Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Some of you may be thinking about what you want to give up for Lent, which beings this Wednesday, February 18th.  You may know that Lent is a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and charitable giving in preparation for Good Friday and Easter. Or maybe you're not religious, not a Christian, or not one of those Christians who follows ancient church practices.  That's not a problem, because the topic I want to write about today applies to anyone who's interested in self-mastery. Who is the master? Did you know that almost every culture has some sort of fasting or renunciation practice?  Refraining from things that attract (particularly food) has been a way to increase personal control and focus throughout many centuries for people all over the world. Maybe it's because humans are the only animals that can say no to treats.  Think about it – a hungry dog, mouse, or fish will never hold themselves back from gobbling up whatever food is available, sometimes even when it's d...

I admit it – I can be self-centered.  Demanding.  Judgmental. And that's with people I care about, or at least those with whom I have no quarrel. But enemies?  People who have let me down, or even hurt me?  People I don't get along with, or (for whatever reason) just don't like?  Most of the time I try to avoid those people.  I try not to think about them.  I certainly don't do anything to improve the situation. Yet, shockingly, as a Christian I should be very different.  Jesus actually taught – and lived – that we should love our enemies.  Pray for them. "If you love those who love you," he said, "why should you be rewarded?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?  Do not even pagans do that?"  (Matthew 5:46-47) It sounds crazy and impossible.  However, there is absolutely no chance for peace anywhere unless we at least attempt it. Human nature It's natural for us to pray for people ...

Years ago, my home wasn't clutter-free.  I had two young children, and we homeschooled.  We had busy schedules.  We had a long list of things we wanted to buy, even though we already owned more than we needed.  Every closet, cupboard, and drawer was full.  The garage was full.  A large shed in the backyard was full.  And even though I decluttered pretty regularly (we held yard sales two or three times a year), our possessions never actually diminished because we always bought more... and more. Weekends were given over to cleaning, organizing, chores, and shopping.  We'd come home with new purchases we had to somehow fit into our already-too-full home – plus the credit card receipts that proved we were buying way too many things we couldn't actually afford. I didn't wake up one morning and say "I want to become a minimalist."  I did feel like I needed to clean up and pare down my home.  But learning to declutter for good – instead of be...

If you spend any time looking at minimalist lifestyle blogs, you've probably had your fill of images of white walls, white furnishings, and modernist decorative items that look meticulously arranged for their designer photo shoot. The rooms look like no one lives there.  Certainly, no one sits comfortably or does any entertaining.  The beautiful table settings are arranged for guests to ooh and aah over.  No one has actually eaten a meal there. And you can bet those rooms aren't open to pets or children.  If any toys are photographed, they're handmade, artisanal, all-wood items arranged one or two per shelf.  What's missing is color, variety, personality, and anything that looks like it's been used or enjoyed. The happy truth I have some great news:  A minimalist life doesn't have to be this way!  It doesn't have to be colorless and matchy-matchy.  If you've been worried that becoming minimalist requires boring conformity, you can stop right now. ...

Here's the problem that can make decluttering feel like an ultra-marathon of decision fatigue.... When you pick up each item and ask "Does this make me happy?" you're suddenly confronted with all of the stories and feelings attached to that item.  Especially if you've owned things for a while, you inherited them, or you're in your empty-nest years, you have plenty of memories and emotions attached to your belongings. Ask a different question. Instead, ask yourself "Where will this fit?"  If the shelf in your linen closet will hold six bath towels neatly and comfortably, make that your "towel cap."  If the shelf in your kitchen will hold eight mugs without having to cram them in or play a frustrating game of Jenga, that's your "mug cap."  If your new, empty-nest-sized living room has space for a love seat and two easy chairs, it's time to donate or sell that huge sectional. None of these decisions are emotional.  They'r...

Are you someone who thinks that minimalism is just an aesthetic movement characterized by all-white everything in a large and mostly-empty room?  Or maybe you think minimalism is a fad embraced by the privileged few.  After all, how can you have "too much stuff" unless you have a high income? You're not alone in that opinion.  One of the characters in Liz Moore's engrossing novel The God of the Woods , encountering Henry David Thoreau's Walden * for the first time, thinks "Here was a rich person playing....  There were poor people far more resourceful and self-sufficient than he was; they just had the grace and self-awareness not to brag about it." My mom grew up poor.  She had plenty of knowledge and practical skills.  But that didn't stop her from aspiring to the "American dream" of a big house, expensive cars, a high-end wardrobe, and a growing list of luxuries and experiences. Earning a high income doesn't mean you don't outspen...