For those of us who are more sentimental by nature, the prospect of decluttering or downsizing may seem unappealing or overwhelming. As a life-long sentimentalist, the process of parting with my possessions was impossible to imagine because they held value to me so deep down inside. Lucky for me, when I caught the bug to downsize I had Benjamin there with me to walk me through it. He brought few possessions to our marriage and didn’t share in my lifestyle of attachment to stuff.
The greatest gift he gave me in the whole process was that I never ever felt pressured to get rid of anything before I was ready. Because most of the things we owned were either mine (from before we were married) or ours, I got to call all of the shots. He led by facilitating the process, I led by making all of the decisions about what stayed and what went. This led to a great working relationship in which we both were able to take an active part and in which I was allowed to grow into a minimalist lifestyle at my own pace.
Deep in my heart I felt a longing to be freed from attachment to mere possessions, but I never could have overcome the mental and emotional strings that were attached to them without honoring my level of readiness. Because I didn’t have to make any moves that I felt uncomfortable with, because I was in control of my destiny and because I received active support, I was able to succeed.
It is all about readiness. Moving too quickly creates trauma and can make the whole process something to dislike or fear. Not being able or willing to start the process to begin with is another option. Either way, we can get stuck. Instead, when we seek a path and a pace that honors our very own personal level of readiness, we are able to create movement, momentum, and change.
Think about your level of readiness and seek support from a friend or online and dare to dream of a simpler more meaningful life.