“I could NEVER be a minimalist!” is something I remember saying a couple years ago. To be completely honest, I am not a minimalist. I am still very cluttered in certain areas of my life. For instance, my bathroom, my bathroom is very cluttered and not my most prideful area of my life. But contrary to my first statement, minimalism is something that has piqued my interest in the past year.
For those who don’t know what minimalism is, minimalism is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a style or technique that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity”. Sounds kind of scary to someone like me who has a love for stuff. As I continued to research minimalism, I found that some minimalists live without things like cars or even houses. Reading those extreme lifestyles I couldn’t help but think again “I could never be a minimalist”.
I knew I wanted to declutter my life in some way. Suddenly, something changed… I stopped getting on my phone. I ran to my room in a rampage and threw away every item in my room and then left my house and am now currently living my best life in a cardboard box with nothing but the clothes I am wearing!
No, clearly that didn’t happen, I woke up late on a Saturday morning, walked downstairs and turned on Netflix. I watched a show called “Tidying Up” and it really inspired me. The host was a women named Marie Kondo who lives by tidiness and choosing joy. After watching the first episode, I followed her directions and went upstairs and got rid of 2/3 of my clothing and items in my room. I felt so relieved and inspired to continue this method within every aspect of my life.
After a little more research and a little inspiration, I realized that minimalizing isn’t getting rid of every item except the necessities. Its about decluttering your life and only keeping the things that bring you joy. I think minimalism is a great way to grow closer to God. Even though I am just now starting on this journey of organization, I already have this feeling of respect and love for everything that I have. I believe that is what God wants for us, He wants us to be content for the things that we own.
Minimalism isn’t about getting rid of things, its about giving yourself the time and space for the things that are important to yourself. By working to live this lifestyle, it gives me more time to study and meditate on God’s word and to prepare for World Race Gap Year. By writing this blog post, I am holding myself accountable to not let my clutter hold me down, but to live in joy.
