Those of us that decide to live this simple life of intention, eventually come to have certain simple character attributes. Conversely, Taking on these attributes, these virtues, will facilitate a minimalist life. These virtues are:
- Focus – Focus in thoughts, and in life. The ability to narrow all attention to a specific task. Focused thinking is when one is working on one task undistracted (internally and externally); not multitasking (which is an illusion anyway). A focused life is one where all that we have/do, is to serve a very small set of priorities; a small set of values.
- Gratitude – When one is focused, they can develop an appreciation for the small things in life. They are appreciative. They are undistracted enough to see the beauty in things that others take for granted. They also have the time enough to let these things “infect” them with positive energy.
- Patience – Acceptance that there are some things we cannot control, and that we should live in every moment. This permits us to have a certain level of acceptance for life’s pace. This acceptance is just another word for patience. We accept that while we cannot control everything going on around us in our lives, we also realize that we completely control how we react to these occurrences.
- Compassion – When one takes on the task of creating a life of focus, they really start to analyze what their priorities/value really are. It is my belief that one such value is a constant for ALL people that take on a Minimalist life. This constant is ….. people. People are important. Maybe the most important thing. With that, we make it a priority to contribute in some way to humanity. This starts with compassion.
It is my belief, that living a life by these virtues will lead to a minimalist life. At the very least they will lead to contentment; a happy life.