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My mom visits each us each year to escape the cold winters in Cleveland, Ohio and she likes to watch “Good Morning America” while she’s drinking her coffee. This morning as I was walking through the living room, mom was on the couch drinking her morning cup of coffee, watching her show, and a commercial for Target that said Minimalism Trending came on the TV. I stopped and watched the commercial and thought to myself is minimalism a trend? The commercial was basically highlighting a women’s wardrobe with clothes, shoes, and accessories. The commercial was very well done and the next thing I thought was people are going to misinterpret minimalism from that commercial and head out to buy more things that they really didn’t need. Bottom line? That commercial just did the job that it was designed to do. For me, however, that is not what minimalism is about, which is what led me to write this article today.
Yes, minimalism can be a fashion statement in that less is more. Clothes that are not as fussy. It can also be a type of art; simple yet powerful. Minimalism is also a way to live your life with intent, free from clutter and distraction – very similar to minimalist art that uses simple, beautiful forms. There is nothing in minimalist artwork that doesn’t contribute to it’s beauty. Did you catch that? There is nothing excessive in minimalist artwork. There is also nothing excessive in the lives of most minimalists.
Minimalism for me has been a journey, and I am making this journey my way, in my time-frame, and it is a work in progress by no means complete. It is a way of life for me, and I only buy what I must and only when I must. My home is streamlined and clutter free – my zen place. This is a dramatic departure from how I used to live when many weekends shopping was entertainment. Savings? What was that? I was too busy working my butt off to pay the credit card bills and the mortgage.
My journey is also a personal one. I now live out in the country and occasionally I do have to fight with a slow internet connection to get my writing done but overall I am living my life as I have chosen to live it. Morning and evening commutes? I don’t have one – I work from my home. I do not worry about what everyone else has – what I have is paid in full. There are things I will spend money on as far as my electronics like my computer and phone but these items are necessary to my business. The key is that I have the money to pay cash when I do upgrade my equipment and I am grateful when I am able to get my writing done quickly and efficiently as it leaves me time for my other passion which is helping people become fit and healthy.
That minimalism trending commercial probably would have got me into the store a few years back because, even then, I found myself embracing the less is more approach to my life and the clothes spoke that aesthetic. Even though I did watch the commercial, that urge to shop is gone and the commercial didn’t tempt me. My journey into minimalism has been the best journey of my life and I look forward to continuing on this path. And an unexpected benefit of having less in my life? Happiness.
Blessings,
Denise
For tips on how to begin your decluttering journey, you can Start Here, or snag a copy of the 30 Day Challenge (our Minimalism and Decluttering eBook).
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