More on Minimalism

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  Matthew 6:19-20

My goal is no longer to get more done, but rather to have less to do.  (Francine Jay)

I love the above quote.  Less to do, that sounds so wonderful.  And since I have been trying to minimalize my life by getting rid of stuff, I have actually found that there is less to do.  Less dusting.  Less organizing.  Less stuff in my way to worry about.

But I'm not one to sit still, at least, not before 7 in the evening.  So having less to do has come to mean I have more time to do what I want to do.  And that translates itself in a lot of ways!!

I have more time to crochet wedding presents for my pretty girl, Mary Susannah, who will be getting married next month!

I not only have time, but actually have the space to rearrange my entire living room around a window with a view of roses and hummingbird feeders.

I have more time to take pictures of my photogenic stinkers in the bluebonnets!

I can spend quality time with Samantha the goose:

I have the time to make dessert and take my children to a church in Cleburne to feed the homeless, something we hope to do on a regular basis!

I have enjoyed the benefits of minimalism so much, that I look for things to get rid of.  Today found me going through my library, weeding through books that I have hung on to for 25 years of homeschooling.  My mindset has been that you never know when SOMEONE might be interested in some subject or another.  So many of those books, bought at garage sales and Goodwill stores, have never even been looked at.  It's time to let go.

I think the biggest eye opener for me is that most of the things I have stubbornly held on to for years, I can't even give away.  I have thrown so much into my dumpster (only to have friend Rose dig it back out, but that's another story!)  Why did I ever think I needed to hang on to so much?

My goal for the month of May is to clean out and paint my guest house before my sons come home for Mary Susannah's wedding next month.  Trouble is, that's where a lot of my "storage" is.  So for the first two weeks of May, I am just throwing out, trying to sell, trying to give away.  It's going to be so nice when it's done.

Life is too short to spend it cleaning and organizing unneeded junk.  There are crochet hooks sitting unused, hummingbirds to watch, geese to pet.  

Anyone want a bunch of boxes of books?

Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.” ― Nathan W. Morris