The past couple of months have truly opened my eyes in many ways. As I've shared my journey becoming minimalist with others, many have reached out to me. Some share their similar stories. Most share their struggles to overcome consumerism and mental health difficulties in order to achieve the peace they crave. Still others project their frustrations with themselves onto me in the form of anger as if it may be possible for them to feel less disgusted with their habits by attempting to steal my joy.

In hearing others' stories and frustrations I'd like to discuss a common misconception. The lie we trick ourselves into believing is, "If I only had more storage space, or a larger home, my clutter problems would be solved!" And in turn, they assume their frustrations would be quieted. True- temporarily. If you're currently residing in 1,000 square feet and if you were to box up your things and move into 1,600 square feet I'd be willing to bet for a few months your home would look really nice. Unfortunately, it won't stay that way.

Too often we turn a blind eye to the amount of things we allow to come into our homes to live alongside us. If we see emptiness we are bothered by it and so we fill it up. We are encouraged that more is always better, quantity is more important than quality and the uncertain feeling deep within our hearts that we are lacking something or not good enough as we are assures us this must be true!

When one breaks free from the cycle of "more is better", even if only for a moment, it is like being in a wooded area and climbing a tree in order to get your head above the shadowy canopy of leaves enclosing the forest. It's a frightening climb- especially looking downward and seeing all the other humans content to stay on the ground and never questioning things. It's worth the climb and the doubt the instant your eyes rise above the treeline to view the world illuminated by the sunlight. In that moment, the climber sees clearly how flawed the popular system can be.

We go to work eight hour days for 35 years of our lives (or more) to pay for a car to drive us to the job that provides payment on a home that we fill up with meaningless trinkets until the day we die- never the more wiser or better for having done so. We become attached to our "things" because what else do we have to measure our worth? Our value system is founded in our abilities to buy. Call me radical, but there was a time when people lived within their means, grew the majority of their own food to provide for themselves and spent more time and effort on the people that matter.

I encourage you today to re-evaluate your priorities. How much of your time is being stolen away from you to pay for items that you don't find fulfilling? The biggest bill most of us pay each month is our mortgage payment and we've committed to paying that bill for 15-30 years of our lives. Then what? Achievement unlocked? Congratulations, I guess. How much time is being stolen in caring for and maintaining our things? Do we own them or do they own us? How could that time be better invested? What would you want to do if you had the time? Why can't you? What's holding you back?

Free yourself. Be brave. Climb the tree. What would your life look like if you established a personal value system that didn't include worldly influence? What would you want? What would you do? You may have to confront your demons to do so, but how greater is a life lived. Today I encourage you, you don't need more you need less.