Why Minimalism
The internet is filled with articles, vlogs, podcast and books on the topic of Minimalism. There are not any hard and fast rules on how to implement this way of living, However; one could become very confused and instead of bringing peace and contentment; quite the opposite could happen. The opposite occurs because there is no one size fits all when it comes to minimalism. I am not here to tell you how to embrace this lifestyle. Yet, I am encouraging you to go within and find out what is important to you. For me, it was creating space to take care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually; to travel and to be available for my family. Minimalism has helped to make this possible. The idea of possessing only the things I need and loving each item was liberating. The journey has been long yet rewarding and I am still evolving. Minimalism has brought peace and calmness into my physical space as well as internally. So, here is my story:
THE HOUSE!
My husband and I purchased a home with five bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a two-car garage, and a formal dining room with butler’s pantry, just for the two of us. You see, all of our children were grown at the time of the purchase and had lives of their own. There was very little need for a home this large. We found ourselves very rarely going upstairs since the master bedroom was on the main floor. With a big beautiful home, we quickly realized we were becoming free lodging for some family and their friends. When mentioning family; it does not refer to our children. Do not miss understand me, we love our family, but that was not a reason to own a house of this capacity, at least it wasn’t for us.
SEARCH FOR FREEDOM
In my search for freedom, I discovered Youtube videos and podcasts on Minimalism. My favorites were The Minimalist Podcast with Joshua and Ryan and Black Minimalist on Youtube with Yolanda. They sparked a fire in me! This was just what my soul longed for. The saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher will come” is so very true.” I was ready for a change. Ready to live life on my terms.
WORK, WORK, WORK
Work occupied the vast majority of my time. Though I made a good salary, it meant nothing because I did not have time to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I had to work to afford the five bedrooms, 3,5 bathrooms, two-car garage and butler pantry, that had become a lodge for family. Paying for a house that I spent very little time in; I felt trapped!
BREAKING FREE
So there I was feeling trapped but armed with a wealth of new knowledge on Minimalism. I begin to use this new-found knowledge to break free. The first step and easiest was to downsize the closets. Thousands of dollars of clothes were in those closets. Clothes I had forgotten I owned, shoes that hurt my feet and purses that were as old as my firstborn, were in those closets. I could have sold some, had a yard sale to make the extra cash, but I decided to donate them. It took about a month to go through each closet on the weekends. I felt relieved free and ready to get rid of even more. Waring, once you get started, you have to be careful, because you will give everything away.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS!
During this time, I was also seeking advancement in my career. I applied for many positions locally as well as throughout the country. Heck, I had the education and experience to throw my hat in the ring and to see where it would land. As a result, I had three job offers, one locally and two elsewhere. Long story short, I accepted a position in Savannah, Georgia. Little did I know this would turbocharge my minimalism journey. It started with selling all the furniture in the 5 bedrooms 3.5 bathrooms (you know the rest) house. Everything had to go, except my bedroom and living room sets and a small dinette table. I knew that I never wanted to live like this again, with excess. The house sold in 28 days!
MORE DOWNSIZING
Off to Savannah, we went, moving into a one-bedroom apartment. Once there, we needed to downsize even further! The furniture was too large for the apartment. So, we started the process again, selling our furniture. With the earnings from the sells, we purchased minimal furniture that better suited our new lifestyle and the rest went into savings.
FINANCES
Minimizing our possessions spilled over into our finances. We spent less money on housing, utilities and we stopped purchasing things we did not need. I began to research ways to manage our finances better and came across Dave Ramsey on Youtube. Once again, “When the student is ready the teacher will come.” I was ready! Ready to be free to live a less cumbersome life. Through Dave Ramsey’s teachings, I learned that Every Dollar Counts, Debt is Stupid, and Cash is King! The work began on minimizing our debt and living a more free and fugal life.
WHY MINIMALISM?
Why Minimalism? I realized that I did not need things to make me happy. I have more memorable experiences and spend meaningful time with family. Able to retire early and move closer to family. Take care of myself, the way that I deserve. For some living minimally is unthinkable but I am happier than I’ve ever been. I have everything that I need. Planning on traveling with hubby and staying as long as we want. I understand the meaning of less is more and things do not necessarily bring joy. Meaningful experiences with those you love are everything!
