Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Space

One of my favorite moments recently came thanks to a beach ball. 

We were playing ball with our daughter inside the house.  It began innocently with some kicking, throwing, and progressed to "monkey in the middle".

My husband & I slowly userped the game.  We developed the unspoken rule that the ball must not touch the floor or stop moving. 

That ball bounced off almost every surface in sight.  We fell into & onto every piece of furniture in our attempts to maintain the sanctity of the game.  We laughed & joked as we batted the ball back & forth. 

Not once did I worry about the ball hitting knick knacks, picture frames, or breaking something because I keep almost none out.  I was free to enjoy the moment - be a kid again. 

My stuff did not hinder the ability for life to play itself out. (pun intended)  In keeping a minimal amount of stuff, there is freedom to move around - to live in the space. 

In the space there is possibility, a clean slate, no distractions.   

My space is precious to me because it is meant to be lived in, not decorated. 

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Less Stuff, More Life

This is the mantra that started it all for me.  My "aha moment".

My stuff prevents me from having the life I want.  My time is spent to clean my stuff, to sort my stuff, to acquire my stuff, to replace my stuff, to protect my stuff, etc...  I could go on & on.

I quickly amassed stuff because that's what I thought success looked & felt like.  That's what adults do, right?  Shopping was ingrained in me as a hobby - a sport, & I was bound for the gold medal. 

At 31, my house was bursting at the seams with stuff. 

I was constantly stressed.  If I wanted to put new stuff away, I'd have no place because the old stuff was taking up all the storage.  The storage areas & the piling new stuff became like programs running in the background on your computer.  They sucked my energy subconsciously.

Not only were there logistical concerns, I also worked endlessly to buy said stuff.  In essence, I traded my time for money for stuff.  Therefore, bills added to my stress.

As I purged the stuff, I focused on experiences instead - traveling, concerts, nice restaurants with my husband, festivals, etc...  I have amassed countless, precious memories that require no storage, no cleaning, no protection, and no replacing.  I have shared them with loved ones & new friends. 

Stuff comes & goes.  My memories I can store without limit, & I do so happily.