Throughout my years in education, I had a language processing disorder and had trouble keeping my focus, so naturally, I was prescribed some medicine to help with that. Back in elementary school, I had a little bit of trouble forming words on paper. My parents have done a lot to help me with these struggles I had, and I couldn’t be more grateful for their support in those early years of my life.
If you’re someone who’s struggling with a certain subject in school, then that’s okay. However, there’s a difference between trying and putting forth the effort and not trying at all, or sleeping through your classes and expecting to get good results. The same can be said for anything else in life; we all have certain things that we’re struggling with.
Before you hit the exit button or jump ahead onto the next task, here are some questions that I’d like for you to reflect on. You can either say these responses aloud or silently, or you can write them down in a journal if you prefer to do that.
Why do we compare ourselves to other people?
Why do we feel the need to fit in, be noticed or feel accepted?
Why do we discount the positives that other people may say about ourselves, or tear down the confidence of others?
Would you treat somebody close to you the same way you treat yourself?
Why is it easier for us to deny or pass blame onto others than to own up to our actions or mistakes?
Would you rather try to chase after something that’s far from reach, or just work on doing your best and being the best you can be?
The ties that minimalism has to these questions or “revelations” is that once you’ve downsized your belongings, you have no choice but to look inward at yourself. Decluttering your items to only the things you love or value the most can be done by anybody, but it’s usually that inward process that comes afterwards that people struggle with the most (or at least, I know that it was difficult for me). For quite some time, I’ve always told myself that I don’t like taking the spotlight or having other people’s focus on me. What I’ve learned in saying this is that I’d rather be a follower than a leader, or that I’d rather sit in the background and be an observer. We all have the potential to reach greatness in some way, and the choice is ours to either believe that we have what it takes or not. One quote I remember using in a project last year is “Your only limit is yourself”. I believe this a lot more now than I ever did when I was in my late teens or early 20’s. So ask yourself, would you rather be a follower or a leader? Would you rather be a silent observer, or an activist for the things you’re most passionate about or believe in the most?
I think it's no secret that most of us believe that actions speak louder than words. However, I want to throw in this little reminder of speaking kindly to people, and yes, I realize that this is sometimes easier said than done. It doesn't matter if you know the person or not, or if the person deserves it or not. We all have our faults, and none of us are perfect; it's as simple as that.
I believe that it's important to remember that minimalism doesn’t stop once you’ve downsized everything in your life. Just like life in general, minimalism is an on-going process, and you’ll learn new things along the way. I know that for me, I've gained a lot more confidence in myself and my abilities. I've also become less fearful of change and more open to the possibilities around me. We all know that change isn't easy, or how it's easier to only see things in black and white, but from my perspective at least, life is more exciting when you're seeing and living in the grey areas of life. I hope these insights I've shared give you something to think about.
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