How I’ve changed since becoming a minimalist
There are a lot of things that have changed in my life over the past two years.
You see, two years ago, I decided to embark on a minimalist way of living. Getting rid of stuff to make room for the things that matter…it seemed so freeing, so light. At that point in my life, I felt like I was slowly suffocating underneath a massive pile of physical and emotional excess.
We were on our fifth year of moving three times a year for my husband’s job, which in itself was crazy. On top of that, I was losing hair by the handfuls, always sick, constantly angry, malnourished, buying things I couldn’t afford, my marriage was suffering, I loathed giving time to anything but work and wow, I’m overwhelmed just typing all of this out.
Desperate for change, I watched a video of someone decluttering their closet. “Hmm”, I thought to myself, “that looks nice”. I had also read somewhere that it was the easiest place to start simplifying your life, so I gave it a try.
*oh, and I decided to film it and put it on the internet. It’s now one of my most viewed Youtube videos. Lol.
But within hours I began to feel a slight shift in the heaviness that I carried. Minutes turned into hours and by the end, I had given up over 60% of my closet.
What everyone saw: Woah, Margaret just gave up a bunch of clothes!
What I felt: Years of trying to fit and mold into something I wasn’t…gone. I held so much baggage, negativity and a “you’re-not-good-enough” mentality in my closet. Shedding that felt amazing.
Fast-forward 2 years and, yes, I’m still loving my minimal closet and the easy cleanup, but there’s one thing that stands out among the rest. M faith. It’s different.
Living simply and fighting for contentment, amidst a society that normalizes living in a place of want is hard to do. The devil is prowling, constantly. He doesn’t want me to believe that God has given me exactly what I need, the same goes for what He withholds. He doesn’t want me to be fulfilled solely by the Lord. He doesn’t want to see my ability to courageously walk in the other direction of the world. But I trudge on. The Lord is calling me here, to contentment and to a deep satisfaction with His will.
**Linking a powerful book and podcast episode that helped me connect the dots here.
I’ll never master true contentment because I am broken and selfish. Also, “figuring life out” would mean that I don’t need my gracious Lord. I need him, I want him close and if it means I need to struggle for the rest of my life, then so be it.
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Now that I’ve covered the most important change in my life, here are the remaining bonuses that came with simplifying and choosing to live minimally. I know you’re curious…I know that because I was too. What actually happens to your life when you get rid of the crap weighing you down? Well, here’s what happened to me:
My marriage changed
Unrealistic expectations, discontentment, stress, and selfishness plagued me, even in my marriage. With less stuff and emotional baggage that inevitably came with it, I had more time to pay attention to the things that mattered. What did this actually look like? More time together. Less exhausted bickering on both sides. Joy. Laughter. Less judgment. You wouldn’t believe the transformation.
The items I own have more meaning
I began this journey with a looming fear that I would miss the items I gave away. Come to realize, I was so distracted by excess that I was missing out on the treasures that lay beneath all that stuff. My bible(yikes, am I really admitting that?), my kitty cat nightgown that matched my 3 sisters every Christmas, my wonderful, soft pillows, my trustee spatula, beautiful music, our warm blankets, my tallow moisturizer that has hydrated and changed the complexion of my skin, our nourishing food that fills our fridge every day, the Epic Water Filter that sits atop our counter and gives us clean water. I’m guessing you get the gist, but these simple items just fill me with gratitude often.
I’m better at saying no
This was one of the hardest obstacles for me and probably still is today. But with less clutter physically, I had less clutter emotionally and it allowed my life’s purpose to stay clear and in the forefront of my mind. I can now say “no” to things that don’t support my purpose rather than falling into the trap of people pleasing, which is a hidden form of emotional baggage.
I’m outside more than I’ve been in my life
It’s entertaining, energizing, calming and healing. What else in our life has that type of effect on the human body? Certainly not any items inside my home.
My health and my children’s health are getting stronger
Decreasing the clutter and thus decreasing stress has played a huge role in our health as a family. Our central nervous systems are even benefiting from having less. We’re reading, spending time outdoors and enjoying each other’s company. Full transparency here, it takes more intentional work on my end to support this lifestyle for my children. I have to be very hands-on and willing to help them find another option when they ask for TV more toys, etc. But I’m learning right alongside them and from what I’ve experienced, it’s absolutely worth it.
I’m not afraid of being stretched
Minimalism is incredibly revealing. When you rid yourself of clutter and business, the kind that numbs real feelings, sins and weakness, there’s not much there to hide anymore. So am I afraid? No. Is it difficult? Yep. But as I look back, that growth was and is, to this day, valued and part of my story. I want to be stretched, I want to have my dependence solely on the Father and not on myself or the things of this world. That only leads to emptiness. I’ve experienced that too.
I’m actually social?!
This came as a shock for sure. But I just feel more comfortable in my skin, I know what I like, what makes me feel alive and what drains me. All this played a huge role in my ability to engage and enjoy spending time with others. Our baseball lifestyle definitely played a role in this too.
I’m less judgmental
Focusing less on materials and things has revealed that there’s much more to a person than what’s shown on the outside. Myself included. It’s quite humbling to remove the things that once made you feel (falsely)secure.
I do more of what I want
Not in a selfish way, more in a life-isn’t-about-me kind of way. I don’t want to sit on my couch and scroll all day or buy lots to make me feel happy. I WANT to spend time with my children. I WANT to be fed in church. I WANT to live in a clean and comfortable home. I WANT to be a gentle and kind woman. I now have room and energy to make these things happen. Sacrifices and failures still occur daily, but my purpose on this earth is clear, as are my desires that follow suit.
A selfie taken on a very, very happy day
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So there’s my list. Your’s will be different, but the one thing we will all share is a lighter load. It’s okay to be in a tough, cluttered, messy place, just know you don’t have to stay there.