A long path into minimalism and a big move
I am going through a big change right now!
I will be moving abroad next month (in 23 days to be exact) and I’ve been evaluating my possessions and minimizing since 2015. By then, I just wanted to live more intentionally and get rid of excess stuff. I wanted to travel light, with only a carry-on. I wanted to have a capsule wardrobe so that I needn’t waste time deciding what to wear in the morning.
These are all normal things everybody desires when they discover intentional living or minimalism.
I’ve read more than a dozen books about this topic since 2015.
I've read countless blog posts and articles about living with less, wasting less and choosing to own only the essential.
I started meditating in the mornings.
I started practicing yoga.
I've sold almost all my physical books, I've sold all my CD's, I donated clothes, shoes, towels, magazines, pens, notebooks.
I've scanned all the print photos I still had with me and recycled them. It was a huge pile!
I did the Minimalism Game for two consecutive months and got rid of 902 items in 59 days (February and March, 2017).
And I wondered if that was enough. Deep inside I felt that I wasn’t touching the surface of being really intentional. I felt all the benefits though. I am a much happier person. I have less anxiety, less stress. I remember to breath deeply in the middle of the day. I can focus.
Now, due to our future big move overseas, I started to sell and donate things that I thought were essential to me. As I am getting rid of furniture, electronics and even domestic appliances I am realizing that these things are not so essential after all.
This month I am selling big things. An office cabinet. A drawer cabinet. A sofa-bed that was “just in case we had visitors”. A kitchen mixer. A blender. A high quality office chair. All these items were in my daily routine (except the sofa-bed, which was really a “Just In Case”). They were essential to me! But after not having them at my disposal, I noticed I can live without them. It's not that bad!
I am feeling powerful, in a good sense. I can be as light as I desire. Each day I am filled with a sense of achievement and freedom. It's funny, though, it's one of those things we can't really explain, just feel it.
So, if you want to truly experience essentialism, try getting rid of something that you use routinely. Or, get rid of some container item. Containers often hide unused paraphernalia. You will realize that most of the stuff in that cabinet wasn't important at all. Eliminating the container made me rethink all that was inside it, because now I had to decide if I really wanted to keep it. And if yes, where would be its home?
I realized that even after years minimizing I had too many full containers. And I don’t need them to live a happy life.
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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.