As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.

~ Henry David Thoreau

I seriously started to think about minimalism from 5 years ago. I just moved from a big city to another, dragging tons of kitchen gears, books, clothes and an electronic piano. Within half a year I have moved from place to place four times. The money that I spent on moving was probably more than what I owned by the time I finally settled down. Sitting on the floor with cartons spreading around in my final apartment, I suddenly thought of the guests who rent out Forrest Gump's mama's rooms, they are living out of their suitcases. I envied them.

Photo by ÉMILE SÉGUIN on Unsplash

From then on, I started my slow journey to gradually declutter my home and to reduce unnecessary consumption. It's full of trials and errors. It takes some time for one to find a certain style, not to mention to find certain things that fit into this style, especially when I am also a vegan and petite.

For quite a while my understanding of minimalism was a bit extreme. I thought it simply meant owning less and spending less. However, I ignored one of the most important things: the quality. The quality can refer to something that is not only well designed, practical and durable, but also liked and use often, and you feel happy with it. I remember I used to purchase some cheap clothes or second hands that don't suit my style or shape, but ended up not liking them and didn't use them often. Or owning two pairs of sporty shoes only and feeling a bit weird as certain clothes just don't match well with them.

Now I realize that minimalism doesn't really mean that. It's not a number that defines your life. It's about quality. It is supposed to make you light and happy, and improves your feeling and life over all. It's also about balance, where you just own the right amount of things that you love and use often until they are at the end of their own life circle.

After redefining it, I started a new journey of searching a style that suits me, which agrees to my ethic concerns, flatters my figure, comes within my budget and that I would use often. I am excited!

So my dear readers, I really appreciate any tips and advice from you to help me learn and grow!