Less is More

I ran across this quote on my Instagram page, and I immediately fell in love, reposted, and began to marinate on the meaning.

How much of my time do I spend focusing on more when all I need is less? More promo, more followers, more items off my to-do list, more work done at home, more household tasks done, more time with my children, more money, more vacation, more shopping, more cooking, morehubbytimemoreclothesmoredevomorefeedinteractionmoresocialmedia…MORE MORE MORE!!!

And I could not understand why I could not catch up. I could not understand why there was never enough time to get it all done. I could not understand why so much of my life was spent in details and not in the important stuff.

And there it was in plain black and white:

All you need is less.

How often have I sacrificed my time, energy, and health to more when I really needed less?  As a result, I have reinstated my end of the year resolutions.  Here are my top 5 items where I will exchange more for less.  I also suggest that you create your own end of the year list of “less” resolutions.

5.  Less work. More play.
This began the moment I decided my to-do list wore me out daily, and I embarked on the #busyboycottchallenge.  I took work at home off my to-do list.  I learned how to get it done at work and leave it there.  How many times do we, as parents, businessmen and women, or spouses bring our work home to finish up on all the details we could not complete for “lack of time” at work?  One of the advantages of NOT working from home is the ability to leave work at work.  I have already spent a majority of my day there, away from my husband, my children, and my hobbies.  I have only a few precious hours left.  I will NOT spend even one more minute of my evening adding to my already 8-hour+ work day.  Been there.  Done that.  Over it.  That is all.

4.  Less stuff.  More experiences.
Society had at some point convinced me that I needed a bigger house, bank account, closet, and accompanying clothes.  I needed the latest computers, phones, and televisions.  I had to perfectly accessorize both my household and my wardrobe for every season and occasion .  My identity was tied to how much I could attain.

Then, my bank account started to feel the impact of my luxurious living, and I had to do a few cuts.  My sister shared with me an article that she read about attaining peace of mind and how fewer decisions in the morning concerning my clothing and day to day affairs decreases stress significantly.  She continued by saying that many of the items I constantly clean , organize, and put away could probably use a new home.  While I was quite skeptical about this “minimalism” concept she introduced to me, I thought I could at least try it out.

The influence on my life came almost immediately.  I spend less time cleaning, straightening, and labeling, and more time enjoying life.  We go to the park.  We paint pumpkins.  We play games.  We live.  We laugh.  We love.

I thought I would feel less confident using the same 33 pieces/capsule wardrobe (at least my twisted take on it).  Instead, quite the reverse has taken place.  I love all the items I choose for my seasons.  I feel great because I look great as superficial as I may sound.  I choose items that fit well and colors that flatter my skin tone.  My overall confidence has improved drastically, and people have complimented me more as a result.  As a working mom, I RELISH a compliment.  Hearing people randomly stop to tell me that I am absolutely beautiful – male and female – never gets old.  All because I decided on LESS.

3.  Less comparison.  More gratitude.
I am terrible about comparing myself to other bloggers, mothers, and friends.  Social media makes this extremely simple, and I have to make a conscious effort to detox every once in a while.  I have to ignore my own stats, “good” or “bad” as both terms are relative and just live my life.  I must appreciate all that I have been blessed with.   At times, I have to follow my own advice and concern myself with numbers that count. Concern myself with experiences that count.  Concern myself with people that count.  Concern myself with my own life because in the end, all we have is what we have. We only have one shot at today.  I must make it a good one.

2.  Less hate.  More love.
The world around me is consumed in a presidential election.  People spend time bashing candidates on both sides, losing friends, dividing families.  The same goes for the killings of innocent black males and professional athletes’ approaches in support of those lives.  People are angry.  People are dying.  Everywhere I look is hate.  Hate because of a political perspective.  Hate because of a skin color – black or white.  Hate because of a career…

I was pulled over today.  And not even for one second was I afraid to die.  I was angry at the cop.  I was terrified of the ticket I could not afford to pay.  But never once did it cross my mind, that this could be it.  I cannot begin to imagine the thoughts from the cop’s perspective.  I cannot begin to imagine thoughts from a black male perspective.  I only know my own reality.

And that is why I need less hate…Because all I know is me.  And I need the world to accept me as is…Me.  My reality. My perspective.  I need them to love me as I am.

In turn, I must learn to love them as they are.  I must learn to love more than I hate.  We must learn to love more than we hate.

1. Less Me.  More God.
I spend plenty of time caught up in my own thoughts, my own agenda, my own ordinarily extraordinary.  My prayers focus on how God can help me with my crazy students,  how He can guide me to inner peace and balance, how He can help me transition to less.  And God smiles.  He rolls his eyes and asks, “Is that all, Brittany? I am God and that is all you want?”

He then grants my requests, beams as I laugh like a little kid and dance around while embracing all of my answer prayers, then taps me on the shoulder and whispers, “You forgot something my love.”  I stop in my tracks.  What in the world did I forget?  I literally pray about everything.

You forgot your life is not about you.  It’s about Me.

Follow Me.  I will lead you into less.  I have got a handle on your less.  I can do less.  All you need is less….And you will discover…

Less is more.

…

What are some ways that you are embracing “less”?  What are some of your end of the year resolutions?

Comment below or connect with me: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat: mrsbonnaffons.

Join me and get my minimalism moments straight to your inbox.