There are some pretty awesome things (that aren’t really things) that come along with living with less stuff, busyness, stress and debt. You can expect to enjoy more space in your home, time in your day and more peace of mind. For those reasons alone, I recommend getting started or taking less to the next level.
As an added bonus, you also acquire some pretty cool superpowers by letting go of the things that are dragging you down. Here are a few of the ones I’ve experienced that you can look forward to, or perhaps you have these superpowers too …
Presence
I can pay attention to a whole conversation without checking my phone, worrying about an overdue bill, or being obsessed with my to-do list. This sounds like something we should all be able to do, but it takes practice and the actual removal of the “do it all, keep all the balls in the air” mentality many of us deal with. I considered it a big accomplishment. It’s more remarkable than you might think to talk to someone, or read a book, or do anything at all without thinking, “Oh crap, I missed something because I was distracted.”
Paying attention and being fully engaged is magical for you and everyone around you.
Pausing
The ability to pause before reacting will save you in many situations. You know how things come out of your mouth before you have a chance to stop them? And how you may wish they hadn’t come out? A brief pause will help you consider and choose your words, your reaction, and the best next steps for you. Practice pausing before speaking, eating, or shopping. Pause before you put your day on auto-pilot and ask yourself if there is a better way. Pausing allows you to be more intentional and thoughtful about your choices. When you live with less pressure to get everything done at record speed, you’ll have more time to pause. Consider these seven places to pause for more peace in your life.
Under reacting
Once you harness the power of the pause, over reacting to things won’t resonate with you anymore. After living with less stress in your life, you will naturally resist the extra drama and senselessness of losing your mind in an emotionally charged situation. Under reacting will better serve your heart and the hearts around you. When you remove the over from your reacting, you can move more quickly towards a reasonable solution.
Patience
Once you spend five years decluttering, three years paying off debt and even longer simplifying your life in other ways, you will have harnessed the power of patience. You’ll know, on a heart-level that good things take time, that habit change doesn’t happen overnight and that inch-by-inch transformation is a super power in itself. It takes as long as it takes.
JOMO (joy of missing out)
When you discover that you are actually happier living with less, you’ll discover contentment. When you stop chasing happiness in things, you’ll notice it’s easier to access than you thought and that there’s nothing that can make you happy but you. Turn your FOMO into JOMO.
Loose grip
The superpower of a loose grip allows you to see that when you think something has a hold on you, it’s you that’s holding on tightly. This superpower reminds you to ask, “Can I loosen my grip, lighten up, let go and release the hold?”
Breathing
I know, we all breathe. How is this a superpower? Breathing becomes a superpower when you take it from breathing to survive to breathing to thrive. Big deep, life-affirming breaths will support all of your other superpowers. My favorite one is a big, slow, deep breath in through the nose, holding it for just a few seconds and then sighing it all out through the mouth. Seriously, try it right now. It changes things. It’s a superpower.
Our superpowers will be tested. Even with simplicity, we will lose our patience. We will over react. We will forget to pause and breathe deeply. Things will still be messy because we can’t simplify our way into a perfect life. And that’s ok.
P.S. a couple of things …
Save the date! I’m hosting an Instagram live call on Monday, September 24th at 5pm EST. We are going to talk all about Minimalist Fashion Challenge Project 333. A new season starts 10/1 and we have things to discuss! Join me here.
If you are interested in a signed, personalized hardcover copy of Soulful Simplicity, we are accepting requests through this Friday, September 21. Learn more here.
Thanks for reading today and inviting me into your inbox. I’m Courtney Carver, author of Soulful Simplicity. In 2010, I created simplicity blog, Be More with Less and minimalist fashion challenge Project 333 (featured in O, The Oprah magazine, Real Simple, CNN, BBC, and other media).⠀
