One of my earliest (and most lasting) impressions of minimalism was formed by watching an Apple commercial titled ‘Intent.’ It succinctly captures the essence behind the philosophy of minimalism and how it can help us shape our lives.
The modern world can often delude us into thinking that trade-offs are no longer relevant. That nothing (or very little) needs to be sacrificed, to get something or to get somewhere.
I feel trade-offs are not only still relevant, but they are probably more important than they ever were. We are faced with hundreds of choices every day, and since these choices shape our lives, it makes sense to choose wisely. In a world prying for your attention , the art of saying no to what you don’t need so that there will be space to say yes to what you do can be an incredibly serving habit to form.
The idea behind minimalism isn’t to say no for the sake of it, but to practice restraint from saying yes until the value of doing so is clear.