The Journey to a Minimalist Lifestyle

When I was in my 20s, I had a precious chance to visit the den of two individuals whom I highly respected. Their dens were very clean and simple, with only a few pieces of furniture and no unnecessary things. During that time, I had a sudden realization that such a comfortable space, where minimalists habitually maintain order, was a crucial element for their productivity and capability. Since then, I have tried to emulate their habits in my private room as much as I can, although there are still unnecessary and unused things around me. What I realized by emulating them was the true value of the necessary things around me and the sense of richness that comes with having a comfortable space. As a result, I no longer make impulse purchases and I take better care of my belongings. I now believe that unnecessary things tend to trigger worldly desires. Thus, my ideal goal for a place to stay is to create and maintain a simple space, similar to those found in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, without unnecessary items.

Popular posts from this blog

Balancing the Scales

Image
Whether it's active or passive actions, due to the influx of constantly updated and stimulating information through various media, we instinctively tend to spend too much of our daily time paying attention to the world outside ourselves, which strongly influences our thoughts and actions. This trend in modern society may have gone too far, causing an imbalance in our minds and bodies. Therefore, it would be better to consciously allocate more of our time to focus our attention on our internal selves, engage in a dialogue with our inner voice, nurture our spirits, and take care of our bodies in order to maintain a healthy mind and body.
Read more

Finding Significance in Every Step

Image
In any profession, the wisdom shared by individuals who have conquered immense challenges can be truly inspiring. In the realm of mountain climbing, the popular phrases of these remarkable individuals often stem from their reactions upon witnessing breathtaking vistas inaccessible to ordinary climbers, as well as the extensive paths they've climbed. The insights I've gained from my experiences, while perhaps not reaching the heights witnessed by these great figures from mountain peaks, hold significance. Despite this disparity, there exists an aspiration to attain a mastery akin to these respect personalities, to understand their journeys. However, the majority may not embark on such a pursuit, yet this doesn't diminish its value. Instead, the value lies not solely in the distance covered, but in the meaning and significance found in each individual step taken. True happiness doesn't necessitate comparison with the achievements of great individuals.
Read more

Fleeting Memories of Pain

Image
The Japanese proverb "Once through the throat, the heat of boiling liquid is gone" is paraphrased as "When pain is gone, it's soon forgotten." This implies that no matter how much hardship we experience, once it passes, we tend to forget about it easily. Therefore, even though we often reminisce about past tough experiences, the memory of these experiences tends to fade, making it difficult to recall the details unless it's an exceptionally traumatic event. This phenomenon may be influenced by the fact that the human brain has a mechanism that helps us forget past pain. In other words, if we offer advice to individuals going through similar painful experiences, it might be effective to show them a memo or diary that was contemporaneously written about a past event, describing it in detail from beginning to end. By the way, this Japanese proverb also carries another meaning as a warning about how people tend to forget the kindness and benefactors who helped t
Read more