LIVING A MEANINGFUL LIFE- Minimalism By Sharon Gibson

The essence of a minimalist lifestyle

This topic will get your mind renewed and change your perspective on how to live in a fast paced world. I will elaborate on the importance of creating your own life standards and redefining what success truly means to you. You will get to understand that you have the purchasing power and you should not be swayed by trends or norms in our society. My goal in writing this article is to help you create the life you want from a place of innermost comprehension and knowing of who you are.

Most people want to find their purpose and be happy; they are constantly wondering how they can make a higher living to fit societal standards and acceptance. There is a deeper longing to be of significance to the world; searching for ways to fill their lives with joy and contribute to the lives of others. This ,however, is a programming we all believe to be true and once we do not know our purpose or are not contributing in anyway to the world, we feel lost and unfulfilled. Everyone seem to?be in a rat race, we all want to be society's definition of what success means which puts us in a lifetime trap where we do not get to experience the fullness of life.

Life is like a sinusoidal curve where we get to witness the opposite of everything; negative and positive, the ugly and beautiful, the good and bad. Coming into this world is not by choice but by those involved in procreation. As an adult, you are entreated to navigate life by yourself with some external help who probably do?not have a voice of their own. Adulthood can be extremely difficult to the point where more than 700,000 people die by suicide each year according to 'World Health Organization'. We feel an enormous amount of pressure to be someone of importance, having a life filled with accomplishments. Unfortunately, the contrary is a taboo.

What really is the meaning of life to you? You have got to ask yourself deep questions. Personally, I am on earth to live, experience the fullness of life and do what I love. It is my believe that everyone has something special within which has been deposited in every human by the divine being. Pierre Teilhard said 'We are spiritual beings having a human experience'. This French philosopher made such a profound statement that changed my life forever and made me view myself bigger than I think I am. Our thoughts limit us which is why we fall prey to the schemes of the world.

It is necessary for us to unplug from all the noise around us in order to discover what we possess and truly want. If you were asked 'What do you love to do? Why do you want to succeed in life? What does success look like to you? Do you really need all the things you have? and finally, how can you live a significant life meaningful to you?. In all sincerity, what would your answers be? Think about it!

Your Perspective On Life As A Minimalist

Appreciating what you have

Redefining Life.

A life of contentment starts with zero expectations which is a little unrealistic for most of us. We expect our lives to pan out the way we imagine, looking forward to a better tomorrow than our past and present situation. In a case where we lived poor or average, finding it hard to meet our basic needs or enjoy a little luxury in life; we create a wild imagination about life that puts a lot of pressure on how we live with respect to the work we do, never getting satisfied with our accomplishments.

As a minimalist, you need to be focused on what you need and let go of your wants. Trying to make up for a childhood you did not enjoy or an adulthood you hope to live to the fullest? should not come with a burden. You need to get into the mindset of 'I already have everything I need'.

Back in the University, as an economist student, I got to learn about humans and their consumption behavior; tends to be intriguing to know that if you are not intentional about your life needs, you will keep accumulating things because human wants are numerous, never ending. Contentment is the key to making the most of what you have while working towards becoming a better version of yourself without concentrating on possessions.

Gratitude is an attribute needed to live a meaningful life that brings joy, only interested in what truly matters. A practice of contentment makes it easier for you not to succumb to the noise around you where society hastily generalizes every human behavior, want and fulfilment to be the same. Personally, I do not think getting married will neither give me a sense of fulfillment nor is it a need in my lifetime but whenever I make my desire clear to others, I am greatly opposed. In all honesty, I question my decision from time to time, however, during my quiet time when having conversations with myself, I get excited of who I am becoming and how I plan to live without marriage; just the thought of it feels so satisfying and peaceful. The length at which I love the relationship I have with myself is immeasurable to the point I got a tattoo boldly written on my right hand 'Je m'aime' translated in English as 'I love myself'.

Most people misunderstand me because of my opposition to most of societal rules and expectations especially the fact that I am not adhering to the programming where everyone feel like they need a partner. My saving grace was moving to a first world country and renting an apartment where I get to decide who I choose to spend time with in any given day.? You must be bluntly honest with yourself no matter how scary that looks or unaccepted it is in your environment.

Get away from everyone's opinion at least once in your adult years, and ask yourself what you truly need out of life. My home is a safe space where I unplug thus I hardly invite anyone to come visit, therefore, making it an intentional decision on who does. This gets me away from any distraction or opinion that would create confusion as to the life I want for myself.

I can not emphasis enough how important it is to be intentional about your life, specifically the things you possess. You have the purchasing power, no one puts a gun to your head to buy anything unless you are being frauded or robbed. Making up for a life that was not pleasurable in the past does not mean you have to get anything that crosses your mind. Fun facts, the more you have the more you worry because you try to finds ways to sustain it and in some cases, you have anxiety that you could lose what you possess.

Acknowledge that life is filled with uncertainties thus, no matter how rich or independent you get you are still going to face challenging times. The things you buy should not be influenced by societal pressure but rather from a place of inner most desire.

