I don't remember the day or why I decided to open the email and click on the link: http://www.theminimalists.com/. I'd had a nagging feeling inside for a while: always feeling stressed out, always feeling like there is more to do, or wanting to do but can't because of other responsibilities. Whatever the real reason that caused me go one step further that day, that small, inconspicuous link changed so much.
As I started reading, I couldn't stop. I was in awe at what these two men had done for themselves, and I wanted to feel that FREEDOM too! What is it? In a nutshell... living more with less!
Sometime in the midst of my stressing out but before I read through the website, my husband had suggested we try to sell our house because the housing market had turned, and we had an opportunity . Initially, I thought "NO WAY! I LOVE THIS HOUSE! IT'S MY DREAM HOUSE!" Yes... shouty caps. I really do LOVE my house. When we bought it, I thought we would never move until we retire. We had the dream: 2,600 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 2 dining rooms, game room, library, HUGE walk in closet. Why in the world would I want to give THAT up? I didn't really see the opportunity in front of me in that moment.
After reading about Josh and Ryan's journey to Minimalism and the reasons behind it, I understood. We have been as caught up in consumerism as just about everyone else in America. We have a huge house, two new cars, jobs that pay somewhat well (heehee...within reason - being a teacher, well...that's a topic for another blog), but things were still missing. We want to travel more. I want to spend more time impacting the world around me, but I'm stressed out and exhausted all the time. I want to be healthier and spend more time outdoors. I want to go skiing. I want to zip line in Costa Rica. I want to go diving in the Caymans again. I want to go on a Mountain vacation for Christmas. I want to write more. I want to work with a charity that I'm passionate about...etc, etc.... the list could go on....Yes. I know. I want a lot of things.
I realized I can't do many of those things with the lifestyle we have, and I wanted to change it. I sent my husband the link to check out. I'm not sure how much he read, but he was on board with my crazy idea.
Our first steps were to talk with our realtor and put our house on the market. It officially went on the market this past Monday! We then started selling things we didn't need. Man do we have a lot stuff we don't need! The more I found in the house to sell, the more disappointed I became with myself about what I THOUGHT I needed and spent money on over all these years. I thought it might be difficult to let go, but reality is the thought of being debt free is more exciting than the items I've collected that I don't use or forgot I even have.
Could all of this stress play into our struggles with having a family? Sure. Will the feeling of freedom change that? I don't know. I do know it will change our lives, change our thought process, and change how we are able to impact the world around us.
So thank you Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Thank you for sharing your story. Thank you for leading the way so others can be brave enough to follow! You are both positively impacting the lives of many.
Thank you Nat Giambalvo for sharing the link and your family's journey toward minimalism.
Hear them Josh and Ryan speak about minimalism-TedTalk:
