thesolar65
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Meet the minimalists who're making more of their lives with less
Three years ago, BCom student Hardik Nagar gave away nearly 75% of his possessions. To day he owns just two pairs of jeans, seven kurtas and a pair of shoes.And the moment he finishes reading a book, he sells it to an old bookstore.Nagar's room -pristine-white walls, a mattress, a study table, a cupboard and a chair -stands out in stark contrast to his family house in Mumbai, which comes with the clutter typical of Indian homes.
It isn't kanjoosi that drives this quirky behaviour. Nagar, 22, is a minimalist, a lifestyle philosophy that advocates de-cluttering your life and making every purchase a conscious decision.
Minimalism has gained ground in many countries. A recent Guardian report profiled Japan's `hardcore' minimalists who have gone spartan. And of course, there is our very own minimalist Mahatma Gandhi though most youngsters in India prefer to get their minimalism lessons from Japan's organization guru Marie Kondo's book The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying Up. A global bestseller, it has hashtags and YouTube videos dedicated to its method (check out #KonMari).
On the surface, the movement might look almost ascetic and some reports link it to Zen Buddhism. But not every minimalist is spiritual.“I'm completely atheist. My only religion is science,“ says Charles Assisi, co-founder of the entrepreneurs' hub Founding Fuel. For Assisi, the epiphany came after decades of working as a journalist.“I thought of myself as a hedonist. I'd seen it and done it all. But after my last assignment as managing editor at Forbes India ended abruptly in 2013, I started introspecting on what life was really about and what made me happy,“ he says. So Assisi donated all his formal shirts and three-piece suits, leaving just two pairs of jeans, three to four plain T-shirts, two shirts and two pairs of shoes in his wardrobe.“Now, when I get an invite to a formal dinner where I'm expected to suit up, I simply don't go. I want to dress comfortably, not show off.“
His only weakness is his gadgets.“My life revolves around my phone, laptop and e-reader,“ says the writer-entrepreneur.
While Assisi's lifestyle choice came in the wake of a career change, Sakshi Jha (name changed) lost almost her entire wardrobe in a mishap during a move from Delhi to Ahmedabad in 2011. The TV news anchor's job in the Capital had demanded that she be well-dressed and on fleek. “I lost about 200-odd things, including 100 expensive sarees and many , many shoes,“ she says. Eventually, though, she felt so good to have a de-cluttered closet that she decided to keep it that way . “I came across an article that suggested managing with just 10 pairs of clothes. I decided to try it,“ says Jha.“Now, I use every dress until it's worn out. The number of hangers in my closet remains 10.“ For every new garment or shoe she buys, she donates one to the homeless.
Opulence is traditionally linked to success in India. Nagar's conventional Gujarati family was initially sceptical of his lifestyle. They didn't understand what the then 19-yearold was trying to achieve, though they have warmed to the idea now.Assisi's family still sometimes insists that he “dress up better for our sake“. As he cannot impose his beliefs on his wife and two daughters, their home has the regular furniture and appliances. “If I had my way , the flat would have only a few bean bags and a music system,“ says Assisi.
So why do they do it? Minimalism has its benefits, some obvious, others collateral. De-cluttering his living space has led to a de-cluttering of Nagar's mind. “It gives me head space to think of those things which matter.“ Delhi architect Nomita Sawhney agrees. Though not as hardcore as Nagar, her house and wardrobe is devoid of the usual clutter. “The more things you have, the more energy and time you spend on keeping track of them,“ says Sawhney . `Do I really require this?' she asks herself before making any purchase.
It's also economical. Nagar spends just Rs 5,000 to 6,000 a month, saving enough for travel or writing courses. Once you decide to focus on only what matters, it permeates all spheres of life. Earlier studying for CA, Nagar is now a full-time content writer, as writing makes him happy. He has a small circle of friends. “My philosophy makes me keep only those people around who add value to my life. The same goes for conversations I have,“ he says.
Assisi's beliefs extend to his dinner table. “Rather than consume a lot of food, I eat very little but focus on enjoying what I'm eating,“ he says, referring to what many call mindfulness. “People at parties think I don't like their food,“ he chuckles.
Every practitioner's definition of minimalism can be different.When he embarked on the journey , Nagar started a blog -That Indian Minimalist -to document his experiments. It lists his online inspirations -Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits and Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist. While they all have their own definitions and protocols, there is no single set of rules. As The Minimalists states, “Minimalism gets us past the things so we can make room for life's important things -which actually aren't things at all.“
@Levina @Joe Shearer @anant_s @jbgt90 @ranjeet @Stephen Cohen @jamahir @WAJsal @waz @Skull and Bones @Parul @Spring Onion @Armstrong @BDforever @nair @Nair saab @SrNair @gslv
I liked the theory and want to do the same. Alas my wife will not permit me. But I will tell my children to practice this. What do you think of this topic. I know the time is not ripe for this discussion as everyone is sad and busy with Iraq and Dhaka blasts. But still......
