I know you've seen how bright the sky is, the birds in the sky, and the beauty all around you brought by nature. You know that deep sigh that leaves your lips and the smile that graced your lips? That's the beauty of being content. How things so simple can just brighten one's day every day.

I had some habits that I wouldn't have bothered changing if not for the presence of minimalism in my life.

When it comes to being content with what we have, it has so many branches. It doesn't just deal with materialistic things. It also has to do with our emotions.

My path towards embracing and applying minimalism to my life brought a lot of emotional change in me, and that has really impacted me to date. While growing up, there was a girl who usually came to my parents' place. My mom loves her and treats her like I own. But, I never understood. Whenever she came around, I saw her as a threat because mom gave a lot to her and trained her like she did us.

I became jealous and wanted her not to feel that love because I wanted it all for myself. I was selfish and made things that were simple, complicated. I wasn't content with what I had emotionally. My mom noticed this and made me understand a lot of things. Just like she had taught us the importance of giving out things we don't need anymore and also sharing gifts with others, she taught me to love others who are not my siblings.

After that, I got to know the girl's mother died when she was little, and from there, I understood. I started caring for her, too, and we even became close friends. If it wasn't for the presence of minimalism, this act of contentment wouldn't have found its way to my heart, and it would have become a bad habit that may be hard to control.

I got to appreciate the little things I have and not allow jealousy into my heart. Whenever I see things I want but don't have, I am grateful for what I have. Just like the birds in the sky and nature, I learned to work on my emotions, and it paved the way into grooming me into the woman I am today.

Also, speaking on the habits I changed when I embraced minimalism, I'll have to go with self-control. I am such a big fan of eating meat that it seems my placenta was built on it. I don't eat much, though I love cooking, but when it comes to eating meat, I am ready to spend all the finances that I have gathered to get it.

However, as time went on and I grew up more in a home where minimalism is practiced, I got to learn to have self control especially when I go out to either parties or to family's place. It wasn't easy to tame my urge for it whenever I saw meat, but with time, I had control of it.

The first time I passed by a place where Suya, which is known as grilled meat, is sold without even looking at it, you've got to see the look on my face when I got home. I was super happy and felt fulfilled that it felt like I went to the future and saw the numbers to winning a lotto that was worth a billion dollars.

The feeling that I got that night was next to none. I was at peace, and I was super proud of myself. I didn't feel hurt that I wasn't able to satisfy my love for meat. Instead, I felt a deep satisfaction with a sense of simplicity knowing that as long as I continue applying the act of minimalism in my life, there's a lot of habit changing that would occur and just that thought alone makes my heart flutter like I just fell in love with a baby's smile. And because I am filled with happiness, here's a song to go.

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Still yours truly,
Balikis.

Thanks for reading and listening.

Peace be unto those who crave it and more to those who chase it away.