Minimalism

Why less can sometimes be more

We, in America, live in a fast-paced and consumer-based society. Everyone is seemingly obsessed with what’s in and what’s out, what you should have in your cart and what is SO last season. We have created a harmful, borderline toxic environment for ourselves based on nothing more than the opinions of others.

And that’s where the accumulation begins. We become so obsessed with keeping up with current trends that be virtually bury ourselves in material possessions to avoid ridicule from our peers. We use these items to blend in with the crowd, because feeling like part of the pack feels good. We make the connection that new things = feeling better.

Now, if you can’t tell this post is mostly about clothing, shoes, hats, bags, etc. This also may not apply to anyone, after all I’m a teenage girl, I doubt that I would be able to write much that would be relatable to a middle-aged man, and that’s okay.

Recently, I have left high-school in favor of early college, and through the journey of relinquishing my childhood, I have learned that less truly does feel like more.

In the previous years of my life, I was messy; honestly I was a borderline hoarder. I had a lot of trouble letting go of things, but absolutely no problem accumulating more. My room was constantly a mess, and it was depressing. I constantly felt the need to get the new “it” thing, even when I wasn’t interested in it whatsoever, I had allowed myself to become dependent on little bits of fabric or plastic for my happiness. My possessions dictated my personality.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been exploring the concept of minimalism, and how clarity of the home can assist in creating clarity of the mind, body, and spirit. I liked this idea.

So, I did some research on how to start decluttering my life, starting with things I hadn’t used, or clothes I hadn’t worn, in the past three-to-six months. Before I knew it, I had bagged up four kitchen trash bags of clothes, shoes, hats, and general miscellaneous items from around my room. I felt better already.

I then moved on to decluttering my social media, unfollowing things that didn’t help me grow or make me happy. I feel like an entirely new person now, and my journey has really just begun.

(I know that this will most likely seem like useless blabbering, but this is my first ever blog, so I’m sure it will improve.)