This is how I have started to describe myself when asked who I am and what I do; amongst other descriptions which I have been using such as inspired idler, passionate business owner, discerning bookseller etc. I could also say I’m into simplicity and simple living which has overlaps with minimalism and minimalist living but ‘being a minimalist’ conveys who I am and what I am striving for accurately and sufficiently for now.

Own less. Live more

So who is a minimalist and what is minimalism? Both terms have been much used, sometimes misused and many a time misunderstood. For me, being a minimalist is embracing what is truly important and that gives my life meaning and value, joy and happiness, fulfillment and freedom. This means focusing on the essential and most important and eschewing the non-essential in the areas of personal growth (intellectual, physical and spiritual), emotions and relationships, physical belongings, commitments and pursuits.

Focusing on what is most important and essential and embracing minimalism and simplicity allows me to experience life more fully and mindfully and to live with more intensity and freedom. It is not a deprivation but a joy. There is no set definition of when one is or becomes a minimalist- it is unmeasurable and personal and varies from individual to individual. And that is what makes all individual journeys and experiences of minimalism and simple living so varied, textured and interesting.

To know what to leave out and what to put in; just where and just how, that is to have been educated in the knowledge of simplicity – Frank Lloyd Wright