This weekend my husband shared an article in Time magazine with me that he thought I would enjoy. How to Live With Just 100 Things is the name of the story. The 100 Things Challenge was started by a guy named Dave. Apparently this challenge has taken off and lots of people are joining him to declutter and simplify their lives by reducing personal belongings to 100 things.
The concept immediately intrigued me and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. I am all about keeping it simple, being a minimalist, and purging the junk we accumulate. Not to say that I do not occasionally (ok mostly) contribute to all of the stuff that lives in our house. But in my defense, I am doing better curbing my shopping habit.
We live in a ranch style home built in the 1970's. So the bedrooms, bathrooms, and closets are small. We have to be creative and organized to keep our house in some sort of order. Awhile back I implemented a strategy to help with my closet clutter. If something new goes in, something old comes out. This has helped tremendously. I guess it also helps that I am not a pack rat. I also clean out closets and drawers at least twice a year. If it has not been worn in the last year, out it goes.
I think I could get to 100 things eventually with some work, but I do not think it is necessary to put an exact number to it. The article has given me the urge to clean out the house. It has also reminded me that we do not need that much stuff to live comfortably. Stuff does not make me happy. My kids, my husband, my family and friends, they are what I live for. They make me happy.
My daughter looked at me the other day and said, "Mommy, I am glad God made you my mommy." At that moment I think my heart almost burst. In return I said, "I am glad God made you my daughter." This conversation sums it up for me. These are the moments that help me keep everything in perspective. I am so lucky to be surrounded by people that I love and care about. For now that is all I need.
2 comments:
How super sweet that your daughter said that too you. It just melts your heart. I usually get TIME magazine from my mom after she reads it. I'll have to take a look at that article.
I've recently started on my own 100 Thing challenge and it's surprisingly difficult to decide what's really worth keeping! Otherwise, I'm very excited to do this. I haven't really given myself a timeline for it but even my husband is interested in getting involved, and he's one to keep things for too long.
I just discovered your blog today and I'm looking forward to reading more. :)
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