Do More Living

—

Here we are…awake at 5:30 am, again. I stayed up later than usual last night, talking on the phone with my daughter, so it seems it doesn’t really matter what time I go to sleep, if God wants me awake at 5:30, so be it. *Robin Sharma would be proud.

I woke up thinking about how well this house has served me in how I live my life. This house doesn’t have any closets, or a garage. The house before this one didn’t have any closets either, but it had tons of cabinets and a barn. Both houses offer a pantry in the kitchen, so you’re able to eat well, but these older homes won’t let you store your life away and that’s been good for me. Ninety percent of what I have is visible.

I spent time on Sunday rearranging the main part of the house and I have a few items by the door to be dropped off at the donation center. I like living with less. The doggos have their favorite places to lay on the floor and Winnie will let you know quickly an item was moved into one of her spaces, but she never complains, she adjusts. Denver is thrilled that I moved some things out his favorite area so he has more space to sprawl.

Dogs are creatures of habit and they let me know how my life feels. I moved the little writing desk from the back of the house to the front because that space beckons for a morning page and a well lit place to sit to write letters. When I tell you where this space is, it won’t make much sense, because it’s in the entryway of the home. If you were to walk through the front door, you’d find me right there most likely writing a letter.

As soon as the desk was in place I sat down to do some journaling and Winnie walked underneath the desk to lay down. This isn’t the first time it sat here and she feels safe underneath, even though logically it’s an odd placement for it.

Thankfully, all logic was dismissed in 2014 while living in the first house with one bedroom closet, but no pantry and it hasn’t found me since.

This was my first Monday morning in almost 7 years that my daily schedule holds less and I’m digging that open space too. When one door closes another door opens and I’m finding that to be true, but I’m using my sacred no to opportunities for now. Living with less items and commitments will open up time and space to do more living.



*In 2018, Robin Sharma created The 5am Club and here’s a great article about it. The core idea is to wake up at 5:00 AM every day and use the first quiet hour (5:00 AM to 6:00 AM) to focus entirely on personal growth before any daily distractions begin.

Opt-in here to receive my monthly offering.


Discover more from Inbarbsworld

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

12 responses to “Do More Living”

  1. I think there is a kind of freedom in having less that goes beyond simply having fewer things to dust. When every shelf, hour, and corner of our lives is filled, even good things can leave very little room for something unexpected to enter. I like your “sacred no” because sometimes saying no isn’t closing ourselves off from life at all—it is protecting enough empty space to actually notice and enjoy the life we already have.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Kimberly and as always, thank you for sharing your thoughts,. I truly enjoy your perspective! “Protecting empty space”, and noticing the life we already have hit home for me. 💖

      Like

  2. I tend to accumulate but I also learn to get rid of what I do not use /want/like /suit any longer and I can be pretty merciless. The problem is that I can be a bit lazy too, and that’s why my attic still needs a good big clear up.
    .

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh my goodness, lovely! You live in a house with an attic? This reminds me of the time we moved from one state to another and I forgot to tell the movers about the attic. Once we got settled into our new home and Christmas rolled around…I remembered the attic. Whoever moved into that house had everything needed to decorate for Christmas! 😂 You’ll tackle it when your heart tells you it’s time. 💖

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes a dusty attic storing my Christmas and Halloween decorations on top of a lot of some other junks, may be the next owners will inherit everything 😂

        Liked by 1 person

  3. I signed up for your monthly offering, although I might already be included. I didn’t want to take a chance on missing anything you’re sending out. It’s always worth reading! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, lovely and you are most likely already included, but I’ll check to make sure I don’t send duplicates. You’re the sweetest and the feeling is mutual! 💖

      Like

  4. As a minimalist, as you know 😊, this totally resonates with me. I love how having less creates more space, more freedom, and ultimately, more room for living.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you, Dwight! Yes, this little house has taught me that I don’t need a bigger house…just less stuff. 💖

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I’ve been having these new yet strong nudging to redesign my overflowing closet into a sitting room or prayer closet. I purchased this huge meditation pillow, for now it’s leaning against a drawer and I pull it out to pray. I think I want it to have a consistent home. Thanks Barb. 🤓💕

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Those nudges are so important, my lovely. You already have the pillow, so give it a place to land more permanently. I love having a wide, open space for my Zafu pillow because every time I walk by and see it there it’s like an open invitation to pause and pray. 💖

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, I feel the same way when I see mine.

        Liked by 1 person

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

● About Me

Grab a warm cuppa and soothe your weary soul inbarbsworld. I’m Barb, the writer behind this blog and I share through a clear, simple lens. I’ve lived a life filled with everything that money could buy, but in 2014 I left that life to feel myself living. Now, I know what abundance truly is and it can’t be bought.

● Recent Articles