Minimalism? What's all that about then!

I will be perfectly honest with you: at times I look around my home and feel totally overwhelmed by all the “stuff” that I see. However, some months back I realised that I simply couldn't continue to stuff my home with this and that, in an attempt to make myself feel better about my life.  It took me many years to get to this point, a place where I could finally start to let go of the "comfort blanket" of material things that I have been surrounding myself with. I knew that it was the right time for me to start decluttering and downsizing all the collections of this, that and the other that I have started. 

It felt like I was finally coming out of a tunnel into the light and the fresh air.  Of course I do realise that this has been of my own making, but at the time it felt so comforting and safe.  It’s almost as if I have been wrapping myself up in all this "stuff" for some kind of protection ~ which on reflection I rather think I have.  It has certainly been an easier path to take than sorting myself out, that’s for sure!  But the process of simply starting to clear/sort out of my wardrobe and drawers has given me an incredible boost; I was absolutely amazed at how much better I felt for having done it.

I realise that it must seem rather incongruous to be talking about decluttering and downsizing when I freely admit that I will never, ever, be a minimalist.  But my plan isn’t to stop collecting; rather it is to confine myself to those things that I truly love and which give me the most pleasure.  Decisions have been made regarding what will be going and what will be staying, although I am still very torn about my doll collection.   Even so, I have decluttered a huge amount of things already!  And these small first steps have lightened the load which I have been carrying on my shoulders and in my mind.  This decluttering/downsizing exercise will be taking place throughout the whole house, and also in The Shed and garden.

There are to be more changes in my life over the coming weeks/months and I will share them with you as they happen.  In the meantime, I hope you are looking forward to seeing the results of this downsizing and decluttering ~ I am certainly looking forward to sharing the process with you!