Simplify

For a while now, a goal of mine has been to simplify my life. Sounds great, doesn't it? Let me just tell you... it's not easy. In a society and culture where material things and possessions are pushed at us in nearly every direction, it's hard not to buy into that system. Especially when you're also a pack rat, as I am. So if ignoring the consumer mentality was hard enough, lets add my compulsive need to stash everything I've owned throughout the past 24 years. 

I'm not as bad as some people are. You know, the people who end up on Oprah for intervention because their lives are buried under layers of Time magazine, Precious Moments figurines, and every tissue they've ever used to blow their nose. I'm not that bad. I just keep things that have sentimental value. And I guess I'm a sentimental person because I find a lot of sentimental value in a lot of things... which is precisely my problem. But these past months I think I've made some progress in overcoming my pack rat syndrome. 

The past few "spring cleanings" have yielded some positive results. I've purged my closet three times this year, getting rid of clothes I've had in my drawers since high school. (I'm not even kidding.) I always think along the lines of, "Well I didn't wear it this summer, but I'll definitely wear it next summer." And I never do. I reserved a few articles of clothing that remind me of that time in my life and put them in a box for storage. The rest I put in a bag and drop off at a collection bin or homeless outreach. It was so freeing. It was as if I was slightly and slowly getting choked by my own belongings. I also threw away a lot of unnecessary items that hold very little significance in my life. 

Throwing away and going through seasonal closet "purges" are great and an important factor of simplifying one's life, but it doesn't stop there. I can only keep what I bring into my life. In high school, if asked if I played any sports, I would've said, "Yes, shopping." (All I can say about that is thank the Lord that people can change!) Now I really don't even like going to the mall anymore. Not having a job and steady income to support the hobby of shopping has made a significant impact on my spending habits, but I think it's a little more than just being broke. Spending time in a third world country has also helped shape my mindset. How can I justify spending $60 on a pair of jeans at Gap when I can get a pair for $20 at TJ Maxx? 

I think it also comes down to differentiating what we want and what we need. I really try to make that decision when I want to buy something new to add to my collection of stuff. Society is so quick to tell us what we think we need. And let me tell you, it is very easy for me to believe them. Trying to keep up with the latest trends and gadgets is enough to make my head spin. As much as I want an iPod Touch because its cool, I still have a perfectly functioning iPod Nano (first generation, baby!) When my cute pink cell phone suddenly broke a few months ago, I bought a quick replacement phone from Walmart. It was $20 and I call it Tiny Tim. It's ugly as sin, but it works just fine. As much as I want to keep up with the trends and be cool like everyone else who has cool new stuff, I just don't need it. Not only does it save money that I don't have, it keeps my life less cluttered and overwhelming. And I'm still alive without it! My identity is not found within the walls of a mall. What a relief! 

All of this to say that simplifying is a process and a shift of mindset. And I'm still in the middle of it. But it's a good place to be. It's a place of self-reflection and introspection. It also helps me remember all the poverty and suffering going on in the world. We, as a nation, have SO much stuff! When you witness poverty and suffering first hand, you can't walk away from it unchanged. So if we strip down to the bare essentials of what it takes to live, we're left with a lot of excess baggage. That's what I'm trying to get rid of in my life. It's not easy but I think the results will be worth it.