Material acquisitions do not bring us happiness. I am the happiest in my studio apartment with no Gucci, haha! Doing the things I love on a daily basis fills my life up, I certainly aspire for an upgrade in due time, on the other hand, I am super focused on today's blessings. One of my deepest desires is to get a dog and for that reason, I am hoping to get a bigger apartment. The accumulation of things should not be for the measure of success but because you have a tangible reason as to why you need it; what you own must have value in your life, not just occupy space.

Life is a gift which is why I make the most of it by doing what I feel is my purpose. Everything I do is a way to say thank you to the universe for everything I have and my growth as a human being, to make the world better in the best way I can for future generations, and also, to see what I am capable of as a human being.? Anyway, our purchasing decision if scrutinized is highly caused by status and a sense of belonging. Changing your view on how you see success changes everything. How about you saying to yourself, 'I do not mind getting accepted nor looking rich as long as I accept myself'. For a long time, I owed no branded possession like H&Ms, Nike, Chanel but bought things that looked good on me.

As I grew older, I did not need to break the bank to get an H&M or Cavin Klein product. My observations after making some luxurious purchases is that, in the moment it feels good but then that is it, just like smoking or drinking alcohol where you get instant gratification but go back to square one after the feeling wears off. It then becomes an addiction if you do not take a step back to look within on how to deal with your spendings and find a place from within yourself that brings you peace, joy and true fulfillment.

How do we get to that place? The most powerful word, yet scary word to the majority; Solitude. People fear being alone which is the contributing factor to why people acquire all these things to fit in. Having been told how absurd it is to go out alone shows how much people crave to belong.

When I started the journey of creating a deep relationship with myself , it was very uncomfortable as people with backwards mentality thought I was lonely, could not make friends, or I needed a romantic partner because of how I showed up pretty to places where I was having an alone time. Funnily enough, many people around the world specifically men, get the wrong idea when they see a pretty woman, thinking that she wants male attention while in fact that is just a reflection of how she feels inside.

A wide range of young individuals consider it?ridiculous to step out alone, they feel they are not cool people without friends. The most crucial years to practice solitude are in your youth, obviously it is never too late to start in your older years but it is way better to start at an early age as per anything you want to be a master at. The noise in your head can not be muted if you are constantly having a conversation with someone whether in person or on your mobile phone.

Ask yourself this question; 'have I ever gone a day without communicating with anyone but myself?

There is an infinite wisdom in all of us, all the answers you need is within you yet you keep running away from yourself to connect with others who might be lost, having a mask on while you assume that they have it figured out. Every single one of us is on a lifetime journey of figuring things out, uncovering our potentials and beauty within us. In fact, it is necessary to have a deep desire to get to know yourself and capabilities, you will be amazed to discover how magnificent you are. My self discovery journey has been the most fulfilling and hardest thing I have ever done, also my greatest investment ever made in my life thus far. Some lessons I got from this journey are;

1.????? The best thing you could ever do for yourself is to learn to love who you truly are.

2.????? Accept all your detours because no one will.

3.????? Being compassionate with yourself and shortcomings would result in massive progress in all areas of your life.

4.????? You are not perfect and though nothing is impossible, just like the law of gravity no one will ever be perfect even if they tried.

5.????? Being patient gets you everything you need at the right time.

Going on walks, eating out at a fine restaurant all dressed up, traveling alone, celebrating your wins with no external applause but yours, encouraging yourself when you make a mistake and most importantly, being very honest to your inner desires are ways to practice solitude which in turn creates a strong foundation for the relationship you are building with yourself.

The beginning of solitude might throw you off and feel very unusual but once you consistently put yourself first, get to know who you are and love yourself deeply no matter what anyone thinks, it will get easier which transcends to a lifestyle in the long run where you become unshakeable by happenings around you. You are not responsible for how someone perceives you neither are you obligated to accept any advice; create your path and set your standards.

Life is to be lived on your own terms; your life should not be created from limiting beliefs from other people. It is a must to take charge of your thoughts by spending ample time with yourself to sieve through what your core beliefs are and the true meaning of life. Create a safe space where you trust yourself and your decisions regardless of outcomes.?

It is a risk, involving a lot of choices thus, I advice that you do not play it safe by following what is expected of you instead of a true representation of self. Take back your life by force from anyone who has?negatively influenced your life directly or indirectly. Do not succumb to thoughts that burdens you, makes you sad and question your existence.

Whether you love luxury or not, everyone should have a piece of minimalism in their life. How then do we embrace this way of thinking and living?

The fact that I can have it all today and lose it all tomorrow keeps me humble and content with what I have while working towards things that get me excited about life. Our main desire in life is to be truly happy; happiness is a great feeling and choice we must be intentional about making to have a pleasant experience on earth. In order for you to achieve this, you have to let go of what others think of you, find a safe place to unwind and unplug from all the noise around you.

Everyone's journey is different, it is your job to concentrate on your path while learning as much as you can from people ahead of your journey. Do not get lost in solitude, it is perfectly okay to socialize but just be mindful of what thoughts you accept into your life. Un-learning, re-learning and learning new things are cycles of life, some thoughts favor you in a given season of your life and some don't.

In building a close relationship with self, be honest with what you truly desire and need. You will not be under any pressure to settle for a life that seems acceptable to all than yourself. It becomes easier for you to live in contentment while working towards becoming a full fledged human being with no limitations.

Embrace a minimalist lifestyle today!

SHARON GIBSON.