Today’s post is a guest post by Maria Myre. I met her in a Facebook writing group and resonated with her message of simplicity and pursuing a clutter free life. May her words encourage you as deeply as they encouraged me. You can visit her at her website, mytinygreenliving.com where she is giving away a free Simplicity Manifesto.

Some of the most valuable treasures in life are hidden beneath a paradox. For example, when the disciples of Jesus were filled with a desire for greatness, they were probably a bit disconcerted with the response: To be great, you must first be last of all and servant of all.

Well, I can handle that! I often think to myself. I’m super average…the closest thing to “small” this world has.

But the funny thing about this experience we call life is that nothing is ever enough.

We’re starving. We’re insatiable. We want so much out of our lives that our hearts ache with longing…and then our dreams turn to dust. Often, we find ourselves alone in a desert­like place in our souls wondering what went wrong?

Creating an Interior Void

And that’s where the voice in the wilderness begins to speak those words of harsh reality:

“I must decrease so that He might increase”

“He.”

Step back from the support of your faith, your religion, your beliefs ­ just for a moment.

It might be obvious at first: there is much in our lives that ought to be decreased. Maybe our closets are overflowing, or we’ve overcommitted ourselves, or maybe our day is so full of noise that there’s no time even to think…Whatever the case may be, we’re sure it’s time to decrease.

But when we silence the clamorous voices and temptations and bits of clutter that seems to overrun our lives…

When we decide that enough is enough and we’re ready to live more simply…

…What takes the place of all that stuff we’ve just gotten rid of?

For most of us, if we’re being honest, it’s not automatically filled with anything good.

More often than not, our efforts towards simplicity are met with the thought “At last I have time to get all that stuff done that I meant to!”

Totally not the point of simplicity … you’re mistaking it with efficiency.

Filling the Void With Simplicity

To create a void worth having, the first thing to toss out is the unnecessary stuff. The second set of dishes. The clothes you’ll only wear once this year. The piles of magazines that you keep meaning to read.

The more you get rid of, the freer your mind will become. [TWEET THAT]

And once your mind has surfaced to breathe again … it’s your time to choose.

Will you fill the void you created with other stuff, or will you let Him increase?

Him … that presence of joy and utter delight when you see the colors of the sunrise. Or the leap of your heart when you first begin to taste the depth of love.

He is a presence of hope.

And He delights in you.

But you must choose what fills the space that you cleared in your life. You might want Him…but only after you finish this last month of work.

Making Room For What’s Important

If there’s anything that life continues to shout out to us, it’s this: Carpe diem ­ sieze the day!

Viciously, boldly, ecstatically seize this moment now to live it…because you’re breathing now, and you’re alive!

Forget about tomorrow ­ if today were truly the last day of your life and tomorrow morning you faced the full Truth of reality … what legacy have you left?

There’s no right answer…you must choose for yourself.

You can hold onto the silly little things that try to keep your mind spinning.

Or you can let go and run straight to your spouse with open arms, ready to love…embrace your children and tell them how beautiful and perfect they are…smile with genuine warmth and compassion at the man holding the sign on the corner…visit a nursing home resident who sits quietly, forgotten day after day.

Simpler Is Always Better

Simplicity is a beautiful term and lifestyle that helps us to realize the importance of letting go of our self­centeredness and releasing the possessions that seem to own us. In the beautiful paradox of goodness, true simplicity means that we make room for selfless love…which fills our hearts up to the brim.

And really, isn’t that what we were searching for all along?

 

Maria Myre is a writer and watercolor artist who delights in Nature and all things simple. Her philosophy centers around the truth that the pursuit of simplicity can open up a wealth of richness in life. She lives with her husband and dog in Northern Minnesota. When she’s not passionately scribbling down stories and tales, Maria can be found hiking, fishing, or training horses.