More with less

I have always been someone who loves to clean out a junk drawer and to purge a closet. So the focus I have been in is not a new concept for me. It is more of a prominent place at this point in my life due to some strategic people and events. I love feeling neat and tidy. I love knowing that our Heavenly Father is a God of order and that He had a plan for us from before time began, and continues to do so.  Recently, I keep going back to the fact that so often we are searching for things that when we really dig deeper are, in fact, not what is best for us. They are in essence clutter and someone elses dream.

Now let me make a disclaimer here: I am NOT a minimalist. I like things. I like a stack of books and I am known for my massive collection of high heels. I am a bit southern in my decorating – which means I enjoy flowers and cute old-fashioned knickknacks placed purposefully. What I am not on board with is uselessness, extra space just because and anything that is not adding value. If I don’t love it, if my kids aren’t playing with it, If my husband doesn’t receives value from it, it is wasteful. It is forsaking whats really important. I am all about adding value with less.

I am writing about simplifying not depriving. Having max value. Having peace, order, margin.

We have rooms in our houses where we don’t use and clothes we don’t wear and yet we are working longer hours and cutting vacation days so we can buy bigger and more. Things we don’t utilize or need or enjoy fully. Something is out of whack and most of us don’t even realize it.

Are you living life to accumulate more stuff versus contributing to actually living life?  It’s a big problem. And a problem many people don’t see is right in front of us.

Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious and adding the meaningful.

– John Maeda

So today as we focus on de-cluttering and maximum living I ask you a few questions in the name of simplifying and gaining greater value.

• What no longer serves a purpose in your life?
• What are you doing with your everyday?
• What makes you happy?
• What is toxic in your life right now?
• What do you need to eliminate?

Debt? To much work? To many clothes? To many junk drawers? To many  “yes’ ” to life’s extra activities? To much drinking? To many unhealthy meals? To many self-care products? To many pairs of socks? To many toys? To much phone time or tv? To much, of what I call, screen time? To many books, or file cabinets? To much square footage not in use? To many pens?

To many….to much…..

These are all things that are distractions from what really matter. If not cleared out, cleaned out, and eliminated our life becomes clogged with things that aren’t relevant. At the end of the day it is wasteful of what God has given us.

May we be consumed with the creator of all things rather than with things created. Romans 1:25