This year as the holidays approach, I am even more excited and thankful that I have found more meaning in life by having less. Less of everything, outside commitments, children’s activities, clothing, smaller food portions, possessions, you name it, and I have probably simplified, or attempted to simplify it this past year. With having so much less in certain areas of life, I have actually gained more in others. Below are some of the things I am thankful to have gained this year, by having less.
-More time with my family. With fewer commitments and activities eating away at my time, I have been able to spend more time with my husband and children doing simple things like putting together puzzles, helping my son make waffles and teaching my daughter to sew.
-More money to help others. This year I have felt like we have a little bit of extra money to share with others. It has been wonderful as we have cut down on spending and used those excess funds to enrich other’s lives.
-More space. I love having empty space around the house. I feel like I am more creative, calm and happy without so many items surrounding me. It has also helped me decide what belongings I have that truly are important to me, and to make sure those are on display instead of hiding away somewhere.
-More order and cleanliness. This one may seem a bit strange, but I am thankful for the increase in cleanliness and organization I have experienced this year by minimizing. Not only is my home much easier to maintain, but it is also much more organized with a place for each thing. I am still working on the habit to put each thing back in its place.
-More gratitude. It has been a very enlightening year for me as I have shifted my focus away from so much consuming in my life. I have become so much more grateful for all the little things I notice each day that people do for me, and for each other. Things like the mail carrier bringing my mail up three flights of stairs to me, even though they could have left it in the downstairs hallway. Or, a friend offering to pick me up for an outing because she knows I don’t like driving. Small things that I may have thought about before, but not thought about long enough to be grateful for them.
Above all else this year, I am truly thankful that I have found and recognized the benefits of a much simpler life, focused on so much less, has given me so much more.