Loved this, Kelly. Good to hear I'm not the only one fascinated by minimalism. About once a year, I bring up the idea of selling everything and permanently living in an RV to my wife. Haven't convinced her yet.
HA - convincing! You nailed it. The best way is to start little by little. I like their 30 day of minimalism challenge or 'packing party' ideas, a few great ways to get started and lead by example.
"I will always be a work in progress." Loved this essay, Kelly.
On the topic of minimalism, I just purged my apartment which did make space for mental freedom. But now I find myself asking "what do I do with all this mental space"?
You are inspiring me to find my pioneers, learn from their journeys, and reflect on my own.
Great thought, Rachael, thanks for your comment and sharing. So much mental and physical space, what's a girl to do! I think it's similar to meditation, where you are already doing the 'thing' by being, appreciating and living in the space. Some ways I consider this would be spending my weekends having walks or picnics rather than the extra time spent buying stuff, cleaning the stuff, doing extra laundry, etc. It also challenges you to consider what other hobbies or creative outlets you could explore. Perhaps something as simple as bullet journaling or drawing or having a dance party in your new space could unleash other ideas. An exciting time for new discovery :)
My personalized words said something like “I hope this book is helpful,” which translates to, ‘This book saved me, and it may save you one day, too.’ --- this! This I want to inscribe in every “self help” book I give or recommend to someone. Beautiful essay capturing the journey into self help and self discovery!
It was a delightful read, Kelly. So vivid and poetic. I could see that black and white cover book sitting with other colorful books on the shelf. :)
I am fascinated with the idea of minimalism. Sometimes I want to live life with a suitcase, traveling the world and exploring my curiosities. Less stuff, more mobility.
We recently moved into a new place and have only two sofas in a large living room. Sometimes I think about adding a dining table, but the idea of filling that sunny, bright, ample space with furniture haunts me.
We take our food and sit on the floor. It feels so good. Less stuff and more space protect my energy packets for better usage.
A beautiful reminder to sit on the floor and enjoy what you have, rather than what is lacking. More space for dance parties, yoga, and eating together. Glad to hear you enjoying reading and I appreicate your comments.
I am publishing this piece soon so I don’t have time to read her books or watch her interviews. But maybe a sentence or two from you will set me in the right direction :)
Hey Leo, thanks for your comment! There are so many lessons to be learned from Brene Brown. For me she makes it seem like it's very okay to be you in the now, rather than trying to be something else for someone else. She has a lot of great takeaways on her website you can put into practice individually or with a team, too. Try a podcast from 'Dare to Lead' on your next walk and find a topic that resonates with you. Let me know how your exploration goes, enjoy the process :)
Love this! Appreciate your vulnerability here. Therapy has helped me to grow so much, and encouraging others on their personal growth journey is the main reason I started a Substack!
"Not willing to admit there was any glimmer of I-don’t-have-my-shit-together, like an imposter adult. And certainly not willing to admit that I was incapable of figuring out the next obstacle." - such sheer vulnerability that hit home for me. i remember the first time i decided to read a non-fiction book; my older brother prescribed the 4-hour work week (shocker) to me when i wanted to pursue the digital nomad lifestyle and transition out of the restaurant industry. sooo many books have challenged my perspectives, encouraged my growth, and motivated me to keep moving. keep the book recs comin!
Loved this, Kelly. Good to hear I'm not the only one fascinated by minimalism. About once a year, I bring up the idea of selling everything and permanently living in an RV to my wife. Haven't convinced her yet.
HA - convincing! You nailed it. The best way is to start little by little. I like their 30 day of minimalism challenge or 'packing party' ideas, a few great ways to get started and lead by example.
‘This book saved me, and it may save you one day, too.’ <-this hits for me about various things, books, music, movies, etc.
This is an awesome fucking essay, Kelly. You're a great storyteller. 💙
Aww thanks for your sweet comments, Sunday Candy ;) Any particular book, movie, music that hits for you the most?
lololol
OH wow. too many, Kelly D. Too many.
"I will always be a work in progress." Loved this essay, Kelly.
On the topic of minimalism, I just purged my apartment which did make space for mental freedom. But now I find myself asking "what do I do with all this mental space"?
You are inspiring me to find my pioneers, learn from their journeys, and reflect on my own.
Great thought, Rachael, thanks for your comment and sharing. So much mental and physical space, what's a girl to do! I think it's similar to meditation, where you are already doing the 'thing' by being, appreciating and living in the space. Some ways I consider this would be spending my weekends having walks or picnics rather than the extra time spent buying stuff, cleaning the stuff, doing extra laundry, etc. It also challenges you to consider what other hobbies or creative outlets you could explore. Perhaps something as simple as bullet journaling or drawing or having a dance party in your new space could unleash other ideas. An exciting time for new discovery :)
Dance parties for the win! :)
My personalized words said something like “I hope this book is helpful,” which translates to, ‘This book saved me, and it may save you one day, too.’ --- this! This I want to inscribe in every “self help” book I give or recommend to someone. Beautiful essay capturing the journey into self help and self discovery!
Thanks for your comment, Michelle. Glad it resonated with you and feel grateful to have found each other on this journey together!
It was a delightful read, Kelly. So vivid and poetic. I could see that black and white cover book sitting with other colorful books on the shelf. :)
I am fascinated with the idea of minimalism. Sometimes I want to live life with a suitcase, traveling the world and exploring my curiosities. Less stuff, more mobility.
We recently moved into a new place and have only two sofas in a large living room. Sometimes I think about adding a dining table, but the idea of filling that sunny, bright, ample space with furniture haunts me.
We take our food and sit on the floor. It feels so good. Less stuff and more space protect my energy packets for better usage.
It was a pleasant read. :)
Thanks for sharing.
A beautiful reminder to sit on the floor and enjoy what you have, rather than what is lacking. More space for dance parties, yoga, and eating together. Glad to hear you enjoying reading and I appreicate your comments.
Tell me more about Brene Brown @Kelly. I’m writing a vulnerable piece , and want to know - what you got out of her work.
Best, Leo
I am publishing this piece soon so I don’t have time to read her books or watch her interviews. But maybe a sentence or two from you will set me in the right direction :)
Thanks, Leo
Hey Leo, thanks for your comment! There are so many lessons to be learned from Brene Brown. For me she makes it seem like it's very okay to be you in the now, rather than trying to be something else for someone else. She has a lot of great takeaways on her website you can put into practice individually or with a team, too. Try a podcast from 'Dare to Lead' on your next walk and find a topic that resonates with you. Let me know how your exploration goes, enjoy the process :)
Love this! Appreciate your vulnerability here. Therapy has helped me to grow so much, and encouraging others on their personal growth journey is the main reason I started a Substack!
It's okay not to know
I will always be a work in progress.
It's taken me a lifetime to get to this truism. Great essay Kelly. Don't know how I missed it when it was originally published
"Not willing to admit there was any glimmer of I-don’t-have-my-shit-together, like an imposter adult. And certainly not willing to admit that I was incapable of figuring out the next obstacle." - such sheer vulnerability that hit home for me. i remember the first time i decided to read a non-fiction book; my older brother prescribed the 4-hour work week (shocker) to me when i wanted to pursue the digital nomad lifestyle and transition out of the restaurant industry. sooo many books have challenged my perspectives, encouraged my growth, and motivated me to keep moving. keep the book recs comin!