Every now and again someone will ask me why I do what I do. They will ask:
“Why did you write your book?
“Why do you have this blog?”
“Why do you preach about minimalism?”
“Why do you ride bicycle?”
The answer is the same for all these questions.
“Because I am compelled to.”
And every time I give that answer I get the same look, the look of confusion/misunderstanding/disdain. Of course I do. Because the people who understand that answer are the same people who would never have to ask that question. Those people share my feeling of passion. You see, there are two kinds of people in this world: People that follow their passion, and people who do what their told.
The moment a person is born they are told what they should be, how they should act, and what they should work for. We are told by our parents, teachers, friends, elders, the television, the radio, and all media. And since it’s all we know we follow this blindly. That’s just the way it is. But there are those few of us who are driven in a direction different than they would have us go. We are not driven by money, fame, comfort, or image, but we are driven nonetheless. We are simply compelled. This compulsion can’t be explained logically.
Some of us can take our passion to the point where it becomes very prosperous, but most of us can’t or don’t. That is irrelevant however because all of us are happy in what we do. Those who have no passion don’t understand, and many often take some amount of comfort in ridiculing those with passion, especially toward those who have not acquired wealth as a result of their passion. Our passion fills us, gives us purpose. Gives us joy and hope in a world chaotic and corrupt. That is why when I get that look of disdain, I do not hurt or cower. I take pity on them. They will never have purpose other than the same old boring one pre-designed for them. Just another link in the chain, part of the system. A slave. And they will never know our joy.
Here are two very passionate people who had a very unorthodox crafts which are excellent examples of what I am talking about:
Tony Hawk (very prosperous)
Pablo Picasso (lived in poverty)
Both left their mark on the world.
Please, this year lets practice minimalism in our holiday shopping. Forget the nick knacks and fluff that we usually get our friends and loved ones, and instead give the gift of new and/or good experiences.
Although still not as mobile as the smartphone, the computer is still a far more powerful tool for connecting to the world, and more versatile in its usage. Minimalist or not, if one wants to thrive in today’s world, they must have a computer and internet access. I don’t think I need to list out all the functions a computer serves as I did with the smartphone in a previous post; but needless to say a computer has all the same functions, and many more.