Over the past several years, I've slowly become discontent in my stuff, my things, my personal belongings. For so long, I've subconsciously looked to these things to bring some level of happiness or fulfillment. A trip to Target for shampoo and laundry detergent would easily morph into a $95 expenditure of stuff that, momentarily, would get me really excited (essie obsession, anyone?) but would end up cluttering my life, my home, and my heart.
Case and I got married a few months after one set of my grandparents moved from their home of 40 years to a retirement community and half a year after my other grandfather had passed away, leaving an entire house, garage, and attic full. of. shit. Metal cans full of rusty nails, rows upon rows of textbooks from the 1930s, enough dishes to feed an army on, and more than I could ever possibly remember. It took weeks of working full time to sort through it all, making decision after decision about what should be kept, sold, donated, or trashed. And while the makings of minimalism have been part of me for as long as I can remember (my mother says I am the best at purging), I kept a good deal of that stuff. It was my grandfather's. It was my grandmother's. Getting rid of it would make me a cold-hearted, ungrateful grandchild, right?
Case and I have also moved once a year (give or take) since before we were married 7 years ago. Moving is expensive. The more you have, the more it costs to move. So I purged. I sold. I donated. I gave away to those who could actually use the things that were collecting dust in boxes I had yet to open. I gave myself permission to find a place for the things that I enjoyed and would truly fit in our lifestyle and I tried my best to find homes for the things that did not. Namely, an entire dining room suite that was my great grandfathers. As an aside, my generation really has no idea what to do with decent furniture. Asking people to use coasters and constantly having to watch out for water rings and scratches really put a damper on entertaining.
I once spent a year refraining from purchasing any new clothing. Apparently, I've long been a fashionista, walking down my neighborhood street in a princess get up and plastic, Barbie heels from a young age. Making the decision to not buy any new clothes, for a year, stemmed largely from the lack of funds in my bank account but there was a huge part of me that knew that I needed to give myself a clean break from buying clothes out of a desire to make myself feel happier and more content. The benefits were overwhelming. It revolutionized the way I approached clothing in general, but especially in whether or not I would purchase an item just because it was on sale.
The older I get, the more heavily it seems I weigh whether or not something is truly useful, necessary, or beautiful. I've recently embarked on a journey of selling my clothes. I had no idea if they would be purchased by others but simply going through them, deciding whether they were serving any good purpose in my life, and methodically taking photos as well as detailing their attributes was incredibly cathartic. I was able to acknowledge that they no longer fit into my life and in turn, let go. It has me hungering for less, wanting to streamline every area of my life: finances, furniture, books, dishes, and more.
I recently listened to a podcast in which Rob Bell interviews The Minimalists, two guys who literally stumbled into Minimalism and have found their lives completely transformed as they have walked away from things and into contentment, fulfillment, and into experiencing the joys of life in ways they had previously not. Do yourself a solid and listen here.
I still have several boxes of stuff that I intend to go through. Decisions to make about whether or not these items that are taking up space in my home are also taking up precious space in my head and in my heart. If so, do they belong there, or do I need to let them go in order to give myself room to breath. It's a work in progress.
I recently listened to a podcast in which Rob Bell interviews The Minimalists, two guys who literally stumbled into Minimalism and have found their lives completely transformed as they have walked away from things and into contentment, fulfillment, and into experiencing the joys of life in ways they had previously not. Do yourself a solid and listen here.
I still have several boxes of stuff that I intend to go through. Decisions to make about whether or not these items that are taking up space in my home are also taking up precious space in my head and in my heart. If so, do they belong there, or do I need to let them go in order to give myself room to breath. It's a work in progress.