I flaunt my minimalist lifestyle unapologetically, and that's because I understand to a fair extent how life works. We live in a world where pleasing people will eventually end up as a detriment, and the worst of all is how impossible it is to please everyone around you.
Humans will always find faults and judge you no matter how careful or perfect you try to be, so instead of living for people, I choose to be who I really want for my happiness and well-being.
Unfortunately, embracing minimalism always brings about unexpected consequences, and it's very understandable because minimalism challenges many traditional norms and values. I always tell people that there is no manual to life, and many people are just forced to keep up with the world's standard of living because we are scared of becoming sidelined or irrelevant in society.
These consequences can be very simple, while they can be as deep as losing relationships you thought were valuable, and that's what happened to me after embracing minimalism. For some time, I was stuck between choosing between my happiness and keeping some relationships that were at the brink of falling apart.
I think it started with my ideas and choices going in a different direction from that of my friends while I was always trying to incorporate my new lifestyle into everything I did. A good number of them complained and opposed almost everything about me just because I chose a lifestyle that makes life adorable to me.
I became the stingy George who doesn't want to spend, whereas I was just preventing wasting money on things that don't add a pinch of value to me. A lot of time, stress, and frustration is what I end up with after dancing to their tune, but it doesn't matter as long as they are good with it. I was left out of the usual meetups, hangouts, and others, which I found annoying at first, but as time passed, it didn't bother me anymore. I tried my best to stay connected, but the time came when the disconnection happened naturally. We slowly drifted apart, and that gave me the opportunity to meet people who find value in my lifestyle.
The worst of my consequences so far happened a few years ago, and it had to do with my oldest childhood friend. We schooled together and really bonded well until I embraced minimalism. He is a really social person, unlike me, but for the sake of what we shared, I always made sure I did things to make him happy, which included attending late-night parties.
I eventually started turning down his invites with reasons why I can't attend. I guess it happened too often, especially when I couldn't attend his sister's wedding in another state, so he decided to cut me off. I wasn't happy with how things were between us and even tried making him see the truth, but he had made up his mind.
We don't communicate like we used to, but I still checked on his well-being from time to time because he's someone I can't just ditch. I am not expecting us to go back to old ways, which is fine, but we shouldn't be enemies just because I prioritize my well-being physically, mentally, and emotionally.
If we are being honest, it's quite unreasonable to just start hating because I embraced a lifestyle that works perfectly for me. It's not like I am hurting or inconveniencing anyone, I am not breaking any law, but it's a problem just because people can't accept the fact that you chose to do things differently even though you are right.
I can confidently say that a lot has changed for me since I embraced minimalism, and it's fine because I get to do things that add more value to me. I have experienced genuine happiness with this lifestyle and can't trade for anything.
One thing I won't do is trying to make anyone see the good about minimalist. People react like I am imposing the lifestyle on them which I don't like so if what my life has become since embracing minimalism doesn't attract or make you curious about what I am doing differently, just keep up with your way of life while I do the same.
All Image Are Mine.
