Good day to you all,
An idea popped up in my head after reading your comments to my intro post so I'm writing to share with you. Even though I consider myself a minimalist now, I have to admit I once shopped and spent a lot on materialistic stuffs. To be honest, I can't recall a lot of the things I bought back in college or right after graduating that brought great joy to me now. However, I believe they did serve their purpose back then to add some value to my life and my experience.
I think it's common for us to buy stuffs we don't need and hold on to them longer than we need to 😅. During my process of transitioning to a minimalist, parting from unnecessary items was the hardest process for me. Questions such as: what if I need this jacket next month?, what if I need this tool a year from now?, what if the person gifting me this item gets offended that I give it away (even though I don't like this color at all)?, is it a waste to throw this item away?, and hundreds more. I feel guilty of throwing away my stuffs as well as ashamed of myself for buying so much junk 🤑. Fortunately, I struggled through these feelings to cut back on my belongings as well as practiced awareness before buying new items. I am even more aware to say "No" to free items that add clutter, not value, to my home and my mind.
The one book that helped me through this process is "Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism", by Fumio Sasaki. I was inspired by Fumio Sasaki to reduce, sell and donate old items and not to acquire more stuffs. Rather, I spent more time on experiences such as: reading, cooking, hiking, biking, enjoying more free outdoor activities. The value I receive is beyond imagination and the good feeling of being free, efficient, environment-friendly keep me from falling back to shopping during stressful time (of course it's not absolute, it's a work in progress but I'm getting used to this new lifestyle).
Since I can't remember much of the items that brought me great joy during the old days, I will share with you the big item I own and use frequently: vehicle. I'm sure a lot of you can relate to this because most of us commute frequently, especially in big cities without public transportation.
I am amazed looking at some of the vehicles I have and the progress I've made. Are you curious to know? I'm excited to share 😄
(I don't own or drive this one! 😁)
I can't remember all but here are some vehicles I can recall from my memory at the moment, in chronologically order. Since 11th grade up to now, I have had the privilege to use these great vehicles. They helped me commute, travel, enjoy road trips, and exercise. During different periods in life, these great vehicles are tools to support me to get around places, to see my family, friends, clients, and to leisurely explore my location. I am proud I could manage a pick-up truck, a huge van, but mostly I can choose to go with bicycles in recent years.
My favorite bike:
My 1st car, a gift from my Professor:
My 1st brand new car after graduation:
And a van, it's not mine but I drove it for some time:
Well, a truck and an SUV:
I have simplified from big vehicles such as truck, van & SUV to smaller, more energy efficient car (and it's blue!) since I moved to smaller cities. In California, I didn't need to commute by car so a bicycle and my legs served my need to move around for groceries and other daily activities. Since moving back to Vietnam, I decided against living in big cities that required a motorbike. I choose to walk or bike most days and rent a motorbike to explore further places. This has worked out for me so far and I hope to keep things this simple. I'm still quite open to the idea of a motorbike when I need one.
I hope my sharing of this downsizing journey can be a motivation for you who are considering simplifying your belongings and your life. You don't have to get rid of your car or motorbike. Just simply clean out a drawer in your closet, a shelf in your bookshelf or your unused clothes/stuffs. Start small. I always encourage everyone to take small steps but frequently, with discipline you can reach freedom from materialism, find more joy and inner peace.
This is my Queen bike that helps me get around town now:
Maybe next on my list is:
Just kidding, maybe this one 😂
I enjoyed writing this, hope you enjoy reading it!
Thanks for supporting me and be SIMPLE!
With love from Vũng Tàu, Vietnam, Dec 2021