If there is anything I prioritise more, it is PEACE. A clear mind achieves its goals as though it were magic. Sometimes it's hard to maintain that peace because of distractions here and there, I tend to lose focus and then battle with both mental and physical clutter. I have learned that living simply frees me from possible clutter. In order to protect my inner peace, I broke the bond that ties me to unnecessary clutters, friendship, apps, notifications, events and whatever that drains my energy or puts me in a situation where my mental health is at stake. I made my decision, I chose what truly matters to me against chaos.
| I think of minimalism as my peacekeeper. |  |  |
My minimalist journey nurtures peace by helping me to declutter mentally and physically, it guides me on how to maintain my priorities. I stay aligned by saying NO to things or relationships that do not align with my peace knowing fully well that protecting my time is a form of self-respect.
Every morning, I have 30 minutes to recharge, regain and refill, it determines how my day begins. In those 30 minutes it's either I am doing yoga or reading while sipping a hot cup of coffee to relax my mind before the chaos and distractions of the day.
I already set my digital boundaries a long time ago when consumerism almost took me off balance and it is still effective at the moment.
FAMILY TIME is one of my top three. I fight everyday to spend quality time with those I love, especially my family. My husband is always busy with work and when he is not busy with work he is busy on the phone. I had some conversations with him on the importance of family time, at one point his son at 1 year does not even recognise that he is his father. He always runs from him. I had to tell him what he doesn't want to hear and that is the fact that “PRESENCE” matters a lot no matter how little, it goes a long way. He feels buying unnecessary gifts can cover up for his absence. But the sooner he started bonding with his son he began to recognise him and would run to the door when he heard his father's voice.
Rather than live like flatmates he began to see the need of creating beautiful memories together by spending quality time, playing games, eating together and cracking jokes. He got to see his son do things for the first time and it made him very happy.
| I think of minimalism as my love language. |  |  |  |
Time is the most valuable gift and because I chose presence over possessions, I was able to make my husband understand how important it is to me. If I can declutter my schedule to spend time with both him and our son, he too can.
| I think of minimalism as my financial anchor. |  |
Unnecessary spending is likely unavoidable in a world of consumerism and distractions. FINANCIAL STABILITY is another top priority of mine. I stay aligned by living simply which helps me spend wisely, it taught me to intentionally save not everything I want I should get but focus more on buying what I truly need so that stability and balance is prioritized without unnecessary stress. Sometimes, I have to compromise what I think I need; I protect my essentials without going overboard, I cut down quantity while focusing on quality.
I also stay aligned by embracing contentment and being grateful for what I have. I cannot afford it doesn't mean I don't have the money but because there is a limit which is centered around a simple budget and what’s truly necessary.
Living simply isn't depriving but creating space for what truly matters, which brought about my top three priorities; a peaceful mind, a loving home and a stable foundation.