a new word 'danshari' has become popular in japan. it means 'refusal', 'disposal' and 'separation'. the idea is to let go of your physical and emotional burdens and to live a minimalist lifestyle. this philosophy is deeply rooted in buddhist, so you may think that many japanese already lead a minimalist lifestyle but the influence of western ideas on modern japan has been very strong.
having a lot of stuff can be a symbol of wealth and status but you need to first let go in order to gain. there's a line from a lauryn hill song that i really like: "we must destroy in order to rebuild". filling your canvas with different colors is beautiful but in order to paint a new painting, you have to first erase your old one.
yoshi and i are in the middle of this process. letting go and starting anew.
a new chapter in our lives; a fresh blank page waiting to be colored.
how we are danshari-ing:
refusal = choosing not to add more clutter
disposal = quitting our jobs, moving out of our home
separation = leaving the comfort of our life in japan
clutter weighs you down, preventing you from seeing clearly. for those of you who are having trouble letting go, remember: less is actually more.
our flight to new york today was canceled, so we fly out tomorrow instead.
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