Living Intentionally with Less
By Erin Mursch
When I say that I help people “Marie Kondo” their homes for a living, some people may get the impression that I hold a trash bag as we wander around their house throwing out whatever doesn’t “spark joy.” While that’s not 100% untrue, it is certainly more nuanced than that. I see my work as a Master KonMari Consultant as a means to helping my clients live more intentionally and authentically in the following ways:
Identifying their values and how they wish to live.
Curating their belongings based on their values and ideal lifestyle.
Acknowledging their abundance and expressing appreciation. (“Thank you, goodbye!”)
Creating specific homes for their belongings and treating each item with care and respect.
Changing their mindset around what they bring into their homes and lives.
Photo compliments of KonMari Media
The KonMari Method®, as Marie Kondo calls her process of tidying up, is about using our possessions as a mirror. The task is to identify what we wish to surround yourself with in order to live the most authentic and joyful life possible by using the process of elimination, (a.k.a. curation).
If we can acknowledge we have more than we need, we can also admit that much of our stuff isn’t able to achieve its intended purpose (e.g. to simplify a task, bring us comfort, express our personality, expand our knowledge, etc) because of this excess. We can be sad and bemoan the unlived life of these possessions, or we can thank them for their service and send them off to serve their purpose for someone else.
What we’ve been challenged with lately poses the question: how do we live a life of intention if the pandemic has other intentions for us? How can we choose our path and follow it when the rules of COVID can be somewhat stifling and rigid?
For us, we’ve subscribed to that old adage, when life throws you lemons, make lemonade! We are nearly a full year into these COVID antics which have given us opportunities that we wouldn’t have had any other way. We’ve had a lot of cancellations which has allowed us the time to slow down and reflect. What we’ve learned in the process has made us stronger as a company, team and individuals.
If you’re thinking, “but that’s so wasteful,” I invite you to consider that the waste occurred at the time of consumption; keeping items that aren’t serving a purpose is not helpful to anyone, and it’s certainly not putting money back in your wallet or helping you live intentionally.
Photo by Inked Fingers Photography
