Minimalism and Making Room for More

The less I have, the more I have

I get emotionally attached to things. Like old, useless, junky things. I’ve never been a hoarder or a big shopper, but I’ve always a very difficult time throwing things away.

But after moving several times over the past 5 years, I’ve had a lot of practice in letting things go. I’m much better with it now. My journey into being a minimalist has taught me a lot, and I can’t imagine my life without the values I have today.

It was only a few years ago my partner and I decided to take a road trip around North America, and the only things I could bring were whatever would fit in my duffle bag.

It is an oversize duffle bag, but still. It was a huge adjustment.

At the time, we were living in a 5 story house at the time. It’s just the two of us and our dogs. We barely used any of the rooms in the house.The rest of the house was just a waste; something extra to clean on a Sunday.

We had to get rid of it all to be on the road — kitchen gadgets, furniture, clothes, books. It took me weeks to go through it all. At first, it was painful.

But I also noticed something else: the more I got rid of things, the lighter I started to feel.

Preparing for that road trip marked the beginning of a new path for me.

It was around this time I was introduced to the idea of a minimalistic lifestyle after watching “Minimalism” on Netflix. That’s the catalyst — that’s what inspired me to start living with less.

Serendipitously, it was only days after I watched the documentary that I ended up chatting with a stranger about minimalism. The conversation started when he mentioned he’d been a minimalist for over 20 years.

“In my home I only have a futon, a coffee table, and a barbecue. My coworkers came over once and said I live like a serial killer” he joked. The conversation was fascinating.

What are the chances? Only days after watching the documentary that introduced me to minimalism I met a…