By Richard Couse, Guest Blogger, Conservation Writer/Biologist and really nice guy
When Minimalism came knocking on my door I wasn’t ready for it. For the most part, I had everything I ever wanted or needed, and damn it, I was happy! I was raised to be a good American consumer; in fact, going to the mall every Saturday was my family’s favorite activity. I never did without and I carried this state-of-mind into adulthood. The result was an entire house full of stuff… and I absolutely needed every single item! From the bread machine in the attic to the soldering iron in the cellar, and every sentimentally useful thing in-between, they all had a purpose. If I did not need them immediately then I would definitely use them at some unforeseen time in the future.
Over the years, Minimalism tried to reason with me, it would whisper through the keyhole “Do you really need all of those coffee cups? And can we talk about those eight pairs of running shoes?” but I never came close to opening the door. I had the space and the organizational skills to make more look like less so I held on to it all. I was caught in a consumer feedback loop that rewarded my ego and created the best illusion of myself. This illusion was the person I dreamed of being and the one I presented to the world. I had nice clothing and accessories, bookshelves stocked with titles that spoke to my intellectual capacity, an eclectic music collection… just fill in the blank, you know what I’m talking about.
So after years of my not answering the door, Minimalism finally just kicked it right in. In a month long whirlwind, it conspired with whatever you want to call it – fate, destiny, the Universe or God, and started taking away everything I had ever bought, built or borrowed. I tried my best to keep it together, to hold on to what was mine… to what was me… but it was merciless. My (x) wife’s mid-life crisis sent her packing, my job lost its funding, and my landlord decided she wanted to live in the house she was renting me and gave me one month to move out. Everything was slipping away and all I had left was my stuff! I had to somehow throw up the barricades before I lost everything. But, at every turn, my circumstances forced me to do the opposite. Minimalism had its foot firmly entrenched and the door would never close again.
There is something to be said for committing to a path, and committing to a path out of necessity at least provides a logical excuse. Inherently we do not like Change and we do everything we can to avoid it. Our ability to “grin and bear it” is astounding and the only time we consider Change is when the pain of not changing becomes unbearable. This is when the alcoholic checks himself into rehab or… your wife runs away to California.
If you have continued to read this far, then maybe you have reached a place where all the things you’ve tried haven’t worked. You have all this stuff, and too many things, there is no more space in your garage but you are asking why do I still want more? I am here to tell you that what you really want is less. And finding your way to less can be life changing.
Minimalism changed my life because I didn’t want any part of it. It’s not an easy thing to sort through all the crap cluttering up your closets, and in my case it just plain sucked. Stuff accumulates over time until it fills every nook and cranny of your life. It fills you up with a false sense of completeness; “look at all I have,” says the face in the mirror. But it’s an empty feeling sitting in a room alone, surrounded by boxes, trash bags, and piles of random junk. It’s a painful process to acknowledge the value of these things amounts to very little. The question echoes in your mind “What’s it all worth?”… And when that question becomes more of a metaphysical question than a monetary question to you, then Holmes, we are making progress. Pain is a great teacher because it’s in the process of going through the pain that we learn to evolve.
So, how does one evolve into a Minimalist? Well, lucky you, I’ve boiled it down to three simple steps. Call it Rich’s Emergency Minimalist Survival Guide.
Step #1 Don’t Panic!
Take a deep breath, keep calm, and tell yourself you don’t need any of it. And the great thing is other people want it! Big-ticket items go on eBay and Craigslist – furniture, televisions, computers, and any electronics. For everything else, it’s time for a Yard Sale! Whatever is left over, donate to charities. Goodwill, The Salvation Army, homeless shelters, and your local library are all places that will welcome your generosity. The key here is not to get to hung-up on profit, the money you spent on your beloved treasures was spent long ago, and it’s gone. Remember the goal is to lighten and enlighten yourself; the true profit is in the self-actualization of all the things you can do without. With each item that I let go, I actually found myself wanting to get rid of more! The less I had, the more complete I felt and a new path began to unfold. This will happen for you too. There is an old saying “he couldn’t see the forest for the trees” referring to being in the middle of something so big, yet being so focused on what’s right in front of you, that you miss the big picture. Your life is that something so big, your things are what’s right in front of you, and YOU are the big picture. So what are you waiting for?
Step #2 Bon Voyage
I think we naturally want to hold on to everything we have, after all, how many opportunities in life do we get to own a real, honest-to-goodness, limited edition Rachel Ray Pasta Maker? Don’t worry, if you really need one, you can always get another pasta maker. It’s what you really don’t want to say goodbye to that’s keeping you up at night. It’s that old shoebox in the closet, the one that has all your kid’s drawings from
first grade in it, or maybe it has YOUR drawings from first grade in it! Or maybe it contains your father’s bottle cap collection. What ever it might be it’s the things that have the memories attached that have the strongest hold on us. Let. Them. Go. But please, do not think I am telling you everything must go. There will be things you will want and need to keep. Put the items you absolutely cannot part with aside. Choose wisely, from the heart, and then say goodbye to the rest. Do it from a place of gratitude for what the memories meant to you. You won’t miss these things, I promise. The result is you have made room for more memories and going forward this experience will have given you the wisdom to know what is important for you to keep and what is not.
Step #3 Be Free!
In the end, what we are searching for is a balance between the essential and non-essential. All of our wonderful doo-dads anchor us, and yes, there is comfort in being grounded, being surrounded by the familiar. But all of those familiar things that we believe comfort us will never truly satisfy us or make us happy. If you are in a situation where everything must go, then everything must go. The choice has been made for you and you simply have to move on, I believe that you will be the happiest person of all. And, if you have the luxury of making choices about what you need vs. what you want, then I implore you to be brutally honest with yourself and release as much as you can to clear away the clutter in your life. It’s your journey and 
you can make it as rigorous as you want. Whether it’s just the stuff in your attic or your entire house, if you get started down this path, each step brings its own rewards. Before you know it you will be walking so lightly and will have covered so many miles, that you won’t be able to hear the door short when Minimalism has finally finished its work with you.
*With a few exceptions, all of Rich’s worldly possessions fill a small 5’ x 5’ room at his sister’s house back in Massachusetts. He now lives in the Netherlands, and though he misses his record collection, he knows he can live without it. To find out more please visit www.HeWentThatWay.com and follow @richard.couse on Instagram and @richard_couse on Twitter.