Making decisions based on personal truth verus conditioned thought can be extremely freeing. We are truly conditioned to believe that we need things to create a cozy home, to be happy, to look good, to feel good, and to be successful. Have you ever wondered who decided this was the “joyous norm”?
There is also the complete opposite extreme of limiting personal possessions to 100 things, living in a home with barely any furniture and bare white walls, and only having a 33 piece wardrobe. I believe striving for extreme minimalism can cause as much stress as hoarding if you are not ready for that kind of lifestyle. It all has to do with perspective, where you are in your life at that moment, as well as discovering what serenity looks like for your life.
Happiness, prosperity, joy, love, peace, and abundance have absolutely nothing to do possessions.
The infinite qualities of happiness, prosperity, joy, love, peace and abundance that we seek through materialism or minimalism are actually transparent spiritual qualities. These attributes usually have to do with an inner bliss separate from our perception of life experiences or things. When we solely look for these qualities in materialism or extreme minimalism, we will never experience long lasting fulfillment.
While decorating our new home, I purchased things we actually needed, and other items to create a new colorful space. I am quite pleased with how it is all coming together, yet it is not the decor which is making this space sacred and enjoyable to live in. It is appreciating the energy of our new neighborhood. We share immense gratitude for unbelievable everyday quiet compared to our previous very artistic/rowdy neighborhood. It is also feeling empowered that we finally took a leap of faith to begin again together since getting married three years ago that has created the overall tone of our new home. It has given us another opportunity to grow individually and as a couple.
It is the joy of starting over in a new space and recreating what is important to us that is fulfilling.
Now that we are settled in our home a little over a month, it has given me some time to see what is being used and enjoyed and what things are literally holding space and energy. My personal preference has always been to downsize, and we continue to do so now in a very organic way. No longer is it an experiment or a challenge. Instead it just feels right. I honestly have more peace with less to organize or clean up and around. I’m prepared to begin another session of releasing the unnecessary, but not as I’ve done before.
As I continue this minimalist journey or what I’d rather phrase as “a simple living quest”, it is much easier to let physical things go as well as emotional baggage.
I am now defining how this new perspective looks and what it means to me. My original aesthetic of simplicity is creatively shifting in so many ways. I am more aware of the things that I do not use daily and reconsidering their place in my life. Some things that I have are literally hiding in the small storage closet waiting for attention and other things already designated to be given away.
Simple living feels like a much better space to be in versus extreme minimalism.
(Image by D Sharon Pruitt)
sandy says
I agree. One need only look at “nature”. It simply functions; everything has a purpose.
But much that is designated as minimalism is an “effort” to remove everything.
There is a profound difference.
Thank you for this post.
Dawn Michelle says
So true Sandy! For something that is supposed to be simple living it does take so much effort. I think part of it is a mindset that takes time to reprogram. The process continues.