Minimalism

Minimalism: More happiness with less stuff.

I couldn't really say when I started taking an interest in this lifestyle/mindset, but that short, simple definition of minimalism has proven to be so very true for me.

I think it started when we got an IKEA close to where I live. I remember my first visit there, and being enchanted with the simple lines of much of their furniture. From there...I really don't know how it took off from there, but the idea of happiness in simplicity really resounded with me.

Its first real appearance in my life came when I decided to remove my pierced earrings. To me, it was a way of simplifying my body - removing one thing I had to worry about. The idea spread like wildfire from there: next, to my closet, purging it of clothing I was never going to wear again. It has kept spreading - books, papers, DVDs, trinkets...you name it, I've gone through it and cleaned out what I don't use or love.

So what does this have to do with who I am, as a person and as an androgyne? Well, I did not have what I would call a "happy childhood." It was full of a lot of stress, frustration, hurt, and resentment. And a lot of the stuff I've been clinging to, stowed away in boxes in the backs of closets and shelves, represents or reminds me of those unhappy years.

I kept it for lots of reasons: a memory of a special person, not wanting to dishonor a gift given to me, or just because it had been around for ages and the thought of letting it go never crossed my mind. But these objects carry with them some of the negative energy of my life from the time I obtained them. All that energy has been sitting around my home, dragging me down and holding me back from being *me*.

Getting rid of the objects, and the energy attached to them, has been incredibly liberating. I've been feeling the "me" that I haven't been in years starting to come back. The tailor. The outdoorsperson. The reader. The writer. This will probably sound weird, but...I've missed myself. I've missed my creative side. I've missed being able to write freely instead of living with permanent writer's block. I've missed being happy to spend an afternoon constructing a piece of clothing. I've even found a part of me that I didn't know was there...who knew I actually *liked* keeping my apartment clean and tidy??

So as I sit curled up on the sofa, typing on my laptop with a cup of tea next to me (how many times have I dreamed of doing this without actually do it?), gazing at my second Subaru-Outback's-worth of stuff ready to head out the door, I am happier and more at peace than I have been in a long time.

If anyone is interested in the minimalist mindset of more happiness with less stuff, I recommend reading The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide by Francine Jay. The tone is casual, not preachy, overly intellectual, or bossy...like a conversation with a friend.

My posts are getting longer and longer, hope I'm not losing people! Thanks for sticking with me to the end of my ramblings. Talk to you again soon!