Use difficult / extra time to inspire you to minimize

I am not giving specific advice in this post, but I hope that my story of seeing the opportunity in difficult or stressful times will inspire you to do the same.

Difficulty Arose

Einstein said that in difficulty lies opportunity. I am trying to keep that in mind because my corporate job did not work out. I am not too bummed about the job itself because it is not my cup of tea. My apartment reflected my sense of loss of self because I was so mentally exhausted from work that I accumulated clutter that I had worked so hard to rid myself of. I am bummed, however, at not having a job to pay the bills, and we have a month to get a new apartment, which means moving costs, furniture costs and money for rent and security.

Find the Positive about the Situation -> Rather than stress, I will minimize further.

While I feel a sense of loss of control at not having a job now, it has given me some extra time now. Extra time that I did not want in this way, but extra time none the less. So, since the job market is slow at this time (as mentioned by my headhunters), I am trying to keep perspective of this free time that has come into my hands. I can either stress myself out about getting a job, get into a comfortable rut or be peacefully proactive and try to accomplish some personal goals, such as finishing my magazine de-clutter, and my ultimate goal, which is to be able to fit all my possessions (including books) into two suitcases or three duffel bags. I am not that far behind because my clothes will fit into three duffel bags now, but my books will take an extra two. I do love my books, but they are heavy for a petite person like myself and take up a lot of room. I am thinking that I should stop buying books and start borrowing from the library, at least until I am able to buy a home in the future or not buy any more so I can be able to live a mobile lifestyle at anytime.

So now, I have time to read those articles that I pulled out of the magazines and toss the ones that I don’t love. I now also have the time to assess if I will keep all my books, or donate some, though I donated over 20 in the past year already. I can also go through clothing that I have left from my last de-cluttering and see if I want to keep them all, or streamline again.

The good news is that the extra time will help me save some money on the moving costs and time. I read that the heavier the auto is the more gas it burns. Less books and clothes equal less gas to buy and less carbon emissions for the environment. It also means more peace of mind and less worry about having so many possessions.

It is quite interesting how minimizing helps to calm stress. Perhaps this is a type of moving meditation. Or perhaps having less possessions makes me feel more free mentally.