So yet another brand new year had come hurtling along. Usually my resolutions hardly ever make it past the first couple of weeks. But I had decided that 2014 was going to be dynamic! Those early January days might seem like a waste of time, but I believe that if nothing, they’ve added a tiny bit of growth to my slow-in-progress evolution. Now as I’d hit the 40s, and after two doctors had discreetly mentioned ‘menopause’ as probable causes for my random symptoms, I figured it was time to bring push to shove.
I started to take my writing seriously and completed a song writing course with commendable grades. Okay, here I need to mention that I have previously had quite the reputation for leaving things halfway without any remorse or regret. That had changed with