Simplicity goes far beyond sparse closets and short sentences. Whether you call yourself a minimalist, strive for a simple life, or simply focus on the essential, you likely live or are beginning to live a life of freedom.
When I asked some well-known minimalists what the benefit of minimalism was, time and time again, they said freedom. It is the freedom to do, be, have anything or nothing at all.
- When you simplify your commitment to read everything, and give away your books, you have the freedom to go to the library or to the store and choose something you really want to read.
- When you simplify and eliminate the need to keep up with your neighbors, you have the freedom to go to the park instead of the mall.
- When you simplify your finances and pay off your debt, you have the freedom to make decisions based on something besides money.
- When you simplify your wardrobe, you have the freedom to wear clothes that fit you and your lifestyle.
- When you simplify your commitments and obligations, you have the freedom to say yes to the things that make your heart sing and no to the things that don’t.
- When you simplify your digital connection/addiction, you have the freedom to go outside anytime without your phone or your iPad.
- When you simplify and begin to understand that you don’t need much, you can travel lightly.
- When you simplify your fears, you can embrace vulnerability, soften your heart and have the freedom to clearly see that you are enough.
- When you have the freedom to see that you are enough, you can share your gifts. You can create and contribute to the world.
Decluttering and simplifying start out as a physical task, but as you transform your living space, you will transform your life. All of the tools that help you get there will become less and less important. It won’t be an overnight process. It won’t be easy, but it will become easier as you start to experience freedom.
Your simple life will not be about …
- yard sales
- counting your stuff
- decluttering
- shopping fasts
- paying off debt
- the power of one
Those things are valuable now, because they will slowly help you identify what is most important to you.
Katrina says
April 3, 2012 at 9:08 pmYes! I believe the first thing to tackle should be to simplify your fears. I believe this could allow simplicity in other ways to naturally flow. Of course, decluttering your home here and there a bit while conquering your fears is also good! When we know who we really are beneath everything, all those things we’ve been told, like ‘who we are’ and how others make us to perceive ourselves, we can begin to eliminate fears that have accumulated within us. This is why meditation is so good, it allows us to connect to ourselves and to begin decluttering all those programmed conditions inside of us that aren’t serving to our best potential. It is when we begin to declutter these things in our mind that we can really begin to shine through, and everything else in our lives just naturally follows freely.
Lori says
April 4, 2012 at 6:44 amHi Courtney,
I would love to read “Living in the Land of Enough”, however my “enough” is not having computerized gadgets. I have a desktop computer and a cell phone that is only turned on for emergency phone calls. I don’t suppose I could download the book as a pdf to my computer?
Courtney Carver says
April 4, 2012 at 4:20 pmHi Lori, The PDF version is available here: http://courtneycarver.com/books/
Lori says
April 5, 2012 at 6:08 amThanks so much! I look forward to reading it.
Jt Clough | Big Island Dog says
April 4, 2012 at 11:51 amIt’s been almost a year now, since I started my own process of what could be described as “living in the land of enough”!
It is such a healing process. What I find though is it is important to keep filling my mind with these type of ideas, it takes on a stronger and stronger life of it’s own… which is why I continually read your blog posts and sign up for things like Your Lovely Life.
I fully believe that those of us who teach, must be hard core “practicers” and find mentors who speak clearly and simply to us.
Mahalo.
Carie says
April 4, 2012 at 6:13 pmBeautiful article, truly inspired. Perfect message at the perfect timing.
Lana says
May 7, 2014 at 9:54 amThank you Courtney! You inspire me everyday!
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