Just Enough

“The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up” a book written by Marie Kondo sold millions of copies around the world. The popularity of her book also spawned a series on Netflix. Ms. Kondo developed a method to help people get their lives back in order after they have acquired way too many material possessions. I call this show on Netflix “Hoarders Light  designed for Millenials.”

In this Netflix series we see people’s uncurated collections of clothes, books, magazines, and other personal items which have taken over their lives. Instead of bringing happiness the owners are frustrated and overwhelmed by all their stuff. Marie uses her KonMari method based on Shintoism, an Eastern religion, to develop a way to part with items.

Just watching the show caused me to think anew about my propensity to continue to collect things I really didn’t absolutely need. I thought back on my own experience when I sold my Seattle home. I had to reckon with my brain on so many levels. I had things I would probably never use again in life. I knew it was time to let go. However I had to be stern, steadfast and  even brutal with my heart to part with many things.

I’ve asked myself why did I wear myself out to accumulate so many material possessions? I can tell by the closets in older homes that people didn’t always feel that they had to have closets the size of some people’s living rooms. Over consumption is a problem, at least here in the United States. The explosive growth of the storage facilities industry is a testament to this problem.  To be transparent I downsized from a 4,500 square foot home to a  5X10 storage room.
I didn’t get depressed I got free!

Over my life’s journey I’ve learned:

It didn’t matter how many homes I may have owned.
I could only occupy one house at a time.

It didn’t matter how big my house was.
I could only be in one room at a time.

It didn’t matter how many vehichles I had in my garage.
I could only drive one at a time.

It didn’t matter how many shoes were in my closet.
I could only wear one pair at a time.

It didn’t  matter how much food I had in my refrigerator.
I could only eat so much at a time.

Solomon made a simple request to God, “..Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”1.  I am wondering if this isn’t the key to happiness  and another way, if I may borrow from Marie Kondo, “to spark joy.”

Parting Thought

I want to be more like the Apostle Paul who said, “Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” 2.

1. Proverbs 30:4    NIV
2. Philippians 4:11 Message Bible