For a little while now I’ve been fascinated with the concept of minimalism and have been able to adapt it into my life in some ways.
I used to stare at my closet and drawers full of clothes and wonder what I should wear. It was such a hard decision, partly because I had so many things that I didn’t like. It seemed ridiculous to have such a hard time choosing what to wear when I had so many options. Alright…so I didn’t have a ton of clothes, but I definitely had all that I needed and more.
Just think of a little child in Africa with only rags to wear, or a homeless lady with only a tattered coat in the snow. Now think of me, and you’ll see that something was wrong with my daily dilemma.
Thankfully, the remedy started to come as I began clearing out my closets and drawers of unneeded clothes and things, and donating them to the thrift store. Every time I do another “inventory” of my room, I find more things that I don’t need. And every time I place those things in a bag and donate them for the good of others, I feel better. I feel like I have more, even though I have less, because what I do have is wanted and appreciated.
Sometimes there’s an item that I can’t quite get rid of yet–who knows? Maybe I’ll want it someday— but it always makes me feel better to put that item aside, and after some months go by, if I still haven’t used it, then I can get rid of it without worrying too much. There have been times when I’ve pulled items back out because they would be useful, and I was glad I hadn’t gotten rid of them too quickly.
I’m by no means a “minimalist,” but making some moderate steps to get rid of unneeded stuff has been a lil’ adventure that I’ve much enjoyed. It’s helped me take stock of the clothes I have, encouraged me to be more creative with what I have (I’ve discovered how many ways I can mix & match my skirts and tops), and also made me more aware of what clothes would be a good addition if I happen to find something good while thrift shopping.
Often we don’t realize how blessed we are until we think of all that we’ve been given, and how it’s even more than we need.
Joy, you are so young to be so wise. I didn’t think that way at your age. My daughter just told me that Heather, the older granddaughter wears the same skirt to church every week with a different top. I don’t know why. Olivia, the younger one can’t seem to get pants to fit her very well, so my daughter said she would just pull out her dresses and I said yeh!
We do have so much in this life compared to others and to our parents. It is a little ridiculous. I like bluejean skirts. They are comfortable and you can wear any top with them. I don’t like this polyester material because it isn’t comfortable to me but you can’t find much else anymore. I think being comfortable is more important than fashion. Well, I said a lot. Hope you are feeling much better now. ahava, Janice F.
Dear Miss Janice,
Thank you for your sweet comment. That is neat that your daughter & granddaughter enjoy wearing skirts. And yes….Our heavenly Father has blessed us so greatly! Thank you for sharing your thoughts…I love jean skirts too! I wear them a lot, because they’re so durable & match most anything. :) You’re right, it’s hard to find good skirts at the stores nowadays, but usually thrift stores can have some good finds.
I’m feeling a lot better. Thank you so much for your prayers! :) Ahava ~ Joy
Wow! What an excellent post, Joy … thank you so much for sharing! <3
I’m glad it blessed you, dear friend! :)
I actually just started reading a book on minimalism. It’s encouraging to see how others might be applying these concepts to their lives (even in small ways).
One of the misconceptions I think there is about minimalism / simplifying life is that the end goal is less stuff. I tend to think of it more setting your focus on the important things and clearing out the rest. It’s about finding clarity. Like in your example, the abundance of clothes made choosing what to wear difficult (I, being a guy, have never had this problem =P)…but by clearing out what really isn’t so important to you anyway, the things that are important become more clear and you can appreciate them more.
I haven’t actually started applying any of this to my life yet, but it was encouraging to read about your experience.
That’s a very good point about how minimalism is about finding clarity. Thank you for sharing. Embracing some degree of minimalism–or clarity :)–definitely takes on different realities for different people, but for all of us it can help us appreciate what we have more. I’m glad the post could be an encouragement to you! Your blog and fellow contributors are such a blessings to me. Shalom & many blessings to you & your family!