When Kim and I (+ 2 kids) started minimizing our belongings, I just wanted a little peace of mind.
I was tired of living paycheck to paycheck. I was tired of spending so much money on myself knowing that there were people who needed it more. I was also tired of wasting my time and energy cleaning, organizing, repairing and maintaining my home.
when my neighbor introduced me to the word minimalism, I began to see clearly how the extra possessions I had accumulated were sapping my time, money and energy. And minimalism was the change I needed in my life.
In many ways, our decision to deliberately live with less possessions was motivated entirely by frustration.
But regardless of our motives, we found countless life benefits right after a decision was made.Minimalism brought intentionality to our lives.
We found intentionality in our values and passions.
Minimalism is about intentionally promoting what we value most and eliminating all distractions.
This looks different for everyone, but those who pursue it always need to further define their passion and thereby discover their intentions.
We found purposefulness in our finances.
Having fewer possessions didn’t make you more money by itself (except for the items you sold), but it did give you more opportunities to spend your money.
For example, when you become tempted to live with less and your checkbook consumerism breaks down, you can spend your money on: a more worthy purpose Than buy from clearance racks at your local department store. New opportunities became available to help others, which forced new decisions.
We found purpose in health.
Six months after discovering minimalism, my birthday is approaching. After months of removing clutter from our homes and lives, the last thing I wanted to receive was potential clutter.
While brainstorming non-physical gift ideas, planet fitness It had just opened down the street from my house. And for the first time, I had the motivation, finances, and time to get in better shape.
We found purpose in our meals.
Interestingly, the last thing you want in your body after a workout is junky processed foods. So we started choosing healthier foods, with more fruits, more vegetables, and less sugar.
With more time and less desire to buy possessions, I came across a gym membership…and it got me to eat healthier.
I also started forming new friendships with other simple life advocates. Many of them modeled intentional diets.Over the years, we have experimented with many of their ideas. Every time we eat, we discover new foods to eat and gain a better understanding of the foods we put into our bodies.
We found intentionality in spirituality.
Minimalism provided an opportunity to slow down. It also gave me motivation.
When I began to realize how much my thinking had been hijacked by advertising and our consumer-driven society, I gravitated toward meditation and solitude practices. It was taken.
Having grown up in a religious home, I was also drawn to finding voices of higher power. He knew so much more and was able to redirect my life to greater, more eternal pursuits. And we need to slow down long enough for each of us to listen.
We found intentionality in our relationship.
Having less possessions has opened doors to new relationships in our lives. We were able to engage more deeply with our neighbors and communities. We wanted to welcome people into our homes because it made it easier to prepare for their arrival.
I spend less time shopping, cleaning and organizing, and more time with the people who make my life fun. Our capacity and appreciation for relationships began to grow (and continues to grow).
We found purpose in our work.
The longer we lived with fewer possessions, the more our perspective on money began to change. Having a lot of it has become less important to us. Our essential needs are met and we have enough left to practice generosity. What else do you need?
As my view of money changed, so did my motivation for work. Work became less about weekly deposits and more about the value and contribution it could bring to people’s lives. It has opened more doors to integrity, collaboration, people, passion and joy at work.
We found intentionality in the pursuit of the mind.
Living with less opened up opportunities for contentment, gratitude, and generosity to take root in our hearts. It forced us to redefine happiness.
Happiness is no longer sold in department stores. Instead, we discovered it was a decision that was available to us all along. I was able to find it.
We got into minimalism because we were dissatisfied with life.But of its greatest gifts, it brought us intentionalityAnd I couldn’t be more grateful.
If you only have one life, you can also make it as intentional as possible.
