Spring – A time for rejuvenation and renewal.
I openly discuss my love affair with ‘spring cleaning’ and ‘de cluttering’. Whilst I am not a fan of labels, I have come to embrace that of being a minimalist – well, one in the making.
A little over a year ago, we moved from our tiny ‘baby house’ that we had out grown with a walking toddler to a full sized family home. With it came the temptation to quickly fill it with things – furniture, art, stuff. After all, what was the point in having a bigger space with less things?
Our baby house was filled with our past. It was the first home shared with my husband and the first home I had after living with my family. I had never moved and felt the need to hold all of my memories within my possessions. As we packed to move, I started to feel suffocated by my things. They were no longer providing me happiness or meaning but instead they were creating an environment of frustration. I could never easily reach for things. Opening a cupboard could be an OH & S issue and my mind was often distracted with needing to ‘clean up’ because ‘stuff’ never looks tidy. I had mistakenly believed that being organised meant I needed to have everything on hand and prepared for a ‘just-in-case’ scenario with ridiculous just-in-case items – 40 billion shopping bags anyone??
The temptation to fill our new home quickly evaporated – stuff didn’t provide me happiness – instead it was distracting me from living.
The bigger space instead presented us with something far more beautiful than ‘things’ – it gifted us with mindfulness, gratitude, appreciation.
Our home has most importantly provided the space for clear thought and tranquility – our haven to come home and breathe out the day. It has replaced chaos with calm – busyness with quality family time and inefficient time with productive time – like writing or having a soothing, soul nourishing bath.
Visually, our home is calming. Each item purchased is carefully chosen –
Does it reflect us? Does it add value? Do we love it? Is it essential?
It has provided us the opportunity to ‘hunt’ for unique treasures, items that reflect who we are and what life we want to create.
It has provided us with a comfortable amount of space to celebrate events and life – to have family and friends around to enjoy being together – life’s important treasures…The soul of the home is already etched with memories of laughter, love and happiness.
Having a relaxed home has also given us the gift of adventure – the ability to step outside of it without the guilt of choosing to ‘go out’ over cleaning – the expectation of having a spotless house. There is minimal effort of maintenance with minimal clutter. It also provides a beautiful space to return home to with a heart full of adventure.
So in this moment, I can peacefully enjoy a cup of coffee – each sip without the distraction of needing to do something in this moment because I have replaced chaos with calm and life has become a whole lot more manageable.
~ F.P
Watch The Words Dance 