In early October, I attended the Pennsylvania Women's Conference, where I picked up a book Soulful Simplicity by Courtney Carver. It's a short and easy read, and I try to read a chapter each week and focus on what I gain from the chapter in that week.

Soulful Simplicity takes the reader through Carver's journey from a life that many of us live now, preoccupied with material things, financial matters, and mundane drama, to a life full of passion and love.

Honestly, I used to be one of the worst when it comes to being simple. I used to want the newest brand name things, and I had the mindset that these things made me better than other people. It was unhealthy, and I was bound to fall from my imaginary throne in the clouds.

I kept buying things and spending money, but each time, the satisfaction was diminishing. I began to recognize the negativity that this mindset gave me.

However, I didn't know how to solve the problem. I was still shopping and buying new things consistently. I would buy a new dress, wondering how many compliments I could get. I would buy a new backpack to fit in with the crowd. I would buy new shoes, excited to show them off at school the next day.

I slowly learned how to separate the material value and emotional value of things and experiences. I began to focus more on relationships and improving myself, rather than focusing on things that could define me as superior to others. I was slowly working my way towards a more simple lifestyle, and reading Soulful Simplicity is helping me continue that journey.

I've gotten a lot better with limiting my purchases (but I will admit I had a little slip this past Black Friday, oopsie), and I'm now working on the emotional part of minimalism - letting emotions flow. I still find myself caught up in small annoyances and drama, and I appreciate the people who keep me grounded and call me out on it.

I've only just started my minimalism journey and still have a long way to go, but it has helped me appreciate my friends, my things, and myself. Decluttering my space and my mind has given room for more passion and happiness and ideas. You know that feeling after a long hike and you get to the top and see the most amazing view and all of the sudden all the difficulty and stress has evaporated into feelings of satisfaction and peace? That's exactly how I feel when I wake up and when I go to bed, and my heart has never been so full.