Real Life Minimalists: Claire

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.

This week, I’m happy to feature Claire, who just radiates the joy of minimalism! Be sure to visit her blog to read more of her writing.

Claire writes:

I think I always had a minimalist streak in me, but it took a while to come out, as I grew up in a family of buyers and hoarders!

I remember the first time I realized I was a minimalist: I moved to Canada from the UK, and I took one suitcase with me, plus my small purse. It felt so freeing! I felt kind of proud of the fact that everything I needed/wanted was in that one suitcase. I only took the clothes I absolutely loved; everything else stayed behind… I could always come back for it if I needed it. And you know what? I didn’t miss a single item! Plus only having the clothes I loved meant getting dressed in the morning was easy.

Once I’d settled in Canada, I started to accumulate things again (as can happen when you’re not paying attention). I remember looking round my apartment and thinking, “Argh, I have so much stuff!” In a panicked way – not in a good way. So I decided there and then to get rid of things that I didn’t need – to get back to being able to fit all my belongings in a suitcase.

So I donated things. I didn’t worry about selling things. I tried to, but it was hard work and to be honest, the money had already come out of my account… it’s gone! Better to spend the time doing something I enjoy, and pass the item on to somebody else who can use it (which people did for me when I first moved to Canada).

So now I don’t have much stuff. And I love it! My boyfriend has gotten involved as well. His closet was about four times the size of mine, so it made him think about how much stuff he really needs. I think it was a wake-up call for him! He’s good about donating something if we haven’t used it in a while. It frees us up… I feel like I’m in control of the things we own, rather than the other way round. A simple vase of flowers or a candle on a table looks so much nicer to me than a table of clutter.

The only problem is explaining this lifestyle choice to friends and family – some of whom show their love for us with objects/material possessions. But I’m so proud to be a minimalist – it feels right, and I feel a great connection with other people on the same path. Friends of mine spend a fortune on buying items for, or upgrading, their house, and never have the money to travel. I want to be the opposite!

I blog about and run workshops on positivity (www.positivityworkshops.com), and for me, minimalism and positivity go together hand in hand… being a minimalist increases my positivity, and positivity makes it easy to be a minimalist!

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{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}