Genevieve Parker Hill - Minimalist Living: Decluttering for Joy, Health, and Creativity

Praise for Minimalism for Grandparents

As one who has recently had to deal with the worldly belongings of my father and my in-laws, I can testify that those who are left behind will appreciate any decluttering that grandparents do before the fact. I liked this book because it gives a philosophical basis for the decluttering process: that meaning does not reside in the items themselves. Re-jiggering one's attitude about things helps tremendously in the process of creating a beautiful, spacious, peaceful space for living.

Susan Adcox, About.com guide to Grandparenting

I truly enjoyed this book and walked away with a very different, and new, view of decluttering. It honestly made me think of decluttering in a new light and inspired me to act sooner rather than later. And to act in a different way. And with new reasons to act sooner rather than later.

BananaHands

This book is a great read for anyone who wants to simplify their life by letting go of clutter. A quick read, yet still comprehensive, Parker Hill walks you through the journey helping you realize how minimalism can improve your life and how to incorporate it yourself in all aspects of your life. Sprinkled with fun, personal anecdotes, this book was a joy to read and an inspiration to downsize the clutter in my life.

AnatomyMedStudent

This book provides grandparents, college kids, singles and families practical ways to live a more fulfilling life through our homes. Parker Hill is very sensible and logical yet aware of all the emotions attached to our treasures, junk and heirlooms. She writes with the notion of, "I've been through this and I'll help you through too."

Malexandra

I so enjoyed this book. I am not a grandmother...yet. I have a house full of stuff, it is holding me back from enjoying my life at this stage. I saw this book, it seemed comforting and reassuring. Genevieve shows great love and compassion for all her grandparents.

Margaret

For those who seek a simple, joyful life.

Contents

Introduction

In the summer of 2004, I was a rising sophomore in college on my first visit to Paris, and I was jubilant. It was midnight; I was riding the metro with a small group of excited international students when the leader of the group I was with handed me her cell phone.
Its your mother, she said, sounding casual and unworried as only the French can.

I grabbed the phone. Hi Mom! Guess where I am -- Im on the Metro in Paris!
Baby, are you sitting down? Her tone instantly got my attention. After all, it was midnight in Paris, and she had called the group leader a number I didnt even know she had. I sat down. Our house burned down, she said calmly.
What?
No one was hurt, were all okay. Even Lando. My heart warmed with relief. My family was okay; even our dog was okay. But, it was a serious fire. Most of the house is damaged.

That fire was the beginning of my transformation from a dedicated pack rat to a joyful minimalist. Today, my family counts the fire as one of the major blessings to occur in our lives. It showed us the love of our community, and it taught us that valu e lies in relationships, not in things.

Of course, losing almost everything was bittersweet. I still feel sad over the loss of a shelf full of my childhood and teenage journals, some loving and meaningful letters written to me, the doll cradle my grandpa made for me, and some toys I had treasured and hoped to give to my future children. But even as I feel the loss, I wonder where I would put those mementos now. I dont have room in my budget for a storage space, and Im currently living the life of an international vagabond and loving how easy it is to travel and move without too much baggage.

The loss of my sentimental things in the fire, and the ensuing years of frequent travel and moves, taught me that value doesnt live in things it lives in our relationship to those things and our relationships with each other. Relationships are intangible -- bonds built in our hearts and minds, and that is good news. It means we dont have to hold on to possessions. Rather, we can find ways to value each other, our stories, our memories, and our histories that dont involve renting mini-storage units or having walk- in closets in every room.

I wrote this book because I sense a longing within so many for more. More joy, more space, more time. I want to share what I was lucky enough to accidentally discover - that a life that values relationships and experiences over ownership and consumerism can be freer and more fulfilling. But how and why is it more fulfilling? And how do we create this life when the idea of decluttering even one room or space can be overwhelming and exhausting to think about?

I wrote this book to help answer those questions. Ive use d a lot of my research and ideas from my first book Minimalism for Grandparents , which focused on the decluttering challenges specific to those in their golden years for this work. I also surveyed dozens of people and conducted new interviews for Minimalist Living . In addition, Ive held dialogues on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mnmlstlvng (which you are invited to like.) Its my hope that the collective wisdom of the people Ive talked to about minimalist living, along with what Ive gleaned from my research and my post-fire attitude shift, will inspire you and give you practical ways to live a more joyful, minimalist life.

I want to warn you. Simply reading this book won't do anything. Youve got to take action. But I promise we will make it fun. It'll be fun in a challenging way. It's my job to break down the many steps toward becoming a person who doesn't live with clutter so that you don't feel overwhelmed. You can simply follow the steps and discover that you have become a joyful minimalist.

First, well talk about the definitions of minimalism, and what it means for the purposes of this book. Then, well address the major ways minimalist living can bring you more joy, better health, and abundant creativity. Those first four chapters will also give you some practical advice when it comes to making more time in your schedule and creating a more peaceful inner life. Once were inspired, well get practical and jump into facing the resistance that can block your path to minimalist living. Next, well get started, with techniques, tips, and strategies for turning your home and your time into a healthy, creative haven and keeping it that way. Finally, well talk about the deeper reasons to be a minimalist including what it has to do with your inner life and your greater purpose here.

Im so excited to take this journey with you. Lets get started.

CHAPTER ONE

Minimalism Is All About You

We no longer live in a material world. Sorry Madonna. Natalie Sisson

Lets start by talking about the word behind the phrase minimalist living.

Minimalism.

The word minimalism comes to us from the world of art and design. Its the less-is-more aesthetic that youve experienced if youve ever been in an art museum and found yourself pondering a canvas simply painted in one solid color.

I use minimalism here to describe a similar attitude toward our belongings, our thoughts, and our lives. When I talk about minimalism, I mean something that is different for each person. Although minimalism in this context isnt the term used to describe a certain style of art or design, some of the connotations from that world can inform our definitions of minimalism. For example, to some, minimalism means clean lines, white space, simplicity, and a less-is-more mentality. But that conventional definition of minimalism wont necessarily apply to everyone as they think about what kind of place they want their home to be or what they want their life to look like.