I mentioned in a previous post that I have been reading the book ‘Enough‘ by Will Davis Jr. The author explores what it means to have more, or less than, enough – and how our perspective on this is shaped by our lives and what we deem as valuable. It is quite eye opening.

If someone asked me if my own family has more or less than enough, I can say with complete certainty that we have definitely been blessed with MORE than we need.

What though, is ENOUGH? Just right? No more than necessary?

 

 

That seems to be the more difficult question to answer. There seems to be two ends to the ‘enough’ spectrum:

One is the idea of stark/ extreme minimalism. The thought that you should clear out all of your belongings, save a few items of clothing and basic household necessities. An extreme minimalist’s home is clean and sleek – and can sometimes be seen by those who aren’t following the principles, as cold, stoic and depressing.

 

 

On the opposite end of the spectrum is something resembling the show Hoarders. The thought that everything is important and special – people who cling onto earthly goods so tightly, they find it difficult to throw even a small piece of trash away.

 

That isn’t to say that people have to fall in one camp or the other. In fact, There are minimalists who have very comfortable homes, and avid collectors who don’t become hoarders. I would venture to say that the majority of the American population falls somewhere between these poles. But where? And why?

I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit, and have come to my own personal conclusion that it has to do with the amount of rules and regulations we put on ourselves.

Both extremes have a tight set of rules. The minimalist has strict about what can be kept (very little), and the hoarder- rules about what can be thrown (basically, nothing).

 

The rest of us though?

It seems to me that most of us just go on in life, with little to no rules about ‘stuff’. Simply put, we just don’t think much about our accumulation, or disposal of it. And when we aren’t paying attention, items slowly begin to creep in.

We pick up the freebies, the items that are on clearance because they are ‘such a good deal’, and take hand me downs without hesitation. Suddenly our Tupperware drawers are overflowing and we have duplicates of things, because we had forgotten we already had one, and then brought home another.

 

Psychologists have long studied the relationship between humans and our possessions. It is becoming more apparent, especially in modern day America, that consumerism is a sort of mask that covers up other emotions – a way to fill a void that we may have.

 

In short, many of us have tied our sense of belonging to our BELONGINGS… without even realizing it.

 

So, perhaps it is up to each of us and our own families to determine the rules and parameters we want to follow regarding what to keep and what to pass up – to decide what is ‘enough’. Rules that can help us to be mindful of every item that enters and exits our home.

 

Rules though, that are not made just for the sake of making them – but are instead pointed directly to the WHY

 

I should get rid of this item –

WHY?

Because my family means MORE to me than these THINGS that are surrounding me.

 

WHY?

Because when I have fewer things, I appreciate those I do have even more.

 

 

I should keep this item –

WHY?

Because this item enriches the lives of my family.

 

WHY?
Because this item holds valuable, irreplaceable memories.

 

We’ve begun the process of determining our own family rules regarding ‘things’ recently.

Besides the project bucket list I have been tackling this summer, I have had a bit of a side gig going. De-cluttering. It’s an ongoing battle, especially in a house with five kids; But I really wanted to dig deeper into the ‘stuff’ and really think about the items we choose to keep around.

 

 

I have mentioned before that when we move into Arrow Hill Cottage, hopefully one year from now, we plan to only bring with us the items that are truly useful or bring us joy. In an effort to get a head start on making those decisions, we cleaned out one of the large hall closets in our rental house and deemed it the ‘sell room’. Items that do not have a place in our new home will be stored here, and sold at a large garage sale the end of next summer – before we make the big move.

I figured that we would have enough things to eventually fill this room, but had no idea that in just a couple of months – after only sorting through toys, clothes and a few household items, that it would be as packed as it already is! I will show you a picture of the room, but you need to promise not to gasp.

 

These are things that we don’t need – don’t wear, don’t read, don’t play with, don’t use. So. much. more than enough.

 

With every item that is added to this space, I am finding myself conflicted with emotions. On one hand, it feels freeing to cut out the extras – and on the other, I feel guilt that we have been living with this much excess for as long as we have.

 

This process of deciding what truly is ‘enough’ will be a journey for our family – but one we are excited to take.

 

What is your ‘enough’?