Clutter Comes in All Forms

This minimalist gig is far bigger than I imagined when I started.  I thought I'd get rid of some stuff in the house, pair down my wardrobe, have some clean surfaces, and be good.  I learned relatively quickly that it is an ongoing process to keep the clutter out and the surfaces clear.  I then began to learn that busyness was a form of clutter and started to simplify my schedule.  I enjoy a slower pace of life.  It's probably the hardest thing for people to understand because society has taught us to find worth and importance by how much we have to do.  We are not allowed to simply say no to something.  Rather we are required to list off every stinkin thing on our to-do list to justify that we are indeed too busy to say yes to a request.  The poor folk who are incapable of saying no, even when their to do list is longer than the day has hours, are totally overwhelmed.  I get to save my yeses for things I really want to do and will bring me joy. I may struggle at times with societal guilt, but I'm working on that.

I'm also finding that I'm minimizing my words.  It's not something I've read about or even a goal I've set for myself. I think it's a byproduct of simplifying life in general.  I'm realizing that people don't need the whole story in order to understand my simple answer to a question.  If they want more info they will ask.  I rather sound like an imbecile at times as I sensor myself and that's okay.  I'm living in the moment and long answers usually involve the past.  Simple is better.

Clutter also involves all the negative self-talk and worry that rattles around in my thoughts.  This is my area of focus during my recovery time from surgery.  I don't feel well and that leads to a lot of negative thinking.  I have been working on accepting compliments, combatting negative self-talk with affirmation statements, and putting worry to rest by staying in the now and accepting what I have control over.   It's challenging, but like the rest of my minimalist progress, it's worth it.