A Wannabe Minimalist
For a long time, I have wanted to start paring down the things in my life. I've been an ultra-consumer before. I've wanted to have the latest and greatest everything. At one point in my life, I counted my shoes and I think I came up with 90 pair! What the hell am I going to do with that many shoes? How many of them did I really even wear?
Well, to answer that question, not many. Over the course of the last few years, I've been able to pare down my shoe collection to maybe 12 pair. That, in itself, was a huge challenge for me. I have a tendency to be somewhat of a hoarder and it's been very difficult for me to let go of anything. Yes, my environment is clean and everything is "organized" and put away. No, there are no piles and pathways. My floor space is open and my home is neat.
However, there have been certain things over the course of my life that I haven't been able to give up. Things of sentimental value are the hardest. But slowly, I have been giving them new homes. My husband has been very patient with me during this process. He can see what's happening in my mind when I go through a box. He knows when it's time for me to take a break or when to push me just a little bit further.
The other things that have been very difficult for me to get rid of are books. Books have always been "The Great Escape" for me. I enjoy immersing myself in a different world, even if it's just for a short while. There are many books that have become something like that favorite pair of old, worn, blue jeans. They are comfortable and comforting. There are many memories of difficult times in my life with those books and how they helped me pull through and gain a different perspective.
And now, that different perspective is why I have chosen to let many of them go. It's why I have chosen to let many other things go as well. They have helped me to mature. They've taught me that I can rely on my decisions and my instincts. They've taught me to examine the inner portions of my mind and heart, and to have faith that I can, indeed, make it through the next challenge.
I have found that narrowing down the amount of things that I possess has really changed my focus. I no longer think about how to obtain more. Well. . . sometimes I do - like when there's a $1.5 Billion lottery and I have $10 in tickets. . . but that's beside the point. I also realize that more money isn't going to solve everything. I know that it is my challenge to create my own happiness. It translates into the things that I purchase.
I spend more time thinking about how an item would benefit me and for how long. If it's not going to suit the purpose for more than a few months or a year, there is no reason to own it. This also extends to my wardrobe. I've been cleaning out things that don't have a lasting purpose. Over the course of the last year, I have probably removed 200 items of clothing. Perhaps even more than that. I'm narrowing it down to things that are classic, classy, comfortable and well-made. Truthfully, I don't mind spending $200 on a pair of shoes if they fit a number of criteria that will be laid out in another post.
You see, being a minimalist isn't about being cheap or being poor. It's about learning what really matters to you and having just enough of those things. It always breaks down to Fit, Form, Function, Versatility, Style and Necessity. We all have too many things in life that we think we "need." Let's explore that for a moment.
What is it that we, as humans, truly need? Food. Water. Shelter. Enough clothing to protect you from the elements. Some (myself included) would also say Love. Not necessarily romantic love (although I am fortunate to have that), but the love of family and friends - a support system.
So, after having defined those basic needs, look at your list of possessions. Do you have those things? Most of us would say yes. And now, look at the list of things that you own. I would suspect that you have much more than those five things. So, in essence, you are rich, or at least well-off.
Minimalism is a mindset. It's about learning to be satisfied. It's about truly appreciating what you have, not what is still sitting on the shelf at the store. Life is about creating experiences, not how many possessions you can gather. What are you going to do with all that crap when you die, anyway? Who will want it? Do you want to leave it to your family to deal with? Or, if you have no family, most of it will end up in the dump or a second-hand store. Think about that for a moment.
The only commodity that we truly have to spend is time. Every dollar that you have represents a moment of time that you have given away to earn it. So, what is the value of that dollar now? Let's say you make $60K per year. Is that dollar worth the 2 minutes that you could have been showing your dog some love or watching the sun rise or holding the hand of a person you love?
Well, to answer that question, not many. Over the course of the last few years, I've been able to pare down my shoe collection to maybe 12 pair. That, in itself, was a huge challenge for me. I have a tendency to be somewhat of a hoarder and it's been very difficult for me to let go of anything. Yes, my environment is clean and everything is "organized" and put away. No, there are no piles and pathways. My floor space is open and my home is neat.
However, there have been certain things over the course of my life that I haven't been able to give up. Things of sentimental value are the hardest. But slowly, I have been giving them new homes. My husband has been very patient with me during this process. He can see what's happening in my mind when I go through a box. He knows when it's time for me to take a break or when to push me just a little bit further.
The other things that have been very difficult for me to get rid of are books. Books have always been "The Great Escape" for me. I enjoy immersing myself in a different world, even if it's just for a short while. There are many books that have become something like that favorite pair of old, worn, blue jeans. They are comfortable and comforting. There are many memories of difficult times in my life with those books and how they helped me pull through and gain a different perspective.
And now, that different perspective is why I have chosen to let many of them go. It's why I have chosen to let many other things go as well. They have helped me to mature. They've taught me that I can rely on my decisions and my instincts. They've taught me to examine the inner portions of my mind and heart, and to have faith that I can, indeed, make it through the next challenge.
I have found that narrowing down the amount of things that I possess has really changed my focus. I no longer think about how to obtain more. Well. . . sometimes I do - like when there's a $1.5 Billion lottery and I have $10 in tickets. . . but that's beside the point. I also realize that more money isn't going to solve everything. I know that it is my challenge to create my own happiness. It translates into the things that I purchase.
I spend more time thinking about how an item would benefit me and for how long. If it's not going to suit the purpose for more than a few months or a year, there is no reason to own it. This also extends to my wardrobe. I've been cleaning out things that don't have a lasting purpose. Over the course of the last year, I have probably removed 200 items of clothing. Perhaps even more than that. I'm narrowing it down to things that are classic, classy, comfortable and well-made. Truthfully, I don't mind spending $200 on a pair of shoes if they fit a number of criteria that will be laid out in another post.
You see, being a minimalist isn't about being cheap or being poor. It's about learning what really matters to you and having just enough of those things. It always breaks down to Fit, Form, Function, Versatility, Style and Necessity. We all have too many things in life that we think we "need." Let's explore that for a moment.
What is it that we, as humans, truly need? Food. Water. Shelter. Enough clothing to protect you from the elements. Some (myself included) would also say Love. Not necessarily romantic love (although I am fortunate to have that), but the love of family and friends - a support system.
So, after having defined those basic needs, look at your list of possessions. Do you have those things? Most of us would say yes. And now, look at the list of things that you own. I would suspect that you have much more than those five things. So, in essence, you are rich, or at least well-off.
Minimalism is a mindset. It's about learning to be satisfied. It's about truly appreciating what you have, not what is still sitting on the shelf at the store. Life is about creating experiences, not how many possessions you can gather. What are you going to do with all that crap when you die, anyway? Who will want it? Do you want to leave it to your family to deal with? Or, if you have no family, most of it will end up in the dump or a second-hand store. Think about that for a moment.
The only commodity that we truly have to spend is time. Every dollar that you have represents a moment of time that you have given away to earn it. So, what is the value of that dollar now? Let's say you make $60K per year. Is that dollar worth the 2 minutes that you could have been showing your dog some love or watching the sun rise or holding the hand of a person you love?
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