"Danshari" (decluttering) is a life-organizing concept proposed by Japanese clutter management consultant Hideko Yamashita. She advocates "subtraction"—discarding unnecessary items from the home, tidying up one's living space, creating a spacious and bright environment, and starting a refined and refreshing life with minimal possessions to enjoy a free and comfortable existence. In today's world of rampant materialism, more and more urban dwellers see it as a refreshing lifestyle.
Subtracting from life means eliminating unnecessary repetitions and clutter, reducing extravagant material desires, shedding unnecessary burdens, and abandoning unrealistic fantasies, thus achieving peace of mind, tranquility, and joy. As the saying goes, "Life is not inherently bitter; what is bitter is excessive desire. The heart is not inherently weary; what is weary is the inability to let go." Subtracting from life means discarding what should be discarded, letting go of what should be let go, maintaining an empty cup mentality, and not being burdened by vanity. This is a life attitude, a form of wisdom and transcendence.
Looking out over the bustling city streets and hurried pedestrians, modern society is driven by a get-rich-quick mentality. People are constantly rushing around, working overtime, struggling in a whirlpool of materialism, seemingly wanting everything and adding to their lives, unaware that this constant adding only leads to a fall and the loss of happiness. They don't realize that what they are painstakingly pursuing may be an unattainable fantasy, a desire for life that can never be satisfied. The result is physical and mental exhaustion, a haggard appearance, and in some cases, even the loss of their health and life. As
Tagore said, "When a bird's wings are bound with gold, it cannot fly far." If a person only wants to take and not give, if selfish desires and greed are excessive, it will also hinder their progress in life and suppress their wings from soaring. Everyone has limited time, energy, and life. Our shoulders cannot bear the weight of so much money, career, fame, status, family, and emotions. Therefore, many times, we must learn to let go, to lighten our load appropriately, to slow down our pace, and to spend more time observing the blooming and fading of flowers, the rising and setting of the sun. Only in this way can we become more composed and calm, and make our lives more passionate and vibrant. Only in this way can our life's journey reach the shore of happiness quickly and safely, allowing us to fully appreciate the beauty of life and savor its rich flavor.
Simplifying life is not about being conservative or retreating, nor is it about passively avoiding the world, nor does it mean losing; rather, it represents a higher state of mind. As the famous writer Jia Pingwa aptly said, "Those who achieve success understand two words: 'willingness to give.' Without giving, there is no gain; a small sacrifice yields a small gain; a large sacrifice yields a large gain." Our lives are becoming increasingly prosperous and wealthy, yet we feel increasingly lonely and empty-handed. This world is too noisy; life needs richness and balance to settle. Many people are troubled by profit, unable to let go and thus worry; trapped by emotions, unable to let go and thus suffer. Between gains and losses, there's no need to constantly waver or struggle. We should face life's desires with equanimity, uphold our beliefs, and cast aside all shackles that bind our hearts and minds. Become the master of your own life and embrace a more open-minded existence. Only by letting go can we achieve self-liberation. Only by letting go can we make new choices.
We often ask where happiness is, but happiness has always been there. We need to learn to simplify our lives, to learn to let go and relinquish, to break free from constraints, to distance ourselves from fame and fortune, to take success and failure lightly, to find peace in simplicity, and to release our grasping hands from desires so that we can free our hands to embrace a happy and fulfilling life.
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