I have never thought of myself as a minimalist.
I think of myself as wanting the right amount.
I want the good quality.
I want plenty.
But I don’t want a lot to maintain and clean.
In my mind I want to be ready to move onto a boat and sail around the world at a moment’s notice.
I mean that literally.
But my reality is that being ready to hop on a boat has been a metaphor for being available for incredible opportunities.
I didn’t get a washing machine until I was in my 30’s.
I didn’t get a dishwasher until I was 40. (That second kid using sippy cups tipped the scale.)
I have been a minimalist with stuff for a while.
But this pandemic has made me into a minimalist with my time.
Due to COVID protocols I don’t need to attend meetings.
I am minimizing visits I “should” be making with extended family.
I have long stretches of time to dream and scheme.
I am embracing all kinds of minimalizing.
Less clutter.
Less hectic.
Less cleaning.
Less appointments.
Less overwhelm.
I have been building a big, glorious, luscious life.
Turns out I didn’t want more and bigger.
I wanted less.
So I am steering towards a deep, meaningful, glorious, luscious life.
I have been creating extra space… breathing room.
Good things happen in the margins.
I intend to keep things cleared out so there are margins in my life.
And boats. Lots of boats.
This creating a better life thing…
I never said it would be easy.
Your life is full.
You have created everything about it… whether you love it or not.
When we think of the life we want, we think about all the good things about it, not what we have to give up.
But you do have to give up things.
Not just the crummy stuff.
Some good stuff too.
You need to make room for the better things.
Are you willing to give up some friends?
Some stuff?
Some old beliefs?
Easy ways of doing things?
Ask yourself this:
What am I willing to sacrifice to truly live my best life?
I never said it would be easy.
But it is worth it.
What is left in your life if you don’t buffer?
What would the world be like if you never overate, overdrank, overspent, overworked, overexercised, overpeople-pleased or overFacebooked?
What would be left?
When the big snow storm this winter took out our power, I was a little frightened.
No computer?
No kindle?
No TV?
No radio?
What is left?
Well, I could think. In my head.
And read paper books.
And meditate.
And shiver.
And then the next 23 hours…
Well…
Hmmm.
All these electronic devices I rely on are false pleasures.
They are pleasures that I am using to try to feel better.
External things I am trying to use to create internal emotions.
False pleasures never feel as pure as true pleasure.
A lot of us use false pleasures to keep from being alone with our thoughts.
We are buffering and avoiding:
Boredom.
Shame.
Fearful thoughts we have been pushing down.
We have gotten out of the habit of feeling our bad feelings.
I needed the break from false pleasures.
When we stop buffering we will feel pain.
And that’s okay.
That’s the way human beings work.
We are not going to die even though it feels like it.
If you didn’t try to buffer, and felt all the feelings, what would be left?
When we trade in the false pleasures for true pleasure (like listening to the sound of falling snow and making hot cocoa from scratch) we gain confidence.
And more confidence creates a feeling of empowerment.
Which creates a feeling of well-being.
And the more well-being, the more you contribute to the world.
That feels like the best kind of true pleasure to me.