“More Is More Fun (?)”
Shared by Kristina Smedley
As Sennad and I were getting ready to sell our Huntington Beach townhouse a few months ago, we spent hours getting it ready for our agents to come over and help us get ready to list.
See, we had awesome agents. Two bad a$$ women. Great marketing plan. Caring and honest. No BS.
So, maybe it was a little bit of my ego… but there was no way I was allowing them in our home with dirty windowsills, chipped paint, clutter on shelves, and unorganized closets.
So, Sennad cleaned windows, window screens, and everything else I put on the list.
I touched up trim paint, wall paint, and anything else I could fix with a paintbrush.
I filled HUGE boxes with picture frames, books, thank you cards, printer paper, coats, sweaters, and all the other stuff we wouldn’t need in the next few months.
“Is this really necessary?” he would ask. YES!
For about a week, we lived in what felt like an empty house.
It actually echoed when we spoke to each other. It was weird. A little uncomfortable.
That is, until our meeting with our agents, that went something like this:
“Your house looks beautiful. Let’s move that item to the middle of the shelf… and put the rest in storage. I like this here, but everything else needs to be put away or moved to the garage. Maybe we can move that entire piece of furniture to the garage…” And on it went.
Soon, we were really living in an empty house!
There was literally nothing! Just a few sparse decorations, organized closets and cupboards, nothing extra in the shower or office space.
And you know what, I actually started to really like it.
I might be speaking out of turn here, but I think Sennad did too.
It was peaceful. It was quiet. It was organized.
I could think more clearly.
We didn’t waste as much time looking for things or putting stuff away.
We had more time for one another and everything that was important to us.
And that opened my awareness… less truly is more.
Less is more when it comes to clutter and possessions.
Less is more when it comes to close relationships.
And I’m learning that less is more when it comes to commitments.
Possessions – I have this pretty under control. I learned from Marie Kondo in “The life-changing magic of tidying up” that if I hold something in my hands and it doesn’t give me joy then I can get rid of it. FUN!
Friends – I love acquaintances and am always excited to meet new people, but my closest friends have been my closest friends for many years and I value any time and energy I spend with them (and adding a few more as I grow up).
Commitments – this is where I struggle. There’s just SO MUCH I want to do! I could make a 10-page list of all the books I want to read, places we want to go, classes I want to take, new ideas, and work and life experiences we would enjoy.
Mentally, I get it… fewer commitments means more time to do well on the commitments I do make. Oh, and maybe some free time. 
Emotionally… I just want to do it all!
So, this is the deal I’ve made with myself… say yes, only if it’s inline with my passions and purpose – valued relationships, health, and life’s work.
Otherwise, add it to a list of awesome adventures for the future!
‘Less is more’ is a principle I believe in and aim to live by in my personal life and business adventures. It is freeing, clarifying, and truly generative. And also hard.
How do you deal with this? Any tips for a recovering “more is more fun” friend?
#MindfullyEvolving
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