Chapter 6 – Ponderings
I
mentioned in chapter three that I discovered listening to books and videos
helped me focus on cleaning and not get bored.
At first I listened to decluttering gurus. Their ideas inspired me to press on. Eventually and accidentally I ran across a
whole other group of people who wrote/spoke about getting rid of clutter as
more than a menial task. They saw it as
a philosophical and even spiritual journey.
Most of them called themselves minimalists. Their ideas centered around getting rid of
the stuff in your life that is stealing your time and money and distracting you
from the important things in your life – family, friends, goals, growth… As it turns out clutter doesn’t just take up
space in our houses, it crowds our minds and lives. Joshua Becker tells the story of the day he
became a minimalist. He was cleaning out
his garage (an all-day project) and his son was playing alone in the back yard
after repeatedly asking his dad to join him.
He realized that the stuff collecting dust in his garage was robbing him
of time with his son. He began to
explore the idea that maybe he did not need all that stuff and maybe his life
would be better without it. He and his
wife began to purge everything in their home that they did not need. Most minimalists use the guidelines that you
should only keep things that are useful or that bring you joy. Useful means it is currently being used on a
regular basis in your life. The fancy
dishes I might need someday but hadn’t used in twenty-one years of marriage
didn’t make the cut. Items that bring
joy can be sentimental objects or decorations.
The caution here is not to keep things out of guilt. I have a few art items my mom created, but I
do not have to keep everything she ever touched in order to honor her memory.
Many
great minds through the ages have espoused the benefits and necessity of
simplicity. I had read Thoreau and
others like him, but even though I am a Christian, I had overlooked the
guidance found in the teachings of Christ.
In Matthew, Jesus tells his followers not to store treasure on earth
because their hearts will be directed towards their treasure. I had to ask myself some serious
questions. Why do I have all this excess
stuff in my house? Why am I holding on
to things that other people might need?
What am I afraid of?
People
hold onto things for many reasons and most of these applied to me as well. Sometimes we keep things out of fear. We imagine that we will need it in the
future. The truth is we may not be able
to find it when we need it anyway. All
too often people buy something they already have but can’t find in their
cluttered house. It’s even more likely
we won’t need it. We also keep things
out of guilt. This is especially true if
the item was a gift or an inheritance. I
slowly began to realize that if the giver loved me, they would not want me to
keep something that brought me guilt rather than joy. Another reason for hanging on to so much
stuff is pride. People like to show off
their stuff and look good to their peers. This effort to prop up your self-esteem is
fleeting and fickle. It leaves a person
chasing the next great gadget to brag about, and it often leaves your wallet
empty. Lastly, people buy and keep
excess stuff because they think it will make them happy. We all claim this isn’t true, but just try
giving up some of your comfort objects.
You will discover a definite dip in your mood. I have been guilty of buying one more board
game because I thought it would create fun family time (even though the cabinet
full of them at home had not done the job).
Many people indulge in fast cars or beautiful diamonds or any number of
new, shiny things to feel that initial high.
All too soon the high is gone, the bills remain, and your house is even
more crowded. Maybe we are chasing the
wrong things.
Luke
18 tells the story of a rich young ruler who asks Jesus about eternal
life. After discussing the commandments,
Jesus gives him the mandate to sell all his possessions, give the money to the
poor, and follow him. The young man
walked away sad. Most preachers say that
the man’s money was a metaphor for anything that a person values more than
their relationship to God. It’s not
really about money and possessions. What
if they are wrong? What if Christ was
teaching about a better way of life, a road to happiness? Many minimalists, regardless of their
religious beliefs, feel you can’t find true happiness (the abundant life) if
you are weighed down by possessions. Our
lives are too valuable to waste chasing after stuff. So, am I ready to pitch everything and
embrace poverty? I have to admit, I’m
not. However, I am trying to get rid of
and share all my excess. I am trying to
be more frugal with my money so that I can be free to give. I am endeavoring to be less wasteful and more
generous. I am moving forward.
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