Physical and mental space

The thing about minimalism is that you start by organizing your things at home and end up organizing things in your mind. It's like an inevitable process to start with the physical but, even without planning it, end up with the mental. Because something I've learned during this time is that the two things are very much related. At least for me, the way I live and what surrounds me contributes to either mental chaos or my ideas not being very well organized.

I think one of the biggest changes in me, which happened without me even noticing, was that I learned to see a little beyond what people own. While society teaches us that our value depends on how much we own materially, I unlearned this and instead embraced the idea that we all possess things that are too valuable internally and that these are what truly give us value as people.

And this is something really big for me because literally everything around you is about going through life getting the latest thing or trying too hard to have an appearance that is somehow accepted by others. Not doing this and being free from all these pressures is like a superpower that I have happily been able to develop. I am not at all attached to what I own because I am much more than something so ephemeral.

On the other hand, but also closely related to this, is the fact that by not spending so much time on superficial things and wanting to look a certain way in front of others, it kind of clears your vision completely so you can really see what matters. It's as if your eyes are opened and you understand what things you should really devote your time to because that's what will ultimately make sense. So your time is only spent on those things that add value to your life.

My only advice, and I think it's the advice I would have given myself several years ago, is to get started. Sometimes we have unnecessary attachments that really only cause us emotional distress and a mountain of things we don't know what to do with but at the same time make us uncomfortable. But once you start getting rid of those things that are honestly no longer useful in your life and just take up space, as I said, it becomes something deeper and inevitably goes to your mind.

I'm not going to lie and say that all this is supernatural and easy to do. No, obviously getting rid of those things you've done throughout your life is something that requires a lot of effort on our part, and the truth is that you never stop learning. In my case, I always believed that I led a simple life, but every day I simplify it a little more, and there are always new ways to do so, so it's a constant change, but for the better.

One of the things that has helped me a lot in knowing exactly what to do when it comes to physical things is trying to be as objective as possible. Instead of organizing and piling things up so that they no longer take up space in my vision, what I have learned to do is to remove them not only from my sight but also from my home. If something is not serving any purpose, then it is best to get rid of it. Trying to tidy up and clean what does not take up visual space is impossible.

Obviously, there will always be things that we are particularly fond of, either because someone important in our lives gave them to us or because they have some kind of emotional significance. In this case, let's take a little time and start with the things we are not so fond of. Little by little, we will develop the ability to detach ourselves from what has no purpose.

The only thing I can say about all this is that doing all these things requires a little effort, but that's okay because in the end we gain a lot of peace of mind and freedom. I think that to achieve this, it's worth throwing a few things away. As for our minds and the emotional habits we have, these take more time but can also be achieved.