The most difficult part of the philosophy of Minimalism is acknowledging when to let go, and then doing just that. Acknowledging when an element in our lives is no longer add value, but instead drains value.
With material possessions this tends to be easier. The real challenge here is acknowledging this with everything else. I am speaking of interests, activities, passions, and people.
I don’t care how long we have had this element, or how devoted we are to it, every so often we must ask ourselves:
- Am I getting as much out of this, as I am putting in?
- Am I getting fulfillment in the journey, instead of resting all hope on a destination?
- Have I reached the limit?
- Am I still contributing?
These are the questions we should be asking for every element in our lives, particularly those elements that require any significant amount of our time. These questions (and other like them) are our guide for leading a Minimalist life.
If after considering these questions, we’ve determined that an element is just a drain on our time/life, we must have the courage to purge it. It’s just that simple.
“Bury the Dead”
“Realize a poor investment, and cut our losses.”