Packing Party

"A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life."(Proverbs 13:7 MSG) 

Joshua Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, aka the Minimalists, have written several books about living with fewer possessions.  Joshua had a home full of stuff. Once he decided to simplify his life, he did so quickly.  He had a ‘packing party’--where he invited his friends over and they pretended as if he were moving. They boxed up everything in his house and labeled each box. For the next three weeks, he unpacked only what was necessary. He noticed that 80% of his possessions remained in the boxes unused. He sold or donated all of these things within the next few months. 

I am NOT going to have a packing party. I’m one of those people who keep things that I haven’t used for decades, just in case I may need them. Yet I admire and appreciate the philosophy behind minimalism. My life is cluttered with non-essentials that take up space, energy, and resources to maintain. I am attached to old beliefs; I use them like pacifiers when I desire comfort. I recognize that this is a problem. I would like to cultivate  a more meaningful existence. This requires an intentional relinquishment of that which is worthless. A radical change in perspective is necessary, but it is also scary.