As someone who seeks joy from simplicity and is no stranger to the rewards of owning less, I often find purchase decisions overwhelming. Take the grocery store for example: it’s not uncommon to spot me agonizing over ice cream flavors, chocolate chip varieties, or tea blends. Do I want pistachio or salted caramel? Mini or…
Read MoreThis past month I lost a cherished member of my fur family. While the first of its kind, it wasn’t my first encounter with grief and certainly won’t be my last. In some ways, I wish I could shield myself from the pain that accompanies the loss of those we love. Whether sudden or long-anticipated,…
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As the first month of the new year nears its end, I find myself thinking about its passage and how I’ve spent it. I think about whom I’ve seen or reached out to and where I’ve been. In some ways, I’ve fallen short of my self-expectations, and in others, I’ve surprised myself with what I’ve…
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It’s natural to judge our lives by what we gain from them. Many of us rate our level of success on our accomplishments: procuring a stable job, buying a home, or starting a family to name but a few. We may rely on even simpler victories to measure how we’re faring: getting out the door…
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Have you ever tried to form a new habit or set a goal for yourself only to lose motivation and give up midway through? Or you might even try to implement several new habits at once and after a successful first few weeks, gradually begin to wane in your progress. New habits are hard to…
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Where do you derive your value from? Is it from the things that fill your living space? Furniture, photos, books, toys. Your job title? Teacher, accountant, freelancer, dog-walker. Maybe it’s from your relationships: Parent, brother, godmother, aunt. Or perhaps you arrive at your value simply from how you feel when you wake up in the…
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I never imagined my journey with minimalism would lead me here: To living off the bare essentials, to wrestling with a deep craving to share not only my material belongings, but the intricate moments that make up each of my days, to learning that saying no in the short-run can lead to a lot more…
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I was reminded recently of bringing more awareness to the subtle and often overlooked moments of our days, the small graces that can bring us joy or a sense of calm in the midst of chaos, with 2 simple questions: What are the small graces that you are awake to in your life? What practices…
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I recently encountered an article about not buying anything new for a whole year. It’s actually a practice that became familiar to me, not out of inspiration or thirst for a challenge, but out of sheer necessity. Over the past year, I brought very few new items into my home, other than replacing my essentials.…
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