My Minimalist Journey: A Spiritual Experience

Wouldn't it be grand if I could tell you that I came to Minimalism by some angelic visitation from a celestial being? The truth is, minimalism became apart of my life because I am genetically wired to be a hoarder. I am a make addict, one day I was looking through my collection for a specific lipstick and discovered that I had 96 tubes of lipstick, I was alarmed. Yes, my lipsticks and make up was organized by color or brand but let's be honest, I was hoarding make up. A fear fire was ignited and I began going through my collection and giving things away. As I was purging my make up, I asked myself why I had so much over and over again; I had no real answer. There is no need to have 96 tubes of lipstick, especially when I had so many of the same shade. I was just collecting things because it felt good to have stuff, but why? What was the make up doing for me? What void was it filling? Why did I need it so much? Once I felt I had cleared the clutter of my vanity table, I turned to my closet. My closet was filled with clothes that still had tags on them, clothes that I had purchased  previously but never wore, and clothes that were either too little or too big. Again, the I asked myself, why I had or even needed so many clothes and shoes, I could barely close my closet doors.

 The questions lead me to do some soul searching and researching. In my search, I came upon the topic of Minimalism and Minimalist Living and I was moved. The concept of less being more is not something that I am ignorant to but I didn't understand it as I thought. When I began to give things away and clear space, my anxiety became less aggressive, the panic attacks weren't so frequent, and I was less rigid; I honestly felt free. Things are nice to have but when the things have you, there is a lack of balance. For me, being a Minimalist is about quality and not quantity. The amount of money that I was spending on make up and clothing can now be allocated to more life evolving and meaningful endeavors, like attending a meditation retreat, paying my fee for my life coach, or studying Transcendental Meditation; things that feel my soul and change my life.  This doesn't mean I don't shop or that I stop being the girly girl diva that I am, I just shop with a purpose and with thoughtful consideration. If I see something cute that I want, I find something in my closet to giveaway or I ask myself is there a better way to spend my money.  Minimalism is not about depriving yourself of nice things or living a boring life that is gray and muted. Minimalism is completely about living life on purpose with purpose in every way possible. I am more financially thoughtful and that addiction to shopping that I failed to mention no longer controls my life.

So how did I transition from a life of excess to living as a Minimalist? Through my research on the subject, I found a 30 Day Minimalist Living Challenge and I took the plunge. I didn't question it, I didn't obsess over it, and I didn't look for error; I just dived in and it changed my whole life. Spiritually speaking, living as a Minimalist has affected every area of my life from how I decorate my house to how I shop; it has made me a more conscious person. I am more invested learning about and not contributing to animal cruelty in cosmetics, if it is not cruelty free or vegan, I don't purchase it. I am educating myself more about food and what I am putting in my body, and I am discovering everyday how to adopt behaviors that promote health and wellness. I think the most profound spiritual experience of this journey has been my decision to study and convert to Buddhism. For years, I have been curious about Buddhism but being raised in a religious Christian family, even the discussion of the topic was taboo. Minimalism has given me a freedom that has opened my mind up to possibilities that can now become realities and not just secret dreams.

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