Читать книгу Minimalism Is The Name Of The Game - Madeleine Wilson - Страница 3

Introductory remarks

Dear reader, already in 551 B.C. the Chinese philosopher Confucius said: "Life is simple, but we insist on making it complicated." The everyday ballast that we carry on our shoulders does not seem to go away despite much effort. By deciding to buy this book, you are embarking on an adventure. Let's follow the traces of minimalism together to get rid of this ballast in the short and long term.

The word minimalism is currently on everyone's lips. A large part of humanity has already adopted this term, but most are not aware of the strength of the orientation of everyday life towards this lifestyle. Minimalism is the conscious limitation to the most necessary objects, for more serenity, contentment, success and happiness in life. This means that the seventeenth pair of shoes or the fourth reserve hairdryer no longer necessarily contribute to our happiness, but rather represent a material burden for us. It seems almost insane, especially in a society dominated by consumption, to deliberately focus on renunciation. After all, there are all these beautiful things around us with which we can sweeten our lives. But now let's be honest: What makes you really happy? An extensive shopping tour or a cosy dinner with your loved ones? If you're thinking, "Oh, I'd definitely prefer a shopping trip", this book on minimalism can offer you many new approaches and inspiration. And if you thought, "Yes, a dinner with my loved ones, that's what makes me happy," then you'll find the optimal guidance in this book to consciously limit your material odds and ends to make more room for love, gratitude, and conscious living. In this book we explain to you what minimalism is, how our habits and consumer behaviour are connected and how we enrich our daily lives by giving up. This is where theory and practice meet, because 30 practical tips for implementing the minimalist lifestyle and checklists for clearing out the junk await you.

How come we wrote this book? We ourselves have been minimalists for ten years and can share our experiences with you. The book's strength lies in the fact that we have not only drawn on a single experience, but have also analysed the changes in lifestyles from a wide variety of starting positions. So we can also tell you that this book is just the beginning of your journey into minimalism. Minimalism is not a thing for a weekend, but it is precisely with these small "actions" that minimalism is increasingly coming into life. What was classified as "necessary" a year ago no longer necessarily has to be important. Our attitudes towards material goods changed as we became more involved with our consumption-driven habits and travelled to poorer regions of the world. What awaited us there was not necessarily misery, but rather friendly, happy people, who could show little material possessions, but had all the closer ties to family, relatives and friends. So we quickly became aware of the importance of love in our lives and for our happiness. With so many special offers, status symbols and shopping centers, it's not always easy to focus on the really important things in life. Minimalism is an effective way to clear out, sort and prioritize both internally and externally. The book and the minimalist lifestyle will help you to achieve more happiness, contentment, serenity and personal and professional success.