As a minimalist, I didn't feel that it was necessary for me to watch "Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo. As a TV show that is all about decluttering and tidying I didn't see why I would need to watch a show about what I already do. Little did I know that Marie Kondo's methods go so far past just getting rid of objects.
Marie Kondo's idea of tidying has a specific method of how to tidy your home. She starts with clothes, moves to books, papers, then to KOMONO which are miscellaneous parts of the home, and finishes with sentimental items. This specific method of tidying is to practice the art of recognizing what sparks joy in your life.
Clothing is the first step because it is easy to recognize the clothes that you love and make you happy versus the ones that don't. Once you go through every step of her tidying process, you should have honed your joy-o-meter enough to be able to choose the sentimental items that truly spark joy in your life.
This may seem like a bunch of bologna and a silly way to tidy, but this is so important and really made me evaluate what I want in my life. Something that Marie Kondo continually says is, "Imagine the life that you want to live, and what you want your life to look like." Even though I don't own very many things, it really made me evaluate the things that I did have in my life and the type of life that I want for myself moving forward.
I realized that I was throwing things away because I didn't want very many objects in my life, but in reality, I should have been thinking about surrounding myself with the things that bring me joy and help me live the life that I want for myself rather than throwing away things just to remain minimal.
The second lesson that Marie Kondo taught me is the importance of thanking the things that you own and being aware and grateful for the life that we live. Every time someone would chuck a shirt on the floor, Marie would pick it up and ask them to say, "Thank You and goodbye." This is so important. As a culture that is so obsessed with things, we seem to be very unappreciative of them. Being able to slow down and recognize what a privilege it is to be able to have clothes and reflect on the positive things that it did do for you and the positive things that it will do for someone else.
Although I did not get rid of any more of my things, I was able to add gratitude and mindfulness to my everyday life. Now, I am now focusing on the future that I want for myself and that life that God has planned for me. I hope that whether or not you are a minimalist, you will watch Marie Kondo's show and be able to learn more about yourself and the world as well.
