A lot of people who think a minimalist lifestyle might be right for them start with the huge job of throwing out the majority of their crap. And I totally understand, I want to throw out your crap too.
But before we go hog wild, take a second to remember your reasons for wanting to journey down the path of minimalism.
Continue reading “New to Minimalism? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Start Throwing Stuff Out Yet”
My focus lends itself to the emotional spaciousness that comes with letting things go. I like open space, the ability to move around, and knowing that if I do want to buy or replace something, that old thing will still have a use, whether it be by me or someone else who can use it better. The mindset of having what you need and letting the rest go can also sometimes create an anti-consumerist mentality, which really can be good or bad. In the long run, once you commit to the minimalist/simplistic lifestyle, I find that several factors come into play that lead to a little more feng shui, a little less spending, and a little more mental room to breathe. All generally good things.
But there’s another perspective that is sometimes overlooked, and on occasion represented in a way that is grossly out of proportion, and that is the idea that a minimalist lifestyle requires you to be absolutely loaded. Continue reading “How Much Does it Really Cost to Hang Onto that Extra Crap?”
It’s really easy to confuse minimalism with an inflated lifestyle or a struggling one. It’s also really easy to associate it with a complete disregard for sustainability
One of the things I really struggled with was getting rid of all the clothes I had accumulated throughout the years. They all held some sort of value to me – especially the t shirts I got from random events I attended like races or sponsorship events. The blank shirts were easy enough to get rid of, but anything that seemed to have a memory attached was nearly impossible for me to part with.
Confession time: I’m a hoarder.
Like a bad one. But I have seen the error of my ways and I am working sincerely and passionately to correct that. This is one of the many reasons I decided to start a blog in the first place.
That, and I’m incredibly bored at home and thought that those of you in cyber space needed to hear my self-indulgent internal monologues.
Ode to a Car Mirror?
We’re getting there.
Almost everyone I know hangs onto something because it represents something special in their lives. That’s where collections are born. We have this need to keep arbitrary things just because we got them at an event that was cool, or it was a token of achievement. Maybe it came from a loved one who passed away.
Continue reading “Ode to a Car Mirror… and Other Ways to Declutter Sentimental Things”