Living With Less
December 6th, 2010
I used to be a pack rat. Just ask my mom. Getting me to clean my room was painful because every nook and cranny was stuffed with junk. Really, JUNK. “Clean your room” really meant “fill as many trash bags as possible.”
Now that I’m older, and debatably wiser, I’ve learned from my mom and in light of our move I have been filling trash bag after trash bag.
Like, really..who needs 5 first aid kits?
And you can bet that I’m not asking for anymore blue, long sleeved running shirts for Christmas.
I just love to throw things in the trash or the rescue mission pile and see my mass of non-descript “stuff” dwindling. It’s cleansing not only my closet, but also my spirit. I feel like I can breathe and move.
However, Dave’s a packrat and gets inexplicably nervous when I start “cleaning”. But I’ll save that for another post.
The other day as I was sorting through a closet, I started thinking about living with less. It seems that the older I get, the more I gravitate towards simplicity in life.
I thought of how this attribute I’ve developed plays out in the different areas of my life.
For example, there’s running. There is so much about running that is marketable and that we basically become attached to. In my running bag I have my Garmin, my iPod and armband, my Nathan’s Runner’s Pak, my Camelbak, my Nathan’s Quik Draw, reflectors, runner-specific hats, and of course lots of blue running shirts.
But Why?
Do I really need those to run? Not at all. In fact I’ve learned that I don’t even need my shoes! It’s so easy to get caught up in times and distance and the latest technology but if you really think about it, the beauty of running is that it is simple. There are no machines, no necessary accessories, no particular stadiums or tracks that you have to visit. You just need the solid earth and your legs to carry you over it. It’s natural and it’s beautiful.
Now think about food. Isn’t there such a simplicity in foods as they grown to be. Fresh fruits, vegetables and all of the spices that carry such flavor and are so enjoyable without anything added. One of my very favorite blogs, The Edible Perspective, proves day in and day out that food doesn’t need anything added except a little creativity. It makes me wonder why I ever craved a Little Debbie in the first place whenever the food available to me is so much better.
And I dug even deeper. Personally and spiritually, how can I live with less? It isn’t pray or spending time reading that Bible that bogs me down. It’s the other little things. TV shows, internet, car rides…those things tend to make life cluttered. I need to clean out the corners of my thoughts and heart and have some clean alone-time.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not supporting any kind of monastic living here. I’m certainly not saying that we should all shun indoor plumbing and take to the woods with a little shovel. I’m just thinking that in today’s world it’s so easy to become dependent on “things”. We want everything to be fast and convenient in order to do that things that we need and want to do. But it seems as though the fast and convenient things end up taking about from what we really want and what we really enjoy…and what we really need.
The more we rely on the “stuff”, the “things”, and the “clutter” of life, the more we miss the beauty of what is. And we miss the chances to breathe and move freely.
How do you try to simplify your life and live with less?
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Wow – this is a really deep topic and one close to my heart. It’s so easy to go overboard – with clothes, for me is something comes in means something goes out. I don’t buy a ton of shoes in lots of different colors & neither do I have more than a few handbags. Just small steps but gotta try something.
I certainly agree that as I get older, I long for simplicity. My project over my winter vacation is to clean and de-clutter… the problem is, I feel like I do this every few months and yet every time I do it I still have mass amounts of junk to get rid of lol…
This is a great post – very insightful. When Billy and I moved to Belize, we got rid of SO MUCH STUFF. Almost everything we owned, including cars and furniture. It taught us to simplify and think about the true necessities. When I buy new things, I tend to balance out my belongings by giving things away. I think it’s so important to simplify our faith to the rawness of prayer and a personal relationship with God.
Great post for this time of year Abby! The huz and I have tried our best in the last year or so to stop buying so much stuff. I’ve gotten used to it, but could always improve. I’m honored to be included in this post!! LOVE YOU
I am a minimalist to the extreme. Being a student and therefore a nomad, this makes moving around a whole lot easier. I also hate to shop and only buy what I need. Although if I had a bottomless wallet I would probably own a huge closet of boots.
Does being consistant with emptying my recycle bin on my laptop also count as living with less?
Totally! I’m always ex-ing out of windows, cleaning up my desktop, and deleting files on my computer. However, if you look at my actual desk, you’ll see that I’m VERY messy! That’s why I throw things out. If I kept them, I’d be drowning in crap!
I feel like we are always trying to simplify things here… I hate clutter when it comes to everything! But it is a constant work in progress.
well said. Less is more. I like to “purge” my closets from time to time and give them to good will. Moving is the best way to do that for sure!
God has really taught me to be thankful of what I have and where I am today. Living in the present. I love your writing friend, its so inspiring!
LC
It kind of seems like pack rats and purgers always end up together. I was watching Ellen the other day and some celebrity was talking about this and I remember another blogger saying the same thing. You guys just even each other out! I’m kind of a mix between a purger and a pack rat. I’m pretty sentimental, but when I move I go crazy about getting rid of stuff.
Similar to you, I used to keep everything but as I’ve gotten older (and moved 5 times in 2 years), I’ve learned what I really need and want to keep in my life. Since I’ve moved to Boston, for some reason my computer won’t connect to the wireless in my house. While my blog has pretty much ceased and my commenting and reading on other blogs has gone down, I’ve felt a lot freer with time. I haven’t even really tried that hard to fix the internet connection; I think that says it all. I like how you connected the thread through possessions, food, and spirituality- simplicity can really keep us in the moment and living to the fullest.
LOVE it.
About two years ago, both Nathan and I got laid off within 6 weeks of each other. We had to cut back drastically. Thankfully, Nathan ended up back at the same company just a month later {long story}, but we had lost my income.
Then we moved this year right before the baby was born. We dumped a lot of stuff again, and we’re doing it now.
When I first got out of college and had my own money I was a little irresponsible and bought stupid things {how many jackets does a girl in Georgia need?}. Now I’ve gotten rid of most of it, and I am completely happy to only own 3 jackets and 6ish pairs of shoes.
That’s why I love menu planning. There is not much extra food in our house, so nothing goes to waste. We were just sick of blowing money and time. We’ve said a million times both of us losing our jobs in 2008 was the best thing to ever happen to us.
Wow. That’s excellent that you have such a positive outlook! I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason and it can be to our benefit if we’re willing to see it as such!
Anytime I (and now we) move, we always say we have too much stuff. Then when we unpack and pack the next time we always have a donate pile and a trash bag handy. I’m with you about the getting older and wanting a simple life — the only thing that is hard for me is knowing what to save vs not to save when it comes to my scrapbooking habit.
Hahaha ohhh scrapbooking. My mom loves it..I just can’t get into it! I’m not that creative!
I completely agree with the whole living with less concept. Steve gets nervous when I start cleaning as well. I LOVE to throw stuff away or give stuff away if we aren’t using it. To me, it is not only wasting space in our house, but it is wasting space in our minds. Crazy concept, but so true!!!
I completely agree!!!
I am constantly getting rid of stuff. A few times a year we go through my son’s clothes and toys and donate. I go through all my stuff and donate items I haven’t used in a while. I’m actually just tired of having stuff. By getting rid of a lot of plastic ware and buying a single set of glass storage bowls, I now have 2 empty shelves in my kitchen. It’s actually quite liberating. Now with 2011 approaching, I am thinking of other items that I can get rid of.
I like the way you think!!
Ha, my hubby is a pack rat too! Agreed on simplifying food, that’s something I’ve really grown to appreciate since trying so many raw recipes and foods.
To simplify, I try to get rid of items I’m not using and vanish anything hubby isn’t using.