As a lot of you know my husband and I have been working on letting go of stuff for almost 4 years now. A transition started unintentionally when we moved into my parents basement and most of our "stuff" ended up in a storage unit for almost 3 years. When we moved out of my parents we moved into 450 sqft of living space. At that point we had a talk about paying for that unit to hold "stuff" we hadn't seen or apparently needed in almost 3 years. Was it wroth the 400 dollars a year? Was it worth shoving into our little space and making me anxious? No it was not so we let go.
It wasn't easy at first. There is fear in letting go. Fear of losing a part of yourself and who you are, a fear that you may need the item at some point ( I think in all the time there has been maybe 2 items I've wished I had down the road though I can't think of what they are now), a feeling of waste or loss over the money spent on an item, a fear of hurting a well meaning friend or loved one, who gave that item to you out of love. That fear is real but for me so was the anxiety and inability to focus in my space. Lets face it the money going out for the storage was real as well ;). We also budget, meal plan and are working on getting out of debt so having "less" just makes sense.
When this having less started I hadn't even heard of the term "minimalist" I had however discovered the feeling of less and letting go and the lightness, and clarity that came with it. When you are a person already prone to anxiety anything that keeps it down is good.
Being a "minimalist" was easy when you lived in a tiny space and didn't have any tiny humans. Fast forward to the present. In the last year we have bought a house (1600 sqft) with an ungodly amount of storage buildings. We call it a compound. Naturally when people see the space their words are something along the lines as. "Now you have to fill it up" "What are you going to put in it?' We've also had a baby which apparently requires an ungodly amount of stuff. We've done it with less stuff then others but goodness.
Have you even stopped to think what kind of advertising/consumer/1st world problem creates the idea that because you have the space it has to be full?
No Thanks. We got rid of more "stuff" during the moving process.
I've now watched Maria Condo "Tiding Up" I listen to Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus podcasts on minimalism. No I don't thank every item I let go of and yes I have more then a chair and a lamp in my house. I think what I like most about the Minimalist movement is there is no set goal to be a minimalist you can make it what works for you. Its not a contest of who can have the least. It's a desire to find joy in everything and peace with your choices.
I still have a wall full of books, and one box I don't yet have the shelves to unpack. Its WAY less books then I moved from Milwaukee with but they are books that shaped me in some way and some I truly have a desire to read. If I find some of the books I let go of in hardcover I will probably buy them again as our collection slowly morphs from soft to hardcover. I have a closet full of cowboy boots. (like legit) and while my husband and I have a very minimal amount of clothing our baby girl has an abundance. (I absolutely love it) However unless they are my absolute favorites once she grows out of something it has been "let go"
I don't think our journey is over but I've spent a lot less time looking for cloths to wear, and picking up the piles on my bedroom floor. I've spent a lot less time cleaning and more time holding my baby. With "minimalism" I have found it's been easier to focus on sustainability and reduce the amount of toxic plastics and waste coming from my home.
I know people hear that we "cleaned out more stuff" and think are you throwing everything away. I know some will struggle to understand why. I don't want to be a parent whose child can't have more than 10 toys. Yet I plan to practice when something comes in something old goes out. Nor do I expect anyone to buy the kind of toys I like. My child is not going to like a toy any less or more if it's plastic or wood. However, we decided we will only spend money on toys that will last, that have more then one use, that are sustainable. We are grateful for gift received from others they will be used and once they have served there purpose they will be passed on. While we don't want to with hold from our daughter we also want her to grow up with an appreciation for what she has. To learn to hold on to the things that really mean something to her and not things she feels like should mean something or shes expected to hold on to. Her ideas of whats worthy of keeping or letting go of are going to be different then mine. That's really want "minimalism" is about. Finding what works for you. We have a desire to teacher our daughter how to care for the things she has and not grow up thinking if she breaks/does not take care of it she will just get another or there is something else in a closet or box to replace it. In a world full of disposable, instant gratification we hope to show her an appreciation, and respect for the world and things God gave her.
So if you give us something that we eventually "let go of" don't take it as we didn't like the item or didn't need it at the time. It's more of a making room for other things, and understanding when something has served it's propose or brought us joy for a while but is not doing either of those things any longer, we will more then likely "let it go". Though I don't thank every item, there is something to be said for taking a second to appreciate either the item or the person who gave it to you as you "let it go"
It's not for everyone, nor do expect everyone to understand. It's not my job to force my ideas of whats needed or not on anyone. I may feel like it's not necessary while someone else will find the same item incredibly important. Neither of us are wrong we just have different needs. Lets stop forcing our needs on others. We all have a desire to be understood and accepted for the choices made in our life whatever those choices are.
Also...anyone else singing frozen through this whole post? Sorry not sorry.
