Simplicity

Recently, I cleared my place. It feels good to pare down. As the night cools down, having the bare essentials with the emptiness, empties your mind, it seems like.

My possessions have diminished gradually over the last month. I have sold equipment that had lingered such as the Keyboard Piano, Event 20/20 Passive speakers and much of my clothes. I only have my books, a mattress, a desk, a laptop, my cell phone, my Washburn guitar, my clothes, my car and daily use belongings. The relief that I have felt after selling and donating the stuff I don't use or need, has been stimulating.

In this post by Steve Pavlina titled "How to find your life purpose in 20 minutes", Pavlina mentions an anecdote about Bruce Lee. The story goes like this:  a student asks Bruce Lee about learning everything that Bruce Lee knows about, Bruce Lee states that only by pouring out the previous knowledge, can the student learn everything new. It is brilliant and something I would like to venture towards.

I mentioned this anecdote about Bruce Lee because I feel, that my paring down is simply a start of a journey. It's my first couple of practice rows in my boat. It's not nothing and it's not everything. It is a start.

The link between the Bruce Lee story and my minimalism is that, I am unlearning all my previous behaviors and patterns of thinking. I am not doing it simply for the fact that minimalism is cool or simplicity as a counter-cultural movement is hip. The bigger picture is that, by making room in my life physically and mentally, I will be lean and ready to absorb and notice important values, purpose and qualities that lie within me.

My experience has been a bit gradual and I will be speeding up my own evolution in a measured way. Step by step, toning it up, the good way, if it is to be so. I am prepared to let go, if not.