The 5 things I learned by moving from a 2000+ sq ft home to a 900 sq ft home
TRUST YOUR GUT!
I am a girl who functions 99.9% out of my emotions. Sad but true. So when my gut came roaring through and told me that purchasing this new home, downsizing, saying goodbye to my idea of comfort and ease and what seemed like everything we ever wanted. I listened. I didn’t allow my emotions to drive our choices and our family’s future. I couldn’t be happier I did. Although our decision was counter cultural...and believe me I have gotten ALL THE LOOKS, it was the best decision for US! Living for my sweet family of 6 instead of the approval and affirmations of others has been life changing. My gut was right and my emotions fell in line immediately after. If you ever have a crazy idea or have this feeling within you that you yearn for something more or something different….listen.
LESS IS ACTUALLY MORE
By having less home...less toilets to clean, less toys to pick, less clothes to fold, less floor to sweep or vacuum, I have more time and energy. I have more time to play with my kids at our playground, more time to have lake days and long boat rides, more time to chat with a cup of coffee with a friend, more time to go for a long walk around our town and more time to just sit on my front porch and pray or just be. I feel less guilty for abandoning the dirty dishes and more full of all the good things this life actually has to offer, like building relationships and loving people right where they are, going on vacation or reading a great book.
WHEN WE SIMPLIFIED OUR HOME, WE OPENED THE DOOR TO SIMPLIFYING OUR LIFE
I can say this now, but I couldn’t put words to what I was going through in our larger home at the time. I was drowning. I felt like I could never keep up. I never could arrive. I felt like I never rested. There was always more to be done. The basement was a mess. The dishes overflowing. Another school event we had to attend. More meant more and more. Since we have moved, I kid you not...I can breathe. I felt this ginormous weight come off my chest...aka anxiety….and I exhaled. We purged our life of all the things, of all the toys they never played with, of all the gadgets in the kitchen I never used, of all the clothes we really never wore, of all the extra space that we didn’t use but just filled, and it made room...room to just be, to do the things that ACTUALLY brought us Joy. And the purging of this home to go from 2000sqft to 900sqft gave us the energy and permission to purge our life. It all of a sudden felt easier to say no to the art show at school or the position you were asked to volunteer for that you just didn’t feel called to or not filling our weekend up with every little thing our culture says we should fill it with...it all became easier because we got a taste of the simple life.
THINGS DON’T ACTUALLY MAKE YOU HAPPY
We live in a culture that is constantly sending us a million messages a minute to buy more, you need this, this will change your life, this will make you happy, buy, buy, buy. Once we give into this mentality, it never ends. Once we get that outfit, we will move on to the next outfit that pops up. Once we get that car, the shine will eventually wear off. Once we get this or that or the other thing...there will always be something waiting around the corner that will grab your attention and your wallet. It won’t make you happy, not long term at least. Things don’t make you happy. I am convinced the only thing that is truly fulfilling, worth investment and brings true joy to the holes in our lives are people. Genuine relationship. All the things get in the way of the PEOPLE that actually makes life worth living. It’s that simple.
THE THINGS WE FEAR THE MOST ARE THE THINGS THAT SET US FREE
We all have fears. I have lots of them, too. I have fear of disappointing those around me. Fears of being judged. Fears of being laughed at or made fun of (yes, even as an adult.) Fears of going without. Fears of not being enough. Fears of being unworthy of people’s time or love. Lots of fears. God works in the craziest of ways. By moving into a smaller home and simplifying our life, I made space for stillness rather than hustle, prayer rather than listening to the voices that haunt me, gratitude for all we have instead of constantly comparing. By making room for less, I have filled my soul right up. I filled with the good stuff. The stuff that we are made for...the things that actually set us free.
WHEN WE SIMPLIFIED OUR HOME, WE OPENED THE DOOR TO SIMPLIFYING OUR LIFE
I can say this now, but I couldn’t put words to what I was going through in our larger home at the time. I was drowning. I felt like I could never keep up. I never could arrive. I felt like I never rested. There was always more to be done. The basement was a mess. The dishes overflowing. Another school event we had to attend. More meant more and more. Since we have moved, I kid you not...I can breathe. I felt this ginormous weight come off my chest...aka anxiety….and I exhaled. We purged our life of all the things, of all the toys they never played with, of all the gadgets in the kitchen I never used, of all the clothes we really never wore, of all the extra space that we didn’t use but just filled, and it made room...room to just be, to do the things that ACTUALLY brought us Joy. And the purging of this home to go from 2000sqft to 900sqft gave us the energy and permission to purge our life. It all of a sudden felt easier to say no to the art show at school or the position you were asked to volunteer for that you just didn’t feel called to or not filling our weekend up with every little thing our culture says we should fill it with...it all became easier because we got a taste of the simple life.
THINGS DON’T ACTUALLY MAKE YOU HAPPY
We live in a culture that is constantly sending us a million messages a minute to buy more, you need this, this will change your life, this will make you happy, buy, buy, buy. Once we give into this mentality, it never ends. Once we get that outfit, we will move on to the next outfit that pops up. Once we get that car, the shine will eventually wear off. Once we get this or that or the other thing...there will always be something waiting around the corner that will grab your attention and your wallet. It won’t make you happy, not long term at least. Things don’t make you happy. I am convinced the only thing that is truly fulfilling, worth investment and brings true joy to the holes in our lives are people. Genuine relationship. All the things get in the way of the PEOPLE that actually makes life worth living. It’s that simple.
THE THINGS WE FEAR THE MOST ARE THE THINGS THAT SET US FREE
We all have fears. I have lots of them, too. I have fear of disappointing those around me. Fears of being judged. Fears of being laughed at or made fun of (yes, even as an adult.) Fears of going without. Fears of not being enough. Fears of being unworthy of people’s time or love. Lots of fears. God works in the craziest of ways. By moving into a smaller home and simplifying our life, I made space for stillness rather than hustle, prayer rather than listening to the voices that haunt me, gratitude for all we have instead of constantly comparing. By making room for less, I have filled my soul right up. I filled with the good stuff. The stuff that we are made for...the things that actually set us free.
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