Every Monday I post Real Life Minimalists, a profile of one of my readers in their own words. If you’d like to participate, click here for details. (Note: the schedule is now full until June — but if you don’t mind waiting, feel free to send me your submission!)
This week, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Catherine. Her story is a beautiful example of how minimalism is about more than decluttering your closets – it’s a wonderful path to self-discovery! Please visit her blog to read more about her journey.
Catherine writes:
Catherine
My name is Catherine. Two years ago I started a new adventure. I started letting myself be “me”. It began by firstly coming out as gay at age 38. Yup, years of thinking I had to live a dream I had imposed on myself, meant I had also been lying to myself and many others. It took guts, and unfortunately hurt some people, but I packed my bags, left my half million dollar house in the suburbs and began to live as the woman I truly am. That is a woman who loves women, is a mother of one beautiful girl, a busy professional, and a friend.
I had started a new life, but the reality was that I was still surrounded by clutter, by noise I had created, and by people that weren’t always good for me. The noise was not letting me really be “me” as I desired. In December 2009 I read In Praise of Slowness by Carl Honore and understood it was time for me to slow down. I found Zen Habits by Leo Babauta who offers so much practical advice, and had a means to get moving on my journey. It was from Leo that I learned that the journey I was on had a name : minimalism.
2010 was about learning and some “doing”. After much reading, de-cluttering and habit changing, I have decided to practically and publicly apply my growing minimalist beliefs. In 2011 I plan to:
1. Get out of debt (non mortgage debt)
2. Get rid of 500 things – literally give, throw, sell 500 things from my home.
3. For every 1 new thing that comes into my home, remove 2 additional items (over and above the 500).I am publishing my progress here: www.zen-journey.com
Additionally I am cutting down drinking, getting up early, and learning to meditate.
This is a new journey, but I know it is the right one. Already I feel better than I have done for years, and I believe this is just the beginning of something big.
{If you’d like to read more about minimalist living, please consider buying my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
Inspiring. I’m going to go check out her blog.
Sometimes you have to make major changes in life to get anywhere! Inspiring
So many of us are living lies, trying to be what we think will be acceptable. Great for you, Catherine, to learn to embrace who you believe you really are rather than the person you think people wanted you to be.
Thanks for sharing your journey. Much success!
Good for you Catherine! Keep going strong. You are the only one who can make your life happen. I’m inspired to see folks like you doing it!
Thank you for sharing your story Catherine! I’ll check out your blog…
Making changes in our lives can be scary, even the little ones, because they break us out of our comfort zones. But if we continue on the same paths, how can we ever get anywhere different?
I have read almost all of Zen Habits archives, I love Leo! He has had a huge impact on me as well as many others! I will have to come visit Zen Journey now!
Bernice
Eating for your sanity’s sake
Catherine, thank you for sharing your story. It takes courage to make such big changes in our lives.
I think minimalism goes so much further than the things in our life and truly becomes powerful when we approach our non material life from a minimalist view. It helps us strip down to the essentials and lets us see who we truly are, and helps give us the courage to act accordingly.
I’m so glad to hear you are exploring meditation. It has been an important part of my life for a long time and I’m continually amazed at how much positive influence it has on my life. I suppose that’s why I write about it so much. Good luck on your journey.
Very courageous, Catherine. I wish you all success with you life changes. I quit drinking 2 years ago because it seemed I was so sensitive to alcohol that I ended up feeling hung over the next day even though I had had at most 2 glasses of wine. I decided that feeling healthy and alert and energetic the next day was more important than those glasses of wine. I very seldom miss it and am glad I quit.
I can relate to the ‘putting it in action’ part…I have only 2 more payments to make on my student loan, then I am officially debt free! It’s a great feeling!
Wow Catherine, how courageous of you! That’s inspiring. I like your blog too.
An inspiring story. I think that as we get closer to living as the people we truly are at our core our possessions just fall away. We no longer need so much stuff to make us happy (and we all know stuff doesn’t really make us happy anyway!). Thanks for sharing your story.
All I can say is good for you!
Congratulations Catherine for being true to yourself and sharing it with the world. I bet opening up about your orientation felt like releasing 2,000 pounds of clutter! Your other goals sound fantastic too, and I have a feeling you won’t be able to stop at 500 items. I’ll be swinging by your blog and seeing how your progress is going.
Cheers,
Tanja
thanks everyoen – now I had better get back onto Blogging!
Reading older entries. I like how being true to herself and minimalism help each other. Being honest about all the hoarders in my family and my reaction to the mess and clutter has helped me explain why I never wanted a big house, walk-in closets or the rest. There is still more to part with and I set a goal of one pile of books and one bag to Goodwill each week.
We have been giving one or two bags to Goodwill every week for the last year. Books and magazines go in piles to the library. I have given away dishes and cooking equipment I don’t use from year to year. And still there is more. We have never hoarded, and everything is clear, yet there is still much that can go. It makes me think the average house must have a ton of stuff in it.
My brother was moving. He paid my air fare so I could help him declutter his house. I had previously found 18 garbage bags full of clothes and linens he didn’t need or use. This time we found boxes and boxes of papers. Greeting cards, notebooks, legal pads, etc. Broken junk that no one could use or would want. I took some greeting cards and some costume jewelry.
My younger DIL knows someone who furnished her entire home with things she found left on the curb. I will only take upholstered furniture new or from someone I know. Thus my beds are new and the living room chairs are from Ikea. Much was given to us or from garage sales. I continue to fill boxes and bags for give away and bags of art supplies for schools, libraries, and a friend who teaches Sunday school.