Less is More

Shirt: Old Navy, Skirt: Lotus, Shoes: Jessica Simpson, Hamsa Necklace: Marshalls, Druzy Stone Necklace: Celene Stones Custom (email Krista for get yours 15% off - celenestones@gmail.com)

I've been feeling this overwhelming pull to purge lately.

Not as in puke up my dinner purge, but as in get rid of a lot of shit, purge. Over the past few weeks I have cleaned out our junk drawer, fridge, pantry, and a few overcrowded kitchen cabinets. Then... the big daddy. I went into my closet and got rid of a at least one-third of the clothes in there. Next I tackled my drawers full of costume jewelry. Three-quarters of it, gone... just like that.  It felt amazing. I'm realizing that with certain things... the more you have... the less you appreciate what you have.

If you were to walk into our house you'd never think I hoarded anything, but (like most people) I tend to keep too much stuff for too long and it ends up in closets, drawers, or small piles on the top of my dresser. Clutter makes me crazy. It makes me feel like the house is dirty and like my life is unorganized. It almost makes me feel like I am suffocating. It's amazing how much better I feel after I get rid of things.

I've decided that 2015 is going to be the year I invest more into what truly serves me as opposed to just accumulating stuff. I'm going to start working on this by simply using up what I have. Little things like the 20 tubes of lipstick and gloss that are hanging around my bathroom, purse, and car... using up shampoo/conditioner, body wash, hairspray, and eyeliner before buying more. I hoard toiletries. Half of that shit is full of chemicals and expired anyway. It's time to go. And cleaning products. I never finish them before I buy more. Or food. I let stuff go bad. How wasteful. I'm going to be more conscious from now on about only buying what I know I "need"  and making sure  I am almost out of something before going to buy more.

The happier you are with yourself, the less shit you need anyway. The rush you get from a new outfit is nice, but if you hate the body you're putting it on you're going to be constantly shopping for shit to make you temporarily feel good.  The hottest people I've ever met look best in a pair of jeans and a white v-neck t shirt. That goes for men and women. If you like the way you look, the less you have to do to adorn yourself. Right? Buying shit does not make a bad day suddenly good. The rush from purchasing fades and many times you're left with guilt. It will not make a boyfriend/girlfriend appear... it does not fix broken friendships or marriages... it does not heal you, or your child, or your parents from sickness or disability.. it will not make you look 15lbs lighter... make your job suck less... or make people more interested in you. Your kids won't love you more or fight less if you shower them with stuff. Maybe you already knew this. Maybe you are one of those people who already live simply. But, if you're not.... now may be a good time to start.

For me... it is time. Time to use less, buy less, accumulate less, consume less, and spend less. It would service us all more if we spent time actually working on whatever void we are subconsciously using all of that stuff to fill. I'm not a psychologist, but it doesn't take one for me to realize what I have been doing all of these years. I've got body image issues... for days. I know that's what a lot of my problem is. I would buy, buy, buy... new clothes, shoes, jewelry, stuff for the house, make-up, etc. to make me feel like I look better. In hopes that if I felt like I looked better, I would magically feel better. More confident. Happier. It was easier to spend time and money shopping for an outfit that made me look 10 lbs lighter than put in the work to actually be 10 lbs lighter. I would rather buy overpriced skincare/facials, etc to make my skin look brighter, clearer, and younger than take the time (and use the will power) to buy, prepare, and eat food that truly nourishes me from the inside out. The inside, out. That is the trick.

Too many of us are trying to feel better from the outside in. We buy, decorate, dress up, and adorn ourselves with things in hopes that we will feel better on the inside. It does not work that way. You have to work inside first then it will manifest on the outside. Now... I'm not saying I no longer love clothes, shoes, lipstick, and a good self-tanner... I'm just saying that I don't find true happiness in any of them so it's time to spend less time and resources on them.

Do what feeds your soul. Spend time with people, not money on them. Move your body more. Push it. Make it uncomfortable. Make yourself proud. Read more from a book than from a news feed. Eat real food so you look better without Instagram filters. Spend time learning, creating, and growing. Appreciate what you have. Use up what you have. Collect more experiences and less things.

This realization doesn't mean I'm going to do a complete overhaul of my entire life overnight... leave the country, move to Tibet, live with monks and fall off of the grid. It just means that I am going to ask myself before I buy, consume, or spend... "does this serve me from the inside out"? And... if the answer is no, maybe... just maybe...  I don't need it after all.