Living a more intentional and minimalist way

I recently shared that my family and I relocated to the mountains of Western North Carolina. At the root of this decision was a philosophy that's not new or novel - we wanted to live more simply. As we started to explore what this meant to us as a family, we very quickly came to the realization that our relationship with material things was holding us back in many ways. The emotional dependency, the financial burden, etc. The value we placed on stuff and our conditioning around spending needed some attention.

Over the next several months, the conversations weren’t always comfortable and being honest with ourselves about what we truly valued was emotional. Even though it was hard, when the time came to actually start going through our possessions and deciding what we were going to take on our new adventure, what we would sell and what we would donate was actually kind of…dare I say…FUN!!! As my sell and donate pile became bigger and bigger, I felt a freedom that I didn’t expect. It was liberating to see how little we actually needed.

For me, having less stuff has been cathartic. My physical space looks and feels lighter, more peaceful. However, the biggest benefit of this lifestyle change has been deep inside of myself. At my core, I have such clarity on what I value and feel much more in control of where my time and resources are spent.

This isn’t like a deep spring cleaning, this is truly a lifestyle change. It’s something that we consistently have to work at but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Living in a more intentional and minimalist way may not be for everyone, but taking time to evaluate the why behind your spending or clearing out a closet or a drawer might get you interested in giving it a try.