Three years ago, BCom student Hardik Nagar gave away nearly 75% of his possessions. To day he owns just two pairs of jeans, seven kurtas and a pair of shoes.And the moment he finishes reading a book, he sells it to an old bookstore.Nagar's room -pristine-white walls, a mattress, a study table, a cupboard and a chair -stands out in stark contrast to his family house in Mumbai, which comes with the clutter typical of Indian homes.
It isn't kanjoosi that drives this quirky behaviour. Nagar, 22, is a minimalist, a lifestyle philosophy that advocates de-cluttering your life and making every purchase a conscious decision.
Minimalism has gained ground in many countries. A recent Guardian report profiled Japan's `hardcore' minimalists who have gone spartan. And of course, there is our very own minimalist Mahatma Gandhi though most youngsters in India prefer to get their minimalism lessons from Japan's organization guru Marie Kondo's book The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying Up. A global bestseller, it has hashtags and YouTube videos dedicated to its method (check out #KonMari).
On the surface, the movement might look almost ascetic and some reports link it to Zen Buddhism. But not every minimalist is spiritual.“I'm completely atheist. My only religion is science,“ says Charles Assisi, co-founder of the entrepreneurs' hub Founding Fuel. For Assisi, the epiphany came after decades of working as a journalist.“I thought of myself as a hedonist. I'd seen it and done it all. But after my last assignment as managing editor at Forbes India ended abruptly in 2013, I started introspecting on what life was really about and what made me happy,“ he says. So Assisi donated all his formal shirts and three-piece suits, leaving just two pairs of jeans, three to four plain T-shirts, two shirts and two pairs of shoes in his wardrobe.“Now, when I get an invite to a formal dinner where I'm expected to suit up, I simply don't go. I want to dress comfortably, not show off.“
His only weakness is his gadgets.“My life revolves around my phone, laptop and e-reader,“ says the writer-entrepreneur.
While Assisi's lifestyle choice came in the wake of a career change, Sakshi Jha (name changed) lost almost her entire wardrobe in a mishap during a move from Delhi to Ahmedabad in 2011. The TV news anchor's job in the Capital had demanded that she be well-dressed and on fleek. “I lost about 200-odd things, including 100 expensive sarees and many , many shoes,“ she says. Eventually, though, she felt so good to have a de-cluttered closet that she decided to keep it that way . “I came across an article that suggested managing with just 10 pairs of clothes. I decided to try it,“ says Jha.“Now, I use every dress until it's worn out. The number of hangers in my closet remains 10.“ For every new garment or shoe she buys, she donates one to the homeless.
Opulence is traditionally linked to success in India. Nagar's conventional Gujarati family was initially sceptical of his lifestyle. They didn't understand what the then 19-yearold was trying to achieve, though they have warmed to the idea now.Assisi's family still sometimes insists that he “dress up better for our sake“. As he cannot impose his beliefs on his wife and two daughters, their home has the regular furniture and appliances. “If I had my way , the flat would have only a few bean bags and a music system,“ says Assisi.
So why do they do it? Minimalism has its benefits, some obvious, others collateral. De-cluttering his living space has led to a de-cluttering of Nagar's mind. “It gives me head space to think of those things which matter.“ Delhi architect Nomita Sawhney agrees. Though not as hardcore as Nagar, her house and wardrobe is devoid of the usual clutter. “The more things you have, the more energy and time you spend on keeping track of them,“ says Sawhney . `Do I really require this?' she asks herself before making any purchase.
It's also economical. Nagar spends just Rs 5,000 to 6,000 a month, saving enough for travel or writing courses. Once you decide to focus on only what matters, it permeates all spheres of life. Earlier studying for CA, Nagar is now a full-time content writer, as writing makes him happy. He has a small circle of friends. “My philosophy makes me keep only those people around who add value to my life. The same goes for conversations I have,“ he says.
Assisi's beliefs extend to his dinner table. “Rather than consume a lot of food, I eat very little but focus on enjoying what I'm eating,“ he says, referring to what many call mindfulness. “People at parties think I don't like their food,“ he chuckles.
Every practitioner's definition of minimalism can be different.When he embarked on the journey , Nagar started a blog -That Indian Minimalist -to document his experiments. It lists his online inspirations -Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus of The Minimalists, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits and Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist. While they all have their own definitions and protocols, there is no single set of rules. As The Minimalists states, “Minimalism gets us past the things so we can make room for life's important things -which actually aren't things at all.“
@Levina @Joe Shearer @anant_s @jbgt90 @ranjeet @Stephen Cohen @jamahir @WAJsal @waz @Skull and Bones @Parul @Spring Onion @Armstrong @BDforever @nair @Nair saab @SrNair @gslv
I liked the theory and want to do the same. Alas my wife will not permit me. But I will tell my children to practice this. What do you think of this topic. I know the time is not ripe for this discussion as everyone is sad and busy with Iraq and Dhaka blasts. But still......
