles begins to hang over them, so the state of mind may not change after you have the most. You will still be hungry to much and suffer, you will be nervous, as if you have nothing to eat, there is nothing to feed the children, you are not at home, you live in the basement.

But the minimalist knows for sure that the state of mind is primary, the rest depends on him. If you are determined to feel good, you will not beannoyed by the fact that your apartment is not big enough or does not exist at all, that you can not afford all the things that advertising imposes on you, that you are a beggar just because you do not consume according to some rules. there are standards. You will understand that your sense of happiness does not depend on it. It depends on your ability to be content with what you need and, if possible, to acquire and achieve more, just to the extentthatit is boring, so that you do not become a slave to money and do not confine yourself to the fact that the pursuit of resources has become an end in itself. You don’t have to chase luxury, you don’t have to chase fashion, but you won’t go without pants, of course, because it’s not poverty that drives you, but a sense of proportion. The golden mean for you will be a lifestyle that will give you freedom from different extremes. You are not a poor man who can’t afford anything, but you are not a rich man who is all business, all worries, and only formally considered more free, but in fact many and many are on the hook.

How does minimalism lead to freedom? Not all people see the connection between one and the other, unlike, say, the connection between wealth and freedom, when you can afford almost anything you want. But there is such a connection. It points to the most important symbol of freedom-choice. It all starts with a person telling themselves or coming to the realization that they don’t owe anyone anything. He should not be rich, successful, have some property that is difficult for him to get, should not meet anyone’s requirements and standards. He has the right to live as he likes. Of course, if a person does not live in such a country, in such a society where people are forced to meet certain standards, although even in this case he can find an opportunity to change his place of residence so as not to adapt to such requirements, then in a normal society he can choose to fight for more and more resources and greater influence by never being complacent or living in a calm, measured way, having what you need. That is, in the matter of freedom, it is important to understandthat you don’t owe anyone anything. This already expands your choice of how to live.

They may force you to do something, threaten you, intimidate you, or use force on you, and I may bribe you, lead you to the right actions, including through manipulation, but this in no way means that you have to do something. There is no debt. There is forced submission, yes, when someone who is stronger forces you to do something that you don’t want to do, and everything else is a matter of choice. But strength is also relative, for every force there is another force, every force can be outplayed and any force, for example, the same power of wealth, it is also dependent, like weak people. Therefore, there is no complete comfort at any level of the social hierarchy, everywhere there are difficulties, fears and problems. But when you choose a certain way of life, in particular, realizing that you do not owe anything to anyone, so you can not do what you can afford not to do, you enjoy the freedom of choice and it brings you satisfaction. And there are still no guarantees about anything else.

If you want to, you should owe someone something, but if you don’t want to, don’t think about any debts and don’t accept them. Minimalism, as a means of purifying the mind, both from your own passions and from other people’s suggestions and manipulations, is an excellent option for a free life. This concept, idea, way of life tells a person that you can afford to live easier, more interesting, calmer, freer, happier, but whatever you want to call it and perceive it, the main thing is that you can afford such a life себе. Just do not do like others, live by your own rules, the essence of which is not to be a hostage to your passions. And such a life will be smart enough, because a person will make an informed decision, deciding to tame their passions and not succumb to the influence of others in order to live a more comfortable life for themselves. It is not forced to fight for some heights, it is not forced to strive for success, which is available to everyone, but which, obviously, not many will achieve. To tear or not to tear the veins for the sake of excess is a human right, which he can consciously give himself.

All the examples I know of in this area, when people consciously became minimalists, not because someone said, set an example, and you just repeated it without thinking, but because they thought about this idea properly before following it, indicate that a person sees benefits from such an image life. This idea does not say that you should live this way and that, it says whether you want to live like this, so that… well, then the person decides for himself why he needs it. No one will forcibly drag a person into such a life. Well, except when the authorities cannot feed their people because of their unwise policies and therefore force them to live modestly, contrary to the wishes of the people. But this is not minimalism, this is, you know, a forced measure, this is an imposed ideology, propaganda of the life of society that is beneficial to the authorities, which has nothing to do with freedom of choice. And so, to understand that by giving up too much, you free up, at least, time for more important things, this is something that anyone can do.

In a world where people use violence, fear, and manipulation to constantly force each other to do something in order to use each other, this «whether you want to livelike this» seems like a completely humane proposal. It reflects respect for the freedom of people, no matter what, but freedom when a person has a choice of how to live. If you don’t want to be a minimalist, don’t. You can choose a different life, you can упахиватьсяget drunk, strive to meet someone’s requirements, expectations, desires, you can choke on something, constantly envy someone and hate someone, because they have more, better, more beautiful, this is your business. Or you can define a reasonable measure in everything and stick to it. And at the same time, pay more attention to what is important, and all this mouse fuss, just as much as is required. This is the freedom of our life, when you don’t even have a choice, but feel it.

Chapter 4. Children

Now let’s talk about children. Some people with whom I talked on the topic of minimalism told me that if one person does not need so much, then for the sake of children, for the sake of their bright future and a normal present, you still need to try to work more and better, in order to earn money properly, to pay for everything they need, for example, the same education, without which you can’t get a normal job in life, all sorts of toys, good food, medicine, and so on. It sounds reasonable, but there is an important point that people do not take into account when talking about the duty to children.

This important point boils down to the fact that a person who invests more than necessary in their children simply deprives them of the motivation to take care of themselves. He feeds them, spoils them, prevents them from becoming stronger, so that they can fight for the necessary benefits, and not wait for some handouts from someone, just as they learn to expect this from their parents. After all, when you get used to feeding by hand, you will not be able to feed yourself later, without the help of the owner. And the owner can get caught very bad. Maybe you will live a normal gray life, modest, mediocre, but it is unlikely that it will become happy for you, primarily because you are not the masterin it. Of course, children should eat normally to grow up healthy, they should be taught if they get sick, medicine should be of high quality, this is all obvious. But they don’t necessarily have to eat deliciousfood. You don’t necessarily have to eat too much, especially with all that advertised stuff made out of beautiful tea bags. And if we talk about the benefits, then what, do children who are given money for food eat healthy? Yes, they buy themselves all sorts of nasty things, although they have the opportunity to buy something useful. In the same cafes, they eat garbage food, which does not add to their health, but reduces it.