The Joy of the Journey

It is Throwback Thursday!  This post was written in 2014 as I was writing The Great Interior, the second in the Minimize series.

Minimizing is not meant to be painful.  If gone about it the wrong way, minimizing can be an extremely unpleasant experience.  If minimization is forced on to a person, like a spouse or child, it will be a losing situation on all sides.  If minimization is forced onto yourself, you will force upon you unhealthy outcomes like regret.

Minimizing should be the result of an awakening in the Great Interior of self that realizes that less is more.  There should be a twinge of excitement when a clean out project is thought of during the day.  There should be a sense of streamlining with a purpose in mind.

When it sinks in that less is more, a transformation occurs.  You don’t look at life or your surroundings quite the same way.  Your life’s goals are affected.  No longer is buying a bigger house in Twin Springs Estates the life’s ambition.  The possessions you already have begin to be viewed as an anchor holding you back to the life you do want.  

Instead, you see possibilities you never thought about when getting a Lexus was high on your priorities.  You see your way clear to traveling to national parks, or working on that novel you have thought about for years.  Life becomes more about being and doing than having.

As you take baby steps towards your new ambitions, joy will likely be present within you.  You will be pleased with your progress, however small.  You will look at yourself differently as you see that you are capable of previously unimagined feats.You will also look at your surroundings differently.  

You may walk into your favorite store and be aghast at the excess that surrounds you.  You will have remorse when you look in your home.  You will be aware of what you spent on certain, numerous items that hold little meaning for you now.  Just take the lesson for what it is, and learn from your mistakes.

Even with the pain of remorse for your prior spending habits, the joy of living differently, with purpose, outweighs the discomfort.  You will likely find yourself with more money in your pocket, and more peace of mind, when you begin your journey into minimalism.  

Now, are you curious about The Great Interior?  It is available on Amazon!  Click the link to order below.

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