Bliss Of Being : Our Natural State

Minimalism – Should I Remove The Things I Don’t Use Often but Love?

By Wayne Hoover

I watched a great documentary today called The Minimalists: Less Is Now and it got me thinking about what I own.

Comparatively I don’t own much (I think), but still I feel like I own too much. There is some point where I just don’t have enough time for all the cool things I have. So the question becomes, when should I give away the things that spark joy, but spark joy less frequently. That is to say most of the things I have in my life right now do spark joy, but only when I use them, and if I don’t use them so much should I still keep them?

Some of the things that really spark joy for me but I don’t use often are my:
– handpan
– slackline gear
– juggling gear
– climbing gear
– collection of knives and gear
– custom keyboard gear
– pens and inks and notebooks.
– crystals

And the things I use nearly everyday are my:
– standing desk and computer gear
– vitamix blender
– instapot
– teaware
– x3 workout bands
– yoga mat

So at what point do I give away or sell the things that I don’t use much but still spark joy? What is essential to me? When I sit and really feel into it I think, that even though I love all those things in the first list, I could really live without them, and my life would still be just as happy, and I would still be just as fulfilled. I currently live in a pretty big house with plenty of storage so I suppose I can hold on to them as long as I have the room, but when I move (which will be soon I believe) I will probably remove a lot of them from my life. If I really want them again, I will buy them again.

I’m currently removing one thing from my life each day for the next 30 days. When the month is up I will post a new post on my progresses of decluttering and see if I have changed at all my thoughts on giving up the things I like but don’t use often. I’m curious what others think. Send me a tweet at @blissofbeing and let me know.