Gosh. The heaviness of this past year has been palpable. Can you feel it? The world events of 2020 have been mounting. All encompassing. Some of it has been ugly and harsh. Some of it has caused amazing change. But even in the midst of much needed change it can still feel hard. Hard to digest. Hard to feel safe and in control on this rollercoaster ride.
And what can compound all the news and information overload are the struggles we face hidden behind closed doors. Our personal stories can hold a lot of weight. Unique and entwined in the chaos that surrounds us. I feel it. I have witnessed it. I have lived it.
Life is a complicated thing. As a highly sensitive person I have shouldered this sense my whole life. That is no exaggeration. My first memories of childhood revolved around expectations and the pain of disappointment. After decades of feeling tossed and abused by the waves of life I began to get the sense that living didn’t have to feel so unbearable. Yes, there would always be things I couldn’t control and I would remain vulnerable to being hurt but I was beginning to see there were decisions I could make that could ease the pain. That could lessen the weight of my burdens. There were ways I could simplify so the chaos didn’t feel so all encompassing.
The ironic thing was that even in my attempt to simplify there could be heaviness. How I approached the process of seeking less could set me up for success or failure. Was I embracing the lightness of surrender? Was I truly understanding what letting go was all about? Was I finding rest in these spaces of simplifying? If I wasn’t careful, minimalism could just be another route to striving and burnout.
In these moments where the chaos felt like it was mounting I would close my eyes and be still. Let the feeling of surrender wash over me. Release whatever was pent up inside. Feel my emotions and let them go. And it was in these holy pockets of time when I could grasp that I wasn’t seeking less just for the sake of less, but to make room for more. Because when I am less cluttered body, mind and spirit I have the space and capacity to welcome in the things that would bring me life. The more that truly counts.
What would you like to make room for? What are the precious gems you have never been able to tap into because there just wasn’t enough mental capacity to welcome them in? What could you make space for that would fill you with goodness? To overflowing! And what are some small steps you can begin to take right now, to clear the clutter, ease the chaos and welcome in joy?
Minimalism doesn’t have to be complicated or weighty. There’s enough of that heaviness pressing in every day. Be kind to yourself while you begin to make room. Take small steps and celebrate each one along the way. Believe that simplifying is your friend. And discover that minimalism can be holy ground.
