Becoming Minimalist

Hammock in an AirbnB in Cubi, Subic, Philippines, one of the inspirations of our home as it is today

Flashback June 2017…

Weeks of packing and repacking, eliminating, selling, donating yet also purchasing. It’s a never ending tale of attempts to make it fit into a 30 kg overused luggage. At least one gets their money’s worth with this 20,000 Php-worth luggage from five years ago. The return of investment has been fully utilized without a doubt. It’s probably time to get another luggage.

But we’re getting off course. The question still remains: how to successfully fit two-years worth of crap, I mean stuff, in this much space? How on earth did this stuff pile up in such a tiny little room space? 

A walk in the woods would probably clear the mind.

This was my state of mind three years ago as I packed my life in France and back to the Philippines. I was certain then that I wanted to be mindful of everything I own. To be painfully honest, I wanted to throw everything away and start over. It was, in a way, a moment of restart, anyway. Self-help video guides, articles and books led me to a life of a minimalist.

Now…

Three years later I have reaped the benefits of becoming a minimalist. I say becoming because throughout the course of purging and mindful purchase, usage and possession, I have come to realize that minimalism is a never-ending process. It does not have to be a frustrating journey with no end. It’s simply a lifestyle. It did start as a goal - a goal of being able to have a clear inventory of each item I own, a goal of only possessing the only things I ever need on a daily basis. I figured, I don’t have to own every single thing “just in case”. Should the need arise and the item needed is not on hand, there are options to rent, to borrow or in extreme cases where the choice is not provided - to finally buy. It all boils down to a mindful choice.

I was one to impose this lifestyle to people around me. I was once judgemental to those who did not adhere to the same goals I did. Throughout that three year journey (which I would later realize was apparently an entire lifetime goal), I also came into terms that everyone has their own unique and personal journey, and that I need not judge nor impose my terms on them. After being completely humble about my own ways and opening up to others’ methods, I have successfully influenced those around me to do the same, albeit differently. 

It brings me so much joy to say that our home now is a calm home. It has always been but it is more now. It is a home where I am proud to invite everyone over because each item in our house is carefully thought of, discussed and at some point, curated. I’d like to take a part of the credit of successfully managing to work with the ultimate decision-maker of this home - my father - without having to make myself come out as an intruder (PH: pakialamera). Our mostly civil discussions (though it did get rough sometimes, our personalities would clash) made our home what it is now - somewhere where you can go home and relax amidst the inevitable responsibilities and tasks that come into maintaining it. However, it is now more of a pleasure to maintain it. We have managed to create a system that works for us. It is nowhere near perfect and we still strive to optimize our ways, especially with the changes that still come our way (my sister getting married, moving out, moving back in, our father’s retirement, etc). 

Again, it does not have to feel like a frustrating, never-ending process because it’s a lifestyle. Once we get our heads wrapped around this idea, then everything else flows naturally.

I can only ever say that minimalism only brought good things in my life. It definitely was not a smooth ride, but nobody ever said it was going to be. All minimalism assured us was it was going to make life worthwhile. It did, it still does and I’m certain it will.