Mastering Clean Living: Investing in Simplicity

Clean living isn’t just eating whole foods and avoiding chemical addictions. It’s being clean in your heart and soul. It’s about living out externally who you are in the inside and getting enough rest so you can be productive in your purpose. Clean living is also about simplicity.

To illustrate simplicity (and life’s irony), I sit here writing my “clean living” blog about keeping things simple from a small motel room at the beach. The room is simple and clean and perfectly suited for this writing.  I had an issue with a vacation rental which catapulted me into this sparse (but clean) one room venue.

Sometimes simple is better. In my current surroundings, I have less to worry about. Basically, my mind is consumed only with what I brought in my bag (and Larry).

More!

In a culture which hurls “have more!”, “have much more!”, and “have way more!” as slogans for living, I’m going to stand in the direct line of fire and disagree (it’s what I do, people).

Now, let me confess that I don’t live in a cardboard box. In fact, my new home has me inundated with projects, from painting to fixing the ceiling. However, the more “simple” we keep things, the easier it is for our souls.

Managing “stuff” takes time and energy, and all of us protect our belongings because our surroundings serve as the foundation for our security (albeit a false one). Seriously, I live on the water, and all this could be gone in a second with the right natural conditions.

However, a simplicity mindset exists. It’s a way of relating to our possessions which sets us free.

Simplicity

Let me just step out and say this: if someone derives their identity from their stuff, it’s time for a perspective readjustment. The meaning of life is relationships… and if a person is too focused on a boat or car to realize that, they’re missing out on the greatest fulfillment in life.

I’m not saying stuff is bad. Hey, I have a pair of Manolo Blahnik’s I bought when I turned 30 (I lived in New York City). But, I AM saying I don’t wear those shoes very often because they are so beautiful and I’ll have to kill anyone who gets something on them (it’s a lot of stress).

My Story

I simplified my perspective of my stuff via two catalysts (though they occurred roughly close in time). Firstly, I read the book 7 by Jen Hatmaker in which she describes a seven-month experiment to shed some excess in her life and focus on what is most important (she’s amazing and this was a great book).

Secondly, I felt called to the mission field in Alaska. While that dream never materialized, I severed my relationship with a lot of my stuff because I started getting rid of everything (which I secretly believe was God’s goal all along).

The truth is the more stuff you have the more time you spend with that stuff.

Now, I not advocating living like a monk, I’m simply saying that there is work required to maintain your volume of possessions.

What needs to be simplified? Well, it isn’t cookie-cutter for all of us. While some of us need to clean the closet, others need to clean out our checkbooks. If you’re reading this and something pops into your mind which you feel you could NEVER give up, that’s PROBABLY what you need to address.

So, how do we simplify? (I’m SO glad you asked!)

1. Food

Some people feel an attachment to food. My parents always say, “there’s nothing in the refrigerator or freezer.” Yet, the entire appliance is FULL. What they mean is there’s not food which is useful in the fridge.

People, clean that out. I literally eat down to nearly no food before I shop. Part of this is because it’s only me (Larry eats nuggets), and I eat mostly fresh food. Eighty percent of the groceries I buy is fresh produce. If you don’t use something regularly, throw it out.

2. Clothes

For an entire month (or two or three) get rid of one thing from your closet. EVERY DAY. Pull one thing out and put it in a bag for donation. There’s no way you wear all of that and don’t buy into that old wives tale that you will miss it. There’s a reason you don’t wear it! If you need a similar piece, then replace it with one that has a better color or cut that you will actually wear.

3. Organize

Is there an area in your house where you just throw stuff? An attic, basement, or closet maybe? A drawer perhaps? NO JUNK AREAS allowed. A junk area is a place to put things you never intend to find. If you never intend to find it, then you probably don’t really need it.

4. Money

Where do you bleed money? Get coffee out every day? Buy lunch out all the time? Undoubtedly, it all adds up. Create a budget for a month and see where your money is going… no judgment, just see. I’d wager many people don’t know the real truth when it comes to their own spending.

These are tips to help you along, however, what is really key to clean living is that your possessions don’t demand too much of your time (unless it’s a hobby) and that your belongings don’t occupy a high place in your life.

To put it another way, all surgical instruments are meant to be extensions of the surgeon’s hands to help get into hard to reach places. Similarly, your stuff is an extension of you; it helps you accomplish what you want in life. BUT, it’s not your hands.

Simplicity will aid you in your life’s journey.

Love you,

K.