Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Let's get real, shall we?  We are finite beings living in a finite world.  It's a wonderful world, but it's the only one in the vicinity that can support life, and it's not unlimited.  And we are intelligent, adaptable, capable beings, but we also have limits to what we can do and endure. So no matter what advertisers and wish-sellers tell you, you can't do it all.  You can't have it all.  It just isn't possible. Here's our problem. We're very good at comparing ourselves to others.  We've invented some clever ways to do that, and it has become a more ubiquitous part of our lives than ever.  We look at someone's Instagram or Facebook feed and wonder how on earth that person can:  work full time have a profitable side gig maintain a beautiful home and garden exercise regularly produce amazing home-cooked meals raise such talented children take such exotic vacations maintain such a large and vibrant circle of friends We wonder why we can't s

Everything is so simple nowadays, isn't it?  Just go online!   Order clothes online (Of course, when they arrive they may not fit, and they're an expensive hassle to return.)  Order food online (Sorry, you can't customize for rye bread, no onions, and light mayonnaise.) Pay your bills online (Unless they're recurring and can be automated, you still have to create an account, log into the account, come up with yet another new password every so often, enter the payment information, and write the transaction in your bank book.)  I'm not the only one with these feelings. Since when did writing a check and putting a stamp on an envelope become hard?  Especially if you know exactly where your checkbook and stamps are, because they  have a place to belong .  There's nothing wrong with paying online, but it is  not  easier and faster.  (Although it does benefit the company you're paying – they get their money sooner and can hire fewer people to process accounts re

Do you want to create a more spacious, peaceful, inspiring home?  Do you want to declutter but find it hard to get started or keep going? There's no "one right way" to declutter, and that's a good thing.  We're all different, and will approach this task differently.  But there are some things to avoid if we want to succeed. There are several choices and behaviors that could make decluttering more difficult or more time-consuming – or that could cause you to give up altogether.  Knowing about these pitfalls ahead of time should help you on your way. 11 decluttering don'ts 1.  Not knowing why Decluttering can be a huge job.  It probably took years for you to accumulate everything that crowds your home, and you aren't going to free yourself from that in one long weekend.  So having a goal in mind is very important for maintaining motivation. Take some time to consider this question.  There's a reason you decided you want to live with less.  Are you hopin

A friend asked me to help her clear her clutter, and as I walked into her house I thought of that statistic which says that the average American home contains 300,000 items . That number seems impossible, but this house made me a believer. There are a lot of ways to begin decluttering, but the tower of delivery boxes and shopping bags in my friend's entryway gave me a clue about what might be most important for her. Maybe it's the most important step for you too. The essential first step You aren't going to succeed at decluttering unless you take a hard look at your consumption habits.  That's because decluttering is as much about what comes in as what goes out. The best way to clear clutter is to reduce what you bring in . Decluttering takes commitment and discipline, and a good way to begin developing both of those qualities is with a spending fast .  You need to stop buying everything except necessities:  food, gas, personal care items, and things you need for clea

Moving house can completely change your outlook. For many of us, moving house offers a chance to pare down and clear out all of the extras – things we don't use or need.  Not only does this make packing up and loading, transporting, unloading, and unpacking easier, but it adds to the feeling of a fresh start which a move always brings.  It just feels lighter and freer to move with less. But that's not the way it happens for everyone.  Maybe it depends on the reason for the move, or other factors which affect your mindset at the time.  Some of us feel the need to bring  everything  to a new home.  Maybe it's a way to relieve the sense of loss that comes with parting from someplace where we've been rooted, where we have history.  Carting along everything we own is a way to bring that sense of belonging into a new place.  A moving story At least, I think that might be how it happened for Denise, a reader of this blog who moved from Illinois to Florida back in the 1990'

Author Joshua Becker describes minimalism as "... the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of anything that distracts us from it." I like this definition because it's personal and open-ended .  Minimalism becomes what  you  want it to be.   You  choose what's important, what you will place front and center.   You  choose what to remove from your life in order to leave you with more space, time, money, attention, and energy for what matters.   In this way minimalism helps you define your goals and purpose in life, and makes it more likely that you'll be able to pursue and achieve them. By this definition, my minimalism won't look exactly like yours, and your minimalism will be distinct from anyone else's.  Yet we're all minimalists. 8 myths about minimalism that keep people away I believe that everyone would benefit from a minimalist lifestyle, but obviously not everyone makes that choice.   Maybe it's because there are

Research  published  in the  International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology  in 2020 found that minimalists report various benefits to their well-being.  These include a greater sense of autonomy and competence, feeling more in control over their environment and themselves, having more mental peace and awareness, and positive emotions such as joy and gratitude. "Official confirmation" In contrast, the study reports that a lot of research shows that materialism and consumerism are associated with negative outcomes such as higher levels of stress and dissatisfaction with life, along with more debt and all of the problems associated with that.  Research has also shown a connection between materialism and a lack of concern about the environment.  If you're interested in minimalism, these conclusions probably don't surprise you.  You may have discovered the benefits of choosing to live with less for yourself. But it's always nice to get "official confirmati

The holidays are behind us, but winter is still here, and we all want to feel comfortable and warm at home while the trees are bare and weather is cold.  Even without the Christmas lights and festivity, you can cozy your space for the new year.  6 elements that increase the comfort of your living space 1.  Firelight Lucky you if you have a fireplace or woodburning stove.  Enjoy them!  But you can have the warmth of a fire in any home – just add candles.  I like a row of plain ivory pillar candles down the center of the dining table.  On the sideboard, I place tapers in brass candlesticks hand-forged by my grandfather.  Tealight candles twinkle and glow in glass holders. 2.  Vintage items The nostalgia and warmth of an older piece can't be denied.  Whether it's heirloom furniture, a photo album on the coffee table, or maybe an old painting or Grandma's quilt, something preserved and used through the years will add instant coziness. 3.  Texture Soft, nubby feels are especiall

We live in a culture that constantly tells us we don't have enough. We're bombarded with messages about the latest phone with a better camera, the latest home with a professional kitchen and tons of smart features, and the latest car that can tell us when we're drifting out of our lane.  (And are we really unaware of that?  Perhaps we shouldn't even get behind the wheel.) There are ads and sales and notifications to help us locate more stuff to want and buy.  And don't worry if you can't pay... this new credit card gives you rewards!  Use it to buy more, and you get a few cents per dollar back, or a few more free miles! We want more. Which reminds me, our world also pushes us to increase our bucket lists of places to travel and experiences to have.  Exotic travel, once the province of the very rich, is now something everyone wants.  Rack up those miles, taste all of the pleasures.  Never mind that tourism is one of the things most likely to destroy a local cultu