Mom Says Declutter..

My mom had been practicing a minimal lifestyle since the past 12 years. She chose to live simple but well. In her case less was more. Her closet would have only a limited number of pieces and accessories, you could even count them at a glance. She abstained from buying on impulse, no temptation could shake her resolve.

We were busy preparing for a wedding. Like everyone else I too was wondering if I should buy something new? Why do we buy something new? Do we actually need it or just want it ? Some of our lives have been ruined by social media, due to the display of pictures, the constant checking for likes and comments. Its a whole new social obligatory standard of living, wherein we present ourselves in our latest acquisitions aided by photo shopped images just to receive a wave of comments. Such is the impact of this  addictive culture of online mutual appreciation that indulgence isn't accompanied by an ounce of genuine feeling. A picture posted had to invite a tsunami like response or our day wouldn't be made. A prime example of the clutter in our minds.

 Then comes the question my mother raised, "You have a closet full of clothes, hardly worn, why not repeat something?" She is right.

But today, it was my turn. So I asked, "Mom! I have seen you wear all your clothes a million times, why not buy something, just one, for a different look?" 

She smiled and said, "I don't want to and I don't need to. I don't enjoy accumulating things, it makes my mind cluttered."

An explicit connection between physical and mental clutter. She explains politely, "Anura, don't ever accumulate things. Its better to have a few, use them and then when you are done using them well, pass them on or just let go of them. Don't keep holding on to things. Don't love things."
How does she make sense even when I feel prejudiced? I love clothes! But she makes a point when she mentioned about how it affects the mind. Every time, I would open my cupboards I would quickly take out what I required and shut them not because they were untidy. It was too much for my vision to handle, there was an excess of everything that made my brain feel heavy. Storing more than I could handle. There were things I hadn't used for years and wasn't planning to in the future. Yet I held on to them. A similar feeling was when we visited a relatives place, and on arriving there, their living area would look as if stocked to the brim, furniture, carpets, paintings, statues, latest gadgets etc. That place pleaded for a simpler makeover! It would tire my mind, exhaust it to the extent that I would feel suffocated.

When my Mom told me to get rid of my physical clutter, it was an exercise to declutter the mind as well.

Everyone needs to Marie Kondo their lives, not just their closets! Let go of not just sentimental memorabilia that we hold onto, but even the petty feelings we harbour that hold us back.
Articles that we don't need only add to the negative energy in our lives. My mother's possessions were very limited and thus the mental energy she reflected radiated to the lives of her loved ones. She could practice stillness and had no burdens on her mind. 

I decided to clean up my closet of all that I did not need and realized I had been delaying this due to sheer laziness and even a habit of hoarding. We all have an attachment to things and tend to procrastinate their tenure even when they don't offer security, comfort or even happiness.
 It was deplorable, looking at the mess I had been living with. But letting go eased my mind. When we reduce our possessions our mind has no fear of losing them. The human mind, the prized seat of man, is constantly on the run and mostly occupied by unnecessary brooding and negative imaginations. Our constant worry due to attachment can be replaced only if we learn to live with less. It is important to live well in our own measures, but we can do that better when we do so in moderation and with contentment. 

My mother asked me proudly after I had followed up on her advice, "Don't you feel there is more clarity even in your thoughts when there is no clutter around?"

She made me realize that we complicate our lives with mindless activities of clinging onto our possessions and in turn burden ourselves. MINIMALISM as a lifestyle is sustainable not just for our planet but even for the Self!