Dear Katie, First, my apologies for missing this comment when you made it.
So, I am working on a post about how to decide what to keep and what to discard. But I can tell you that you do not have to go all or nothing with decluttering and minimalism. You can do it in stages or just partially. You can start by focusing on your own things, and maybe later on your husband will warm up to the idea after seeing how it went for you. For me, getting to a clutter free point (which I still haven’t attained in my view) has been a many years process. I don’t have much spare time in my week so I have had to move slowly and champion myself for the small successes. I can tell you that I have never parted with something that I wanted back, and in most cases I couldn’t even remember what I gave away. With your ramikin example I can answer you by saying that I have given away many kitchen tools and pans etc, and what I’ve done is just been a little creative to multipurpose things. So for ramikins I would use a muffin tin for something served out of the rankin or a mug for something served in a ramekin. Think of how you can multipurpose things or come up with a creative alternative. I think that the vast majority of kitchen tools these days are simply created and produced to make sales not because they solve a real problem or make food presentation much improved. As to the pumpkin carving set, I would not recommend getting rid of something you will purchase again. That is wasteful of your money and of the earth’s resources. However, similar to the ramikin example think about how you could carve a pumpkin with an ordinary knife. Do you really need a set? If expert pumpkin carving is a passion for you maybe it is worth it to keep the set? Thank you for commenting and feel free to write again and I will get back to you more quickly.

Dear Amanda, thank you so much, as always, for reading, sharing and commenting on the blog. You have been a huge inspiration to me and it really touches my heart that I have inspired you. As you suggest above, minimalism can start from a purely aesthetic or anxious place, but evolves if you stick with it into much more. For me, I’ve been strongly driven my whole life with regard to environmental protection and at the same time with calm organized space, it was a lovely surprise and evolution to see these naturally come together for me through minimalism. A big part of this is not only keeping very little, but more importantly acquiring very little, as opposed to cycling things out of our homes into the abyss of donation bins and garbage. Repairing (and altering or adapting or repurposing) things is an age old technique that we moderns in the first world have largely abandoned, but sorely need to recuperate. We need to shift our mindset for sure. Let’s work on this together. Much love, Danielle

Dear Glenn, thank you for your comment and questions (and made up words) — they are perfect! I think that in purging some books and seeing the effect this had on your wife’s mental state, her “sense of peace” that you understand why and have found incentive to continue. As you purge other spaces within your home you will likely, too, start to feel a lightness, and even if you don’t feel it from removing unnecessary things from your space, you will feel the lightness in response to your wife’s happiness and calm. The real benefits of minimalism come by way of mental clarity and mental health, by removing distractions and creating space for positive, productive, focused thought. You strike me as a deeply reflective person and likely a deep thinker having been a pastor, you will likely enjoy the mental clarity and ability to focus better that comes from simplicity. So, to your question: what should you do to sustain this lifestyle? I would recommend focusing on the small and incremental joys of less, the peace of mind you see in your wife’s face, the happiness it brings her and, in turn, to you. On a practical note, notice whether you ever miss or need anything you’ve parted with. You probably won’t miss a thing. But you will have gained from it. Please accept my best wishes to you and your wife, and thank you for joining this conversation.

A year and half ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and decided then to focus on what really matters. We decided to downsize our home (and planning another downsizing in a few months), and get rid of the stuff that invades our lives and often times becomes a barrier to real soul connections.

But, as I stated before I am one that seems to acquire things that don’t matter. I guess the crux of my question is: What advice would you give a natural destroyer of clutter-free spaces, such as myself, to sustain this lifestyle?

Thank you for your blog, interviews, and general help.

Glenn