minimalism is not deprivation

Many people think minimalism is denying ourselves to acquire things. This is far from the truth. The reason for this faulty thinking is the fact that the minimalist movement has led to a juvenile competition among its practitioners — The one owns less wins.

The best part about minimalism is that it can be customized. The beauty of emptiness lies in the eye of the beholder. Some want it, some don’t. You can decide how full or empty you want your home and life to be; there’s no pressure.

Minimalism is not deprivation, but it is about taking a conscious decision to spend our time and attention, and our energy towards things that matter the most to us.

It’s akin to editing — when we write, we only want the best and essential parts so that we are able to express our ideas with brevity, impact and flow. As Joshua Becker writes in his blog Becoming Minimalist: “At its core, minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.”