When we were born, we didn’t bring anything to the world. And when we die, we wouldn’t bring anything from the world. Then why would we live our lives accumulating stuffs and being attached with them which only lose all their meaning once we leave this world?
It is very common for people to acquire so many things which accumulates overtime. Sure those stuffs are important for us to live our life. But being attached to stuffs is not. Instead of supporting our work and making life better, this attachment becomes a burden and hinders us from going towards our passion and life calling.
A blog post I recently read on minimalist living has a statement that I am agree with.
Stuff is not important. People are important. Fun is important. Pursuing your passion is important.
I realized that during the past 3 years I was too much into acquiring stuffs and forgot about the real reason why I need those stuffs in the first place. Built a home theater PC and collecting movies and musics but forgot to have fun. Getting phone numbers but forgot to connect and hang out with people. Accepting works and opportunities but forgot to do what I really want to pursue.
Talking about what I want to pursue, I always want to live a nomadic lifestyle which allows me to learn more about the uniqueness of each part of the world. And by experiencing the world I would get opportunities to contribute back to the world. Thanks to globalization and technology, this kind of journey becomes possible and more accessible.
When I for the first time came to Jakarta for college, I literally only brought a few clothes, a pair of shoes, camera, and a few tidbits in a container. I had no attachment to stuffs, even from the stuffs I left back home. How wonderful that time was. It was so light and I had no problems going anywhere.
Yet as years goes by, I accumulate more and more things. And I became comfortable to stay in this city for years. Now that I have reminded of my passion, it became hard for me to leave this city even though I really want to. How am I suppose to dump all these stuffs? That now I have furnitures, stove, refrigerator, and those bulky items which make me wonder how do I get rid of these items. But more importantly, there are stuffs with memories in them.
Sometimes I get caught with the social norm that the success of life is defined by the things you have. And happiness is measured by how prestigious the items you own. No it is not.
Just a few months ago, I was still eagerly browsing and buying new furnitures, cutlery, television, and so on and so on to fill in the empty apartment to make it as homey as possible. I was projecting my five years plan to buy an apartment in the same building so it made sense to just think the current unit as my home. It’s a carefully planned life journey and it all felt worth it until I shifted my paradigm.
I gain a new perspective.
No longer I feel the need to buy more matching cutlery sets. I have everything I need to cook and eat well. No longer I become absorbed in building a perfect HTPC set as a prerequisites to have fun myself and invite others to join. It’s not a prerequisites to have fun. It’s just a tool.
While I might be getting rid of so many stuffs in the near future, it is not the point of being minimalist, but a side effect of being content and non-attached. I begin to understand it. I will post another article on how I get rid most of my stuffs. Of course this is only my personal view, which I believe is aligned with my goals and values. Everyone has their own values, goals and ways to achieve them.
Hope as I walk through the year I could always remember that stuff is not important. People are. Fun is. Passion is.