Growth Through Minimalism

Growth Through Minimalism If youre not growing, youre dying. This might sound like a platitude, but its the truth. Visualize  a plant. More specificallyâ€"a fruit. A fruit you enjoy. Lets say its an apple. When an apple is on the tree, its growing. But once its picked, it starts to die. This isnt always apparent, though. When you see an apple at your local market, you dont think of it as a dying thing. Ostensibly, it is ripe. Which makes you think its in its ideal state. But this isnt true. It has stopped growing. It is dying. As a person, you are no different. Things might look great on your surface. They did for us: nice cars, houses, salaries. But we were dying on the inside. Rotting when we appeared ripe. Unhappy. Unfulfilled. Unsatisfied with life. A life without meaning. What does this have to do with minimalism? Nothing. And yet, in a broader senseâ€"everything. Why did we get rid of our excess stuff? To reclaim our time. To regain control of our finances. To live more meaningful lives. To contribute to others. Andâ€"to grow. Like the apple, if we are not growing, we are dying. Not just in the physical sense. Mentally. Emotionally. Financially. Spiritually. We are dying. We removed the excess things, because they are not important. The excess gets in the way, keeps us from growing. And if you want to feel alive, you must grow. But growth isnt always easy. Sometimes the most growth comes from the most difficult tasks. What have you wanted to do for the longest time, but havent been able to accomplish because you havent had the time or resources? Eat more healthfully? Quit smoking? Run a marathon? Write a novel? Quit your soul-crushing job? Travel around the world? Start a blog? You can. You have permission to do something fulfilling with your life. “Growth” is an excerpt from Day 9 of Our 21-Day Journey.