by Rob DeVore

Created on: September 22, 2009   Last Updated: September 27, 2009

What is minimalism and how does it lead to happiness?

Some of you might associate the word "minimalism" with the post WWII art movement in which the works were stripped down to it's most fundamental features. Other folks might think of the musical term in regards to repetition, stasis or steady pulse or you may think of the late 90's architectural style.

This is not what I'm writing about.

The term "minimalist" is often applied colloquially to designate anything which is spare or stripped to its essentials.

The minimalism I speak of is living a minimalist lifestyle.

As we know, most of our grandparents and some of our parents experienced the Great Depression. The majority of people went without something and in extreme cases, even basic essentials like shelter and food. America's involvement in World War Two (WWII) helped to pull the country together and get us out of the Great Depression....folks who were used to going without continued to get by with less to support the war effort .Rationing Coupons were the order of the day. After WWII, men returning from overseas acquired jobs and since they were used to living a modest lifestyle, they knew how to sacrifice in order to save for things (something we have a hard time doing these days) and also were able to have a family, a house, a car and a vacation. A large amount of our parents came from post WWII families. Their parents wanted to give them a better life, this was passed down to us, but with growing research in advertising, the advent of TV and technology, changes in our society, and the rise of the financial/credit card industry, we want to give our kids everything right now.

In the present day, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements for things that we don't really need, you can get it now, 90 days same as cash. The stress of keeping up with the Jones' has taken a toll on us. Our society is different now. Traditional roles in the household and relationships are different. There is a lot of competition for disposable income. With most of us, we don't know any better because we were raised that way. We, as Americans ate a lot, were made to clean our plates, and if we go out to eat, we expect to get a whole lot of food or we feel like we got ripped off.

Why do I choose to live life with the minimum? A nice yet sparsely furnished apartment, an old bomb of a car that runs good, travel on a dime?

One reason is spiritual. According to the Buddhist notion of Impermanence - Everything we can experience through

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