What is Minimalism? maybe it’s not what you think

You might think minimalism has to look a certain way or that it’s stark and cold. Or when you think of minimalism maybe you think you can only own a certain number of items, or that you have to sacrifice what you enjoy. None of those things are true. Minimalism isn’t that complicated.

So what is minimalism?

Minimalism is simply removing the things that remove you from your life. It doesn’t mean removing all of those things overnight, and what you choose to remove will change over time.

I removed these things that removed me from my life:

  • clutter
  • busyness
  • debt
  • guilt
  • drama
  • alcohol

And now I have the space for:

  • good health
  • peaceful sleep
  • loving relationships
  • creative flow
  • laughing til I cry
  • letting go

You get to define what minimalism means in your life. You decide what you remove and what you make space for. If you love to bake, it would be silly to get rid of your muffin tins. If you like to knit, getting rid of your yarn wouldn’t make any sense at all.

How to enjoy your life

Don’t use minimalism to compare and compete or to restrict your favorite things. Use minimalism to make room for your favorite things (which in many cases won’t be things at all).

For example, by practicing minimalism, I was able to downsize from a big house with lots of responsibility and obligation to a small apartment. Now instead of cleaning all weekend or mowing the lawn, or replacing a fence or a roof or carpeting, my husband and I can wake up and go hiking without thinking about a long to-do list waiting for us when we get home. This took a few years of decluttering and paying off debt, but there was goodness along the way.

Minimalism helped me change where I lived and how I lived. It helped me change my heart too. It helped me shift my attention from needing more to wanting less. Now I worry less and laugh more. I consume less and create more. I rush less and linger more. Laughing, creating and lingering are all good for my heart and soul.

If you feel disconnected, lost or overwhelmed, allow minimalism to bring you back by removing the things that are removing you from your life.


P.S. Registration for the Soulful Simplicity Course opens Monday (9-9)! If you want to spend six weeks with me removing things that remove you from your life, sign up here to learn more.

The post What is Minimalism? maybe it’s not what you think appeared first on Be More with Less.


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