Maybe it was just because we were purging anyway. Maybe it was because I was packing up the house with no idea what our next space would be like. Maybe it was because it was right around the Christmas season and more was being added to my house when I wanted less.
Whatever the reason, on Dec. 24 I sat down and watched Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things by The Minimalists and I’ve been looking at “stuff” in a whole new way ever since. The documentary can be found on Netflix for subscribers and Vimeo for purchase.
Click here to see the trailer.
The Minimalists have a blog you can find here and an AMAZING podcast.
I’ve never been a huge shopper, though I say that in only the traditional sense. I’m not a huge mall rat and I don’t tend to impulse buy large items. However, in the past I’ve been a sucker for kids’ clothes (Doesn’t everyone want to dress their kids up like dolls? Kids’ clothes are so freakin’ cute!). I would rationalize a sale and then $150 later realize I could have spent that same money on a few pieces for me that would last more than 4 months.
My other big purchase area is food. For the past few years I’ve been exploring clean eating which last year led to Paleo which is EXPENSIVE! I don’t care what other bloggers say: if you want to eat strictly paleo (and this is before trying to get farm-fed everything) it can really break your budget.
So, back to this documentary. It’s not just about chucking all of your stuff. I mean, that’s of course part of it. The reducing of clutter can feel similar to my beloved Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method. However, it goes beyond just clearing the house. It goes to the heart of your life. You eliminate excess so that you can breath, be creative, follow passions, start a new hobby . . . . All things we claim to desire and strive for, yet typically we instead spend hours a day in front of a screen, whether it’s 5 inches or 55 inches, and pass time “with our pacifier” and walk away feeling like we didn’t accomplish what was really important to us.
I’m sure I’ll post more about minimalism in the future. I’m just starting to dive into it. Without a home (I’m currently hopping from relative to relative while my husband job-hunts in another state) my new-found passion is limited to my current purchasing habits as well as our suitcases (see other posts) but it’s also a state of mind, a contentment that I’ve been striving for, yet even Dave Ramsey couldn’t quite get me there.
I’m curious: Have you seen the documentary? What was your favorite part?
What Laura Likes 