When the desire to "get back to the basics" hits, one needs to take a hard look within to peruse the cavities of their heart as to why the desire has been spawned in the first place.
Why the sudden strong pull to simplify so drastically?
Does it have to do with being unhappy with what exists in the home now?
Do you want to have more space to breathe?
Are you wanting to slow down?
Or, do you want to create more time to fill it with activities more meaningful?
What is the goal?
Is it noble?
Is it selfish?
Sometimes I find that if I feel a strong gravitation to get back to the basics...pause...
Now, when I say "basics", I'm speaking more from a place of living in simplicity. Less is more. Owning less creates so much room for what is actually important. This will look different for each person. For me, what is important is having time to focus on my relationship with Jesus, my husband, my kids, our home, and my art. However different your list may be, simplifying your belongings and your day-to-day to-do list will help anyone to be able to prioritize what is most important to by creating the space to invest yourself in them. Less time cleaning or organizing things and less time juggling all the events on your schedule helps you gain more time to really enjoy and give your love to what you believe is important....
Now back to my point...Sometimes I find that if I feel a strong pull to get back to basics, it's usually due to overcrowding in my house with too many senseless purchases filling open spaces with much clutter. There's also an overflow of activities on my schedule as my days can quickly be filled with too many plans and to-do's. When I'm overwhelmed I become filled with anxiety and I can't focus straight. The impact of this sadly lands on those I love most, my husband and children. I become on edge. My sweet husband gently helps me to realize I've filled my plate to overflowing, so I digress immediately. Then I take a deeper look into my heart and quickly lean-in to start decluttering what is negatively occupying space within my heart and my mind. For me, it starts in my heart prior to anything manifesting in the physical. The Bible says that from the heart the mouth speaks, so I always know that my edginess starts at what is within. The clutter, overcrowded schedule, and thoughts that bring me down or hold me back, are all a reflection of what is going on inside of me. Great news though! I have the power within me to also make changes where it's needed most. So there are times when I need to do a mental and emotional check when the outward spaces start to look chaotic.
Kind of fun to think on how I have come full circle with this lesson...when growing up, my bedroom was always piled up high in various spots with loads of things such as clothes, shoes, cd's, posters, random trinkets, and many other odd items that I didn't want to part with. My father is the one who would remind me of how what we see on the outside is a reflection of what is going on internally-probably sharing that more in hopes that it would encourage me to clean my room! Haha. However, he was always wonderful about weaving in biblical life lessons into everyday moments. Now that I'm an adult and have a home and children of my own, I fully understand. My-oh-my, how my eyes have been opened to many lessons he tried to instill in me when I was younger! Lessons I am so grateful for now.
Taking a look at the flip side of being held down by clutter and an over-crowded schedule-when I am on top of keeping my home and schedule clear, my being becomes free and lighter. Our home feels more peaceful and my focus is sharper. Communication is pure, and giving love without attachment comes easy. God has space to move through our home and freedom to speak to my heart. In my humanness I will have more moments where I fall short and get edgy and stressed, but I learn from each instance and grace covers us every time, helping us to grow together through the process.
If you've ever thought of minimizing materials and reducing the clutter in your home, or learning the art of saying no to activities when invited, I recommend it. No...I implore you to have a look around you and a glance at your calendar...just notice a few items in your home that are collecting dust that you can afford to sell or donate and then see what activities you can cancel to clear your time. The goal should be to have more peace and freedom. Just start small. This is a journey, not an overnight challenge to be quickly forgotten. It will soon become a lifestyle to usher I more joy.
So here is to cultivating an atmosphere for growth that fills you with peace, love, and loads of gratitude, cheers!
Sending each of you loads of Love and Light,
~Cassie