…And think you should too!
“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates
Excess. This one word could adequately sum up most lifestyles of today.
Many of us have above and beyond what is necessary to live. Minimalism is a topic that is very dear to my heart, partially because I am seeking to live a life of simplicity, but also because I see excess destroying lives and homes all around me.
In our society, with all the forms of social media, it can be so easy to get caught up in the commercialism trap. Everywhere we look, we are surrounded by ads, promotions and deals; businesses touting their product as the newest and best and definitely necessary for YOU!
Well, friends, let me just say it. We don’t need all that stuff; for it is just that—stuff.
Life is so much simpler with less.
I am learning that more and more, especially now that I have children. It is not easy to live simply with children, as they are not simple to begin with. Kids come with so much junk. Who knew you needed so many gadgets to raise a child? Let’s be honest, most of them are unnecessary and just take up space.
Since I became a mom, my goal has been to be intentional about the “stuff” we keep in our home. I want my children to thrive without being smothered by material things.
But I also recognize that change in our home needs to start with me. I have had a longer lifetime to get settled into my routine and what I deem necessary; and we all know “old habits die hard.” So it is a constant battle to find contentment in what I have. And contentment is a characteristic that my children will learn from me as long as I lead by example.
When we choose to be content in the life we have, it keeps us from always living in a state of comparison and guilt.
Instead, contentment is a form of joy and thankfulness. And when we can learn to grasp true joy and gratitude, we can easily choose minimalism as a lifestyle.
I want to clarify that when I am talking about minimalism, I am not advocating for a certain lifestyle over another. I am not saying you need to live like the pilgrims did centuries before us in order to accurately embrace this lifestyle. Minimalism looks different for every person. What one person needs to give up in order to embrace a simple life might be a necessity for another.
There is no right or wrong way. We all need to figure out for ourselves what things we can let go in order to embrace a little more simplicity.
And I believe we all can benefit from looking beyond our material lives and remembering that this life is fleeting. Things don’t matter in light of eternity. But what does matter is how we choose to live each day, and how others see Christ in our lives.
I am curious. Does this topic resonate with you? How are you choosing to live for the simple things?
Emily
Comments
I have so desired the simple life since my husband and I had our first kiddo. She got SO many gifts (first child… first grandchild… first grandDAUGHTER). I mean, our house was full of STUFF. I told my husband I wanted to purge our things and get a tiny house. 😅 That didn’t exactly happen, but I have been trying, little by little, to dwindle down our stuff that drags us down and focus more on making memories and keeping only what we need. LOVED this post!
It’s amazing how having children just throws you into that. Society makes us think that we need so much to make things work, but really, there can be so much freedom with less.