Letting Go: My Journey to Minimalism

If you don’t love it, leave it or let it go. For the next six weeks I will be repeating this to myself daily as I encounter every last one of my belongings. One of my goals for this year is to simplify my life. So, of course being the exhibitionist that I am, that means not just organizing and tossing a few things, but becoming a minimalist. Well, at least I’m going to try. And ‘rational minimalism’ at best (reading Simplify by Joshua Becker)—I’m not seeking to deprive us of things we will regret parting with, but to be more thoughtful about why we own something.

I’ve always fanaticized about living in a space that felt open, light and uncluttered; and now working from home more consistently has made the impact of all my stuff more apparent. I have too much. Period. On top of just having a lot of tangible stuff, I can recall the emotional stuff that is tied to some of those purchases. Break-ups, let downs, job losses, deaths, disappointments—each moment in my history has been memorialized with a tangible item, leaving the energy in my home feeling heavy and uncharacteristic of an environment I think best reflects where I am today.

One thing I remember and really appreciate about having lived in Europe is their appreciation for living life outdoors. Home was where you commune and rest, sure, but the world was for exploring and sharing with your community. Children played outdoors, museums and parks were full of just as many natives as tourists and the energy was lighter.

That’s what I want for my son and myself—to have a home that is not only peaceful, but also full of thoughtful and purposeful energy. Every item will be something necessary or loved. I really want him to learn, just as I did, that the relationships you have in life and the energy you bring along with you are far more important than the stuff you own. I believe in showing and not telling; and just as much as I want to teach my Bean this lesson I am partly seeking to acknowledge that I, too, am more valuable than any tangible item that needed to be purchased. I am enough, and so are you.

Make the things and people who fill your life earn their keep. Do they make you happy, teach you something, make you want to be a better you? Or does your smile diminish in their presence and fill you with anxiety? Follow me on this journey and, if all goes well, I hope to have some pretty awesome stories to tell and photos to share.

xo, august & pepper