When we decided that we were going to pull the trigger on our move and renovate the farmhouse I told myself that I would sort and purge 'all the things' and only move what we absolutely needed, that's simple right? Wrong. I've always been one of those who thinks 'hey, this sounds like a great idea' but never really follow through because I either get distracted with kids, life or just don't make the time. But nonetheless, I automatically jumped on Amazon and surfed for a book on how to 'simplify', how to 'live with less', basically-- a book for a wannabe minimalist. Marie Kundo's approach felt too abrasive for me and ultimately I landed upon Soulful Simplicity by Megan Carver. (If you read my blog post last Wednesday then you probably heard me mention this book.) I clicked buy and two days later it arrived- got to love prime. I ripped open the box, read the first two chapters quickly and then got sidetracked and never picked it back up- well, not until I put it into a moving box and sealed it up with tape.
I did sort through things as we packed and donated a couple of boxes of 'stuff'. But, the whole "we may need this one-day" mentality keep getting in the way so... my bright idea lightbulb moment ended up a bit dimmer than I had hoped and my follow through wasn't that great. Well, fast forward to last week- I happened upon this little hardcover book and I felt like it was goading me to pick it up and start reading again. So, I did. I threw it in my diaper bag and headed off to kindergarten pick up a few minutes earlier than normal and cracked open the book to where I had previously left off. I was hooked this time and I just kept thumbing the pages until I had to get on with other daily tasks but then I picked it up again after the girls bedtime. 24 hours and I'm halfway though the book. And you know, I have to say that it is really speaking to my heart and making me re-evaluate the way I do things and approach different situations. Sometimes you just need to see it on paper and what someone one tell you what you need to hear. You may not want to hear it or do it but you have to, to simplify your life because life is busy and when 'stuff' takes up our time we miss out of the things that are truly important-- especially in a world that goes as fast as this one does. And, this is something I'm trying to teach myself.
I did sort through things as we packed and donated a couple of boxes of 'stuff'. But, the whole "we may need this one-day" mentality keep getting in the way so... my bright idea lightbulb moment ended up a bit dimmer than I had hoped and my follow through wasn't that great. Well, fast forward to last week- I happened upon this little hardcover book and I felt like it was goading me to pick it up and start reading again. So, I did. I threw it in my diaper bag and headed off to kindergarten pick up a few minutes earlier than normal and cracked open the book to where I had previously left off. I was hooked this time and I just kept thumbing the pages until I had to get on with other daily tasks but then I picked it up again after the girls bedtime. 24 hours and I'm halfway though the book. And you know, I have to say that it is really speaking to my heart and making me re-evaluate the way I do things and approach different situations. Sometimes you just need to see it on paper and what someone one tell you what you need to hear. You may not want to hear it or do it but you have to, to simplify your life because life is busy and when 'stuff' takes up our time we miss out of the things that are truly important-- especially in a world that goes as fast as this one does. And, this is something I'm trying to teach myself.
The basic jist of the book is this -- "Be more with less means: Be more you. Give yourself all the space, time and love to remember who you are. Living with less clutter, busyness, and stress will help you make the room to do what you need to do. Simplifying my life gave me the space, time, and love to be more me, and the following practices led me back." If that is something that interest you then I highly recommend picking up a copy. Also - stay tuned because I just started her Project 333, an approach to simplifying your closet to just 33 pieces- total.
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