A Life With Less
Live with less…
Purge…
Declutter…
Organize…
All words that require inspiration, action, and determination.
Why have you made the choice? The choice to live with less, purge, declutter, and organize? Because it is the latest fad? Because “everyone else is doing it?”
I have pondered this question often as I write this blog called “Organizing Life With Less.” Am I just jumping on the bandwagon? Am I just trying to be like all the others and live up to this status of an organized life?
When I was trying to think of a title for this blog, I remember going to bed one night and telling my husband what I wanted the purpose of this blog to be. I was throwing various “buzz” words together, but I kept coming back to living with less. My husband was monumental in asking me hard questions such as “how are you going to do that?” Well, I wanted to live with less through organizing. Bam. That was it.
I have dug deep. Why do I have such a passion to live with less? When I look through Better Homes & Garden, House Beautiful, HGTV, or Real Simple magazines for example, I sometimes crave the organizing bins and storage containers they use. I crave the color, the spunky look of rooms. Then I close the magazine and jump back into reality. No, that is NOT the life I want to live. I don’t need my home to be in a magazine. Many think that because I write a blog about organizing life with less, that our house looks like it is out of a magazine. Friends, if you have ever been in our home, you know it is far from that. Our $40 sectional couch from college (which was 8 years ago) still sits proudly in our living room. Our entertainment center, also from college, is held together by super glue. Our car, has a decent dent in the front left corner and we have no thoughts of ever fixing it. Our dressers are hand-me-downs from my sister when she got her own room when we were kids. Our life is far from a magazine.
This is the life I want to live.
There is something about “new” that I do appreciate. But I know that “new” is not what I live for. Because surely, as soon as I purchase it, it is no longer new. That is why using the used and living with less, is what we desire. It isn’t because it’s a new fad or way to live.
It’s because we are living out of a heart full of conviction. Our thoughts are never far from our experiences in the Dominican Republic and Belize. We knew from those moments and on, that we are not to fall into the trap of consumerism and climbing the ladder of American success. In fact, quite the opposite. Our faith calls us to live for so much more – for an eternal home that isn’t obtained by material possessions or wealth, but by faith and belief in the One who died for us. Jesus Christ.
Living with less, purging, decluttering, and organizing may be a trend. Trends die off eventually. It may be 5 years, 10 years, 50 years. This is a standard that I do not want to ever give up or let go of. This is more than a lifestyle – I have scripture as my standard and I know that a life with more and more material possessions, is not a life worth striving for.
I hope that as begin to start or continue to read this blog, that you will find inspiration to live with less. Not because it’s a trend, but because you want this as your standard of living.
What has influenced you to live with less, purge, declutter, and organize?
This is such a great post. (I also commented on Twitter about it!) I really think happiness & contentment lies in less, rather than more. With that said, there is nothing wrong with some pretty storage containers for the "less things" you do have! 😉
I think my desire to live for less is also tied in with my love for Christ,. He was homeless for goodness sake! But it's too easy to think all the "stuff" is important when we have it and it's not. In fact, I think it's dangerous to have too much stuff because you do run the risk of falling in love with it and not Him!
Still trying to teach my young kids this! LOL!
Love to continue the convo. My Twitter handle is @simplylivingnow I will totally be devouring your blog now! It's not often I run into someone who has the same motivation (less) and it's tied to their walk with Christ. 🙂
Have a great day!!
Thank you so much for sharing this Robyn! I am glad to have "met" you :). You are so right when you said that your desire for less is tied to faith. We can so easily confuse our desire for more, with a desire for the tangible, not the eternal. Not only is it difficult to live this life personally, but to also set the example. It is a blessing to know others are traveling down the same path! I hope to also continue this conversation Robyn, and I am so thankful that you took the time to write. Blessings to you, Robyn and keep in touch! I am going to go check you out now 🙂
My desire is not to live with less, (although maybe it should be, but read on…) but to make good use of what I have, which is close. I would love fancy new gadgets, but I fear the possibility of having a life where I can afford the newest thing around.
I worry if I could afford it, if I had the money, I would constantly buy the newest and best. I don't want that. I don't mind getting myself a new-to-me gadget if I earn it, but that rarely happens because I'm always broke. The strange part? I like being broke (would like to be a little less so, but I digress…). I like to be broke because it gives me a perspective on life I wouldn't have were I rich or more 'comfortable'. I like to stretch my pennies and make do with what I've got. I enjoy using my waaay outdated graphics software. Ok. Need to upgrade that (it's 7+ y/o software). But I still like to use it, even if I wouldn't mind an upgrade now and then. Besides, there's probably some amazing free software out there I could use with my outdated software, if only I look. That's the fun in it, discovering new ways to use what you have.
I say I don't want to live with less though because I hate purging. It hurts for me to purge, because I think of everything as special. Unless I have a copy/double of something, I usually won't let it go without having a fight with myself. I have a small-medium sized room, and 99% of what I own is in here. I have trouble keeping it clean, both because I must purge (sigh) and also because I can't organize to save my life. I swear, I could make a room messy even if it had nothing in it. I'm just like that. BUT I'm usually tidy outside my own zone, so there's that.
This was never a trend with me, I just didn't get my mother's clean habits – I got my father's messy ones 😛 But I do aspire to be clean…
I think you have a really good point Crystle! I think making use of what we have, is so important, because whatever we aren't using, just goes to waste. I like what you were saying about upgrading and just being okay with what you have. I think there will always be the temptation to buy "up." But is it really worth it? Because once we buy "that" item, there will be yet another one. Some great food for thought! Thanks for sharing Crystle!
Thank you again Kristin for a heartfelt post that speaks to me and motivates me. I am now embracing my "Small Space" as we have a very small but comfy 2 bdrm apartment but hope to move to a house soon…a small house. I want to be organized because disorganization and clutter will bring you down fast in so many ways! Reading your blog truly is inspiring and as I've said before…God is using you 🙂 Thank you and have a FABULOUS day!
Wow Teresa, thank you for making my day :)! Your comment meant so much to me! You are right – disorganization has it's own snowball effect! It is humbling to hear how God uses life experiences to encourage others, as you are an encouragement to me, through your experience as well! You are a blessing to me Teresa!