More Minimalist Thoughts

So I am watching an interview of The Minimalists and the interviewer asks, "If I walked into your house right now, what would I see?"

One of the guys answers with "If you walked into my house right now, you wouldn't think 'Oh! A minimalist lives here!' You'd probably think whoever lives here is really tidy, because everything in my house has a purpose and a place. If it doesn't serve a purpose or bring me joy, it's not there."

Wow! What a concept! I am really starting to feel the effects of doing this minimalism thing, honestly. As these guys say, you will have more time for creativity and the people in your life, and boy are they right! I've been writing more than I usually do and my brain is able to actually THINK better without a bunch of stuff cluttering up my walls.

However, I do step back and think, 'Have I gone far enough with it?' I do still want to go into the bathroom and clean out from under the sink and the drawer that is our catch-all. It will be nice to open it and not have every item inside shift to the back or hinder it from sliding open.

I really hope to save money by doing this, too. Another step I am going to take is utilizing my library. It will be fun to stop by, peruse the shelves and choose a book, knowing I don't have a limited amount of money to spend on buying a new (or used) title. And, if I really like what I check out to read, I can always buy a copy. But honestly, I don't see myself doing that because most of the time I only read a book once, unless it becomes my all-time favorite (and I already own those).

So you see, minimalism is good to implement in so many aspects of our life. Going to the library is sort of like going to the bookstore... except your bank account doesn't diminish because of it!

I am ashamed to say that I started the habit of buying all of my books without even thinking that by utilizing the library I would also be helping my community stay healthy.

So, in my 30th year of life, I vow to spend more time reading books that others can enjoy, too. I don't need to continue the thought that I have to "own" a book in order to enjoy it. I can just read it and move on. Plus, as the Read Aloud Revival lady talks about, the sense of urgency with a book's due date will definitely help me to get through reading and get it back on time so someone else can enjoy it.

By having too many books, I feel pressured to read all of them at once and that is unhealthy by a reader's standards.

To be a better reader (and minimalist) I need to engage the free things already at my disposal, and by doing so save money that I shouldn't be spending in the first place. Every good gift is from above, and I should see God's blessing of my funds as something that should not be wasted.