One of the best things about blogging is meeting other people with similar interests and making new friends. Naomi Seldin has been blogging about her journey toward simplification, at Simpler Living, for the past year.
I’ve learned so much from Naomi and I’m thrilled she agreed to write a guest post for RowdyKittens. Enjoy!
Simpler Living: Less really is more
Naomi is on the left & her sister Danby is on the right.
A few years ago, my grandmother Rose died, and my sister, brother and I flew in to South Carolina from opposite coasts. She had a small condo, and it needed to be sold. Various relatives had already been there. So much was scattered, cluttered, in closets and on almost every surface, including the floor, that I was overwhelmed.
I know it sounds morbid, but I think that trip marked the beginning of my transition from someone who wanted more into someone who wanted less. We didn’t have much time there, and I was worried that I’d miss something important. I wanted to gather and save as many memories as I could, but I was caught up in a sea of boxes of old newspaper clippings, craft supplies and other things, seemingly unorganized. What if I missed childhood photos of my father, who’d passed away a year before? What if I couldn’t find something else important, something that would help keep her memory or our family history alive? How would I know?
Even before I got home and faced my own apartment, I was thinking of my own family. Silly as it sounds, if the worst were to happen, would I want them to face that? And perhaps equally important, what did I want my home and my environment to say about me? I had my own version of Rose’s boxes of newspaper clippings that needed to be faced.
Naomi and her mother in Hartford.
It may also be a natural life progression. When I was in my 20s, accumulating things felt like part of becoming an adult. I’ve never lived large (especially not with the burden of student loans), but with the help of credit cards, I tried to “find” myself by buying things and furnishing my home. Now that I’m in my 30s, it’s the opposite: I’m finding out more about myself by learning to let go.
I’ve gone through small bursts of cleaning and organizing over the years, but I only really started getting rid of things about a year ago. I started blogging about it in October, and around that time, I pretty much stopped shopping for things I didn’t really need. I’m sure there’s a connection. Not only am I doing this publicly, but the more I give away, the less I want to buy. I think much more carefully about each purchase than I ever have before.
Here are a few things I’ve learned:
1. I’d rather have fewer things I value than a lot I don’t use or love.
2. Everything I own needs to have a purpose.
3. It’s a lot easier to keep things out of my house than to get rid of them once they’re there.
4. The best way not to shop is to stay away as much as possible from trigger zones, like the mall.
5. Sharing is a win-win. I’ve given away many things over the past several months to friends, family and readers of my blog. So many things that I wasn’t using are finally being appreciated by someone else.
Since I’m a fan of tiny houses, I’ll also add that my dream house has always been a cottage. I’ve lived in small places, but it’s even easier to do with less stuff weighing me down. With each thing I give away, I feel lighter and more free. I think my grandmother would be proud.
My journey isn’t over; I’m still getting rid of things and giving them away on my blog. So please, come and visit sometime!
Sending clutter packing and sharing what I don’t need:blogs.timesunion.com/simplerliving/
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Call for Guest Bloggers
If you are interested in writing about your journey toward simplification, please contact me.
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