How Minimalism Made Me Rich

In our society, we talk about time as being the most valuable resource, but rarely treat it as such.

I was no exception to this: I often felt like I had no time or energy to do anything else after a long day at work, but then spent the little free time that I had on my phone, being entertained by others, browsing online for the best deals, or keeping up with the latest news.

As soon as I became aware of this, I knew I wanted to restructure how I was spending my time.

Taking out the fillers in my day meant being really selective with my friendships, cutting out the people who drained my energy, limiting time on social media, and putting a stop to the constant need to buy new things.

Breaking out of normalcy is never easy, but honestly, giving up these habits felt like nothing compared to the control that I gained over my time. Moreover, now I realize that the things I gave up were not a sacrifice at all.

I am still trying to find this balance. However, now I feel like I have room in my life and know how to prioritize myself.

In the free time that I have now, I have reconnected with old hobbies and even discovered new ones.

When I am outdoors playing with my camera and seeing life through my camera lens, it always brings me a newfound appreciation for my surroundings.

The camera teaches me how to tell a story, how to see beauty in ordinary and mundane things, how to view things from different perspectives and how to always stay curious.

I have definitely started to go out more often, and I even catch myself waking up earlier to catch a sunrise. This hobby has definitely made me fall in love with life again in a new and exciting way. Now every day feels like an opportunity to find something interesting to create a story around.

What we do in our free time says a lot about us. For me, it is videography and photography, but for you might be baking, hiking, playing an instrument or a sport, gardening, dancing, maybe playing board games.

It can be just for fun, or because you care. Because it means something to you. Because it is part of who you are.

It does not have to cost a lot of money or take away a big chunk of our day, but it has to be something we continuously want to do, because the very act of it adds to our self-worth and our quality of life.

When I am doing the things I love, I never once think about what outfit I am wearing, how my hair looks, or what my friends are up to.

When we are intertwined in the moment, actively engaged in living our lives instead of curating it, all of this superficial information becomes irrelevant.

I do not care what others think, because the genuine happiness that I feel outweighs the opinions of others.

Instead of seeking validation, we start to become aware of ourselves, our talents, strengths and weaknesses. It makes us feel like we are actively participating in our lives, and this feeling is priceless.

I now know that feeling rich is not related to wealth on an absolute scale, but relative to how we feel.

Having time to do the things that we love, and on a bigger scale, having the freedom to choose what we want to do, is an abundance that truly makes life rich in the eyes of a minimalist.

To me, there is no point in decluttering our lives if we have no idea what is truly essential for us. In fact, minimalism is not really about how minimal we live, but rather about how intentional we live.

If you do not know what interests you or what you are passionate about, I really encourage you to find a moment in your day to try new things, expose yourself to as many experiences as possible, and take note of what really sparks your interest.

This moment might require you to put down your phone, skip an episode of your favorite show, or even wake up 30 minutes earlier. But I promise you, what you will gain is far beyond what you might have to give up.

Are you a minimalist? Do you feel rich leading a minimalist lifestyle? Do you agree with my thoughts on this?

Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know what you think.