Excess & Minimalism

(fair warning, this is one of those "longer than I expected" posts.)

I have been fascinated by minimalism for about 3 years now. Fascinated, but not committed. If you were to ask me how much I have minimized my life in those 3 years, I'd readily admit that I have a very long way to go. I have taken a couple of steps, but no more. Yet (or so I keep telling myself).

But if you ask me what my plan is to make those couple of steps into more and more, I don't have a solid answer. And when I realize that, I feel guilty, because I know I am very comfortable, despite the things I'd still like to have in my life. This applies both to relationships, job and life aspirations, and actual tangible "things."I don't know that I'd say I live in excess... but I certainly don't live a minimal life, and just knowing that I don't quantify myself as "in excess" probably means that's exactly where I am.

The new small group I'm in with some friends is reading a book on "...mutiny against excess." (7, by Jen Hatmaker). Talk about timing. I just finished a group focused on keeping goals and striving to live better. Throughout those 3 months of our goal keeping challenges, one of the girls shared many pertinent articles from a blog I've come across a few times in the past years: Becoming Minimalist. The author has a family, so sometimes it's how to do family life minimalistically, and sometimes it's for you as an individual (which of course has ripples for those around you). It has been a good jumping off point for many thoughts and discoveries these past few months.

I have only started the introduction to 7. Already, I can tell it will make me think very thoroughly about what I believe ,and what God is saying to me. It has already challenged me to make sure I'm not just sitting back and thinking about these things, but rather making changes to glorify the God I say I serve.

In the intro, Jen mentions that most of us in the US are super rich, especially when compared to people almost anywhere else in the world. The majority of the people on this planet live for $2 per DAY, and we here complain that we don't have enough, and pray for more. She states that if you make 35k per year, you are in the top 4% in the world. Woah.

Now, I hear my defenses rear up immediately... "I make less than that! At least I'm not in that top percent...oh. Wait." Though I make less, I'm still in the top 10%, I bet (I haven't actually checked). I know I'm in the top 50%, and am likely in the top 80% or more. $2 per day?! It's unfathomable in so many ways.

Of course, I also hear my defenses saying, "yeah, but things are more expensive here than in a lot of those places... so if you right-size I bet it's not as horrible in statistics." Seriously, girl? Knock it off. You live in the richest, safest country in the world. Shut up.

I strive to live with what I need, and not much more, but I KNOW I have more books than I need (it pains me to say that. I love books). I have movies, tv shows on dvd. I have plenty of clothes - and not just an outfit or two to rotate and wash. I have a surplus of blankets, toiletries, towels, even. And that's just the beginning.

While I don't think it wise to swallow anything we read without thinking about it and processing it, even if it's from people we know and/or trust, I think it worth saying that we must must MUST not write things off either; even if it's written by people we're not sure about or don't trust. I have a few friends who have read this book and have been challenged and changed by its contents. I don't know what that will look like for me, but to be only a few pages in and be compelled and challenged enough to write about it bodes well, I think. I don't know that I'll ever be truly a minimalist in the most specific sense, but I do think there are many practices and philosophies that line up well with what God calls us to be.

I don't know how often I'll write about it, but you can bet I'll be thinking much over the next several weeks (and beyond). Here's hoping the challenges don't paralyze me, but rather motivate me to action, and to positive change.

Also, this just in...

Where are you going next year?

Further Thoughts on Minimalism

While reading the 30 page free preview (online) of Everett's book, there were many things to ponder. I'm on page 25, so I'm almost at the end without buying the whole book from him, (which I'm not quite ready to do yet) but he has many great points, and many ideas that are going to keep me thinking and re-evaluating for several days (at least).

He talks a lot about how to think about things, how to spend. The cheapest price is not always the best place to spend your money. He hints at (which I'm sure he goes into in detail further into the book) how to cook well for a healthy and minimalist lifestyle. There is much more, and some of it I won't be able to share without purchasing and reading the entire book. We'll see.

One of my favorite things I read so far from it was this:

The minimalist path
I've found that my own life, my journey through minimalist living has a cyclical pattern. some years i have more stuff, others I've purged everything.

Not everyone needs to take being minimalist to the extreme that I am right now. you'll find that some areas of your life could use some simplification, while others may need to just be left alone.

I know I'll be pondering this for quite some time.

Ideas, Blogs, Changes, & Minimalism

I have been working on re-vamping my blog (in case you hadn't noticed). I'm not done, and there are some things I'm still trying to figure out. I don't know how long it will take, and I don't know if it will even have any real effect other than making me mildly more pleased with what I do in my spare time. But there it is, and this is where we begin.

The result is this: I have been reading several blogs the past couple days as a research method for figuring out how to edit my own and make it more user friendly, more professional looking, etc. This included some for fun (and because I like how their blog is arranged), some by chance, some because I like their ideas and check in regularly to hear the newest musings, and some because they were recommended by those I trust.

I browsed around this site for awhile to see what this guy was all about. I haven't read it all yet (don't know if I will), and I haven't even fully formulated what I think of him, or whether I agree with all his ideas. Still, it's food for thought, and as I try to continually grow and become more the person I should be, I am excited to see/hear new ideas and gain insight from others. I've browsed the free sample of his e-book, and downloaded (though not yet read all of) his newest writing about starting a movement. Check out the free e-book here.

One of the most recent posts from my friend was pretty thought provoking. I have never thought about guest-posting. I don't know how I would go about that. I don't have tons of interaction with 'online friends' and most people who read this blog are friends or family that know me in 'real life'. I don't even know if I want this to get that big, that demanding of my time.

Then, because the most recent perusal has been from mr. minimalist, I was contemplating if that lifestyle was something I would ever be able to do myself. Would I be able to de-clutter my life to less than 100 things? Would I be able to support myself? What would I be willing to give up or change to see this happen? More importantly: What are my personal life goals? What does that look like if I am taking action to make them reality? Is all this thinking just that and nothing else? And if that's the case, should I knock it off and get back to work?

But it's interesting, and worth thinking about anyway. It makes me wonder if there is any way I could be good enough at this to 'accidentally' (or even purposely for that matter) earn my entire income (or even a bonus part of it) from writing online. I haven't looked into how to actually make that happen, and I don't know that I want to get there. I mean, it would be nice to have some extra money coming in because of the time I spend getting my thoughts out, and trying to bring something worthwhile to the board. However, that's not the goal here. The goal is what you're reading right now. Getting it out.

Thoughts? Reactions?
I'd appreciate your input.