Day 24: A Day Late

I didn’t even make it to my computer yesterday. I was off running first thing in the morning with my husband and then by the time we got home it was time to get ready for Family Night and enjoy the evening. It was a GREAT day!

Minimalism in my Life: I was so excited for this one and yet late. Weird how that works.

Since I discovered “minimalism” things have changed in my life. The first person I came across was Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist. I was getting his emails and read his book The More of Less. I forget if it is through Joshua Becker that I heard of The Minimalists. That would be Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. You will have to go to their website to hear their stories. They are worth checking out. There is so much great information on their website. It is there I learned of The Minimalist Game. You are basically getting rid of things every day of the month based on the date. I played it for two months: February and March and got rid of 929 things. It was so freeing. I was so ready to do this. It was time. Not because I had tons of stuff but because I wanted to minimize my whole life and this seemed to be the way to start it. It worked GREAT! In a physical way, how it has affected me most is in the way I shop. I was never a big shopper but sometimes there are things I just want, just because I have the money to buy it or else it is a great deal. I have learned to distinguish between what I need and want and I am learning to bring those two terms together and in some

In a physical way, how it has affected me most is in the way I shop. I was never a big shopper but sometimes there are things I just want, just because I have the money to buy it or else it is a great deal or it’s just plain cool. I have learned to distinguish between what I need and want and I am learning to bring those two terms together and in some cases, they are the same. I am happy about that. It has also caused me to research more what I am shopping for so that I get not only a good price, but it’s a good item that will last me. For example, I am on the outlook for an electric roaster to also use as a crock pot. I want to buy something that I know I will use lots. I am taking my time because I already have a crock pot I can use. Another example is my wardrobe. I am still in the process of getting rid of things and adding things. I am on the outlook for tee shirts that I am happy with and so far haven’t found any. I do have a gift card at a store in the city that I think will have what I want. I just haven’t taken the time to go there. My goal is to have a small wardrobe that I wear everything and I love everything. These are the biggest changes I notice in me about minimalism.

On a different level, it has and is helping me with discipline. Playing The Game two months in a row every day had me doing something every day and I actually did it. I’m not that great at finishing what I start so this so was encouraging for me so I decided to do something this month as well, on a daily basis. That is where this 30 Day Challenge came from. Today is the first day I have been late but I refuse to beat myself up over it. In fact, if I could give myself a pat on my back, I would! You Go Self!!!

Spiritually, minimalism has taught me about meditation and prayer in a different way. I have already been going through a paradigm switch with my faith, but add minimalism and hearing some of Josh and Ryan’s thoughts on stress and anxiety and how to handle them has been invaluable. Going into this I already had an open mind to hear new ideas and I am so thankful that that. Since Christ is in me, He is on this journey with me and for the first time in my whole entire life, I have moments of peace. Better yet, I am understanding that peace is not something you achieve, it is a state of mind. It is Christ in Me.

Oh friends, if you decide to check this out, let me know. I do not call myself a Minimalist but I love many of their ways and they have made their way into my life. I am so grateful, so so very grateful!

Have a super duper blessed day friends! You are so amazing if you have come to the end of this blog. It’s the longest one I have done. 🙂 I loves you!

Day 22: Something I Would Like to Change About Myself

This is an easy/hard one. Easy in the sense is there are lots of things and hard in the sense of keeping it down to one and not so many details that I put myself out there too much. I was never good at balance…HEY that is the one I will choose!

If I could change something it would be that I would be more balanced as a whole and in little things. I am an all or nothing kind of girl. Always have been and as I’m getting older I notice that it is in everything. It’s like I do one thing in the moment and my whole life has been and will be affected by it for the rest of my days. If I am not perfect at anything (and actually I am not) my way of looking at that is I am not good at ANYTHING. This lack of balance that I have holds me back from trying new things, meeting new people and well, going out anywhere in general. Lack of balance and anxiety but that is a whole different topic. 🙂 See, told ya. Lots I would like to change.

So, “if I am not perfect at something I am a failure at life.” That is such a horrible mantra but one that I have brought through life. It is only through counselling that I have been made aware of this and I have been trying to deal with it ever since (the last four years or so). I never felt like I was good enough or measured up. I know why I am this way and it is still a struggle but I have learned it is a “LIE” and some things are only in the eyes of the talker. Just because someone sees it this way, doesn’t make it so. But it gets buried into the deepest of hiding places in your soul and festers. It’s tough.

But I do want to say that I have made some headway in this area. I am learning to balance this out in a realistic and truthful manner and that is helping tonnes! I’m still horrible at balance but I guess that will be a life-long struggle, situation to situation.

I will share with you how I am learning the lies of that horrible mantra. I am learning and starting to believe in tiny bits, who I am in Christ and most of all, that I am loved by Him 100%, no matter what. It doesn’t matter what I say or do…nothing I can do can change His amazing love for me. My whole life I felt unloved (not saying I was unloved but I felt I was), not only by God but by friends and family. It had festered so long that I was unlovable, that I was unworthy of anyone’s love including God’s. So now, to discover how wrong I was and not only that, to discover that even though I thought that about God, it doesn’t change how He feels about me. I am not only worthy and lovable…I am WORTHY, VALUED and LOVED! Once I started to grasp this, it made a huge difference in not only how I look at myself but how I look at others! Friend, you are WORTHY, VALUED and LOVED!

Anyway, that is my story and I am sticking to it. 🙂 I don’t want to turn this blog into a religious one but it is important that you know my faith my identity and worth in Christ is the reason I can and do write this blog. I give Him the glory so don’t be surprised if in the future you see me talk about more faith stuff. For now though, my identity in Christ is what is healing me.

Oh friend, I hope you know how much you are loved!!!! I loves you so much!!!