Living Simple

Living Simple and Minimalism

What does it mean to "live simple"?  What is minimalism?  Who is a minimalist? 

I think we all have these preconceived, stereotypical images in our heads of who a minimalist is.  For me, it's a single person, who lives in a condo, with white furniture and abstract art on the wall.  They don't have any children and if they do, they are like little robots that cannot spill their drinks on the above-mentioned white couch.  Let alone have a drink in the living room.

I think not unlike myself, we all have a vision of minimalism.  But I've come to realize that living simply can be different for everyone.  Minimalism can be different for everyone.  Minimalism can be a tool to help you live a more simple life.  Help you to be less stressed.  Have less stuff to overwhelm you.  Become more free to do more, because you have or need less.

I think that with our preconceived, stereotypical images, we think that it's wrong to have stuff and live a simple life.  Society has programmed us to buy this, to be happy with that.  That you will feel a certain way if you have certain things.  Marketers know how to draw us in.  And that marketing is everywhere we turn.  Our smartphones, social media, TV, and billboards, to name a few. 

I have come to learn though that with minimalism and understanding it, you can make better informed, deliberate choices.  If you want to own a condo with a white couch, that's great!  But if you want to own a red couch, with some throw pillows for decoration that is great too.  If it brings you joy and has a purpose.

Several years ago, I made a big shift in my life and found myself moving.  It initially was a positive move that I had to make, to get out of a very destructive relationship.  However, as I was packing my things, I realized that I wanted to leave more and more of it.  It was actually sucking any joy that I had left in me, seeing all of these things go into boxes. To the point at the end of the few days of packing, I found myself just leaving stuff behind.

Then as I got settled in my new home (that was significantly smaller, with no basement to store stuff), and started to unpack…I just didn't have any room to put this stuff.  I remember sitting in my living room with yet another box of stuff and remembering something I had read about how to decide what to keep when down-sizing.  It was called the KonMari Method.  What I remember in particular about it was picking up an item and looking at it and asking "Does this bring me Joy".  That first box, took a while as I picked up every item and said that phrase to myself.  "Does this bring me joy"?

After that and over the next few years I have been working to declutter my life and home and like with the "things" in my life I have also started to ask myself when I'm with people "Does this person bring me Joy"?  Life changing.  Life Shifting.

All things to consider as you Shift Your Life.  Whether you are looking to simplify your home, your career, your day to day tasks.  Ask "Does this bring me Joy"?

Life…it's what you make of it

X J