There are many misconceptions with regards to what is and what isn`t minimalism. So today we will take a look at what it is and in sha Allah tomorrow we will look at what it is not.

So Minimalism is a concept that has been gaining popularity lately. And for good reason! There are many benefits of living with less. But there are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about what a minimalist lifestyle is exactly, and what it’s not.

Minimalism is one of those concepts, much like simple living where it can mean different things to different people. And that’s ok.

Minimalism is something that should be personal and unique to the person living it. There is no single set of rules or standards that you must follow and meet to be a minimalist.

But much like simple living, it’s important to have a clear vision of what a simple, minimalist lifestyle means to you. Although minimalism is as much about the journey as it is the end goal, without having a clear goal of what you want minimalism to look like in your life, it’s hard to stay focused and on track.

When asked, “What is minimalism”, Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist says:
“Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it.”
This perfectly describes minimalism. It is about having a clear understanding of what you value most in your life. This can mean things that take up your space AND time. Then intentionally removing anything in your life that gets in the way of what you value most.

At its core, minimalism is being intentional with the way you live your life. Only allowing what aligns with your most important values to take up your space and your time.

Using this definition, minimalism will look different for everyone. If you ask 100 different people to show you what is minimalism using this definition, you will end up with 100 different pictures of minimalism. What we each value is personal and unique to us. That’s one of the best things about minimalism, you can create whatever version of minimalism works for you. The only key is that you decide what is most important to you, and then remove anything that doesn’t line up with and support those values.

Now let us look at the Haaji, and we will find the proof that we all have the ability to downscale and dress not just to impress. It is necessary for the Hujjaj to don the Ihram, now if not on Hajj, who would be daring enough to walk around with just two pieces of unsewn cloth. But when we go on Hajj and everybody is wearing the same clothes, we somehow just manage to fit in.

So now here`s another challenge, give yourself a month or two and see how many clothes you are not really wearing and how many of them you are willing to part with by giving to charity or any worthy cause.
Tomorrow in sha Allah we will look at the misconception about minimalism and what it isn`t.