How Much is Too Much?

Why moderately minimalist? A friend commented to me today that she doesn't think many minimalists would call themselves moderate. I chuckled. Probably not. So why do I? I do not want the smallest amount possible -minimal. The moderately minimalist approach was a reaction to my previous way of life -too much.

When does it all become too much? You know it is too much when you can't fit one car into a 3 car garage. You know it is too much when you can't set the groceries down on the kitchen counter without first clearing it off. You know it is too much when it takes children longer to clean up the toys than they spent playing with them. You know it is too much when you go to grab a storage container and they all fall out on your head. You know it is too much when you are too embarrassed by the mess to have friends visit.

While on the surface we believed society when they told us all of that stuff meant we were living the American dream, deep in our souls we knew we were beginning to drown. Instead of our stuff serving us, the way we imagined it when we bought it, we spent our free time serving our stuff. Buying it, cleaning it, organizing it, displaying it, moving it again. We came to the end of our consumer selves. Now we see stuff for what it is, just stuff. We are not anti-stuff. If the stuff is serving a purpose, cooking our food, clothing our body, playing music, it can stay. It is only the useless stuff, the stuff that hasn't been used in 6 months that has to go. As that stuff goes out the door, so does the time it took to maintain the stuff. Now that time is mine. Now the car can go in the garage. The groceries can be set on the counter. The children have more time to play. And friends can come to visit. Freedom.