As much as I have accumulated a lot of stuff throughout the course of my life (mostly books and DVDs), I don’t actually spend my pay-check on everything I couldn’t easily afford last month, nor do I ever feel like a ‘day of shopping’ is a day of fun. It’s a day of wasted time, but that’s personal. I don’t like ornaments (okay, I have one statue of the Buddha) and I over analyse whether I need something before I buy it. I’m not a Minimalist, but I try to emulate it whilst still fulfilling my own little corner of happiness. In essence, I love the KonMari Method.

So, why am I talking about how to be a minimalist?

I’ve started to think way more consciously of what I buy since learning that our planet is dying. When I read the following extract from D. K. Waye’s blog, I thought, “That’s what I do!” and knew I had to share it with you, fellow humans:

If you want to live a minimalist lifestyle and stand up against the whole world which compels you to buy more stuff, that change needs to start from within. You’ve got to cultivate, then strengthen, that minimalist mindset of not wanting more than what you need and already have.

Every time I go out shopping I always keep myself in check by asking myself those questions:

“Do I really need this?”

“Is there any way I could DIY this?”

“Will this bring me joy?” (Konmari!)

“Will this have a positive impact on my lifestyle?”

“Will buying this bring me closer to my life goals?”

Okay, yes, a lot goes on in my mind when I’m about to buy something and you don’t have to ask yourself so many questions. But you get the gist of it. Practice this kind of self-awareness when you are about to add things to your life. Know what you are looking for. Know what kind of life you want to live and make sure every step you take and every item you buy aligns with your goals.

Tip: make a list of everything you want to buy, then leave it aside. Come back to that list weeks later and see whether you still want the things you listed. If so, go ahead, if not, let it go.

The rest of her post is a great look at how to overcome excessive spending and not feeling like you have to buy the latest state-of-the-art Things in order to be happy.

We could all do more to improve our spiritual well-being by ignoring a world that says we must Buy Stuff to be happy, and at the same time save our oceans.

Read more at:  How to Be a Minimalist in Mauritius – D. K. Waye

8 million tons of plastics enter the oceans EVERY YEAR.

It’s so bad it has a name: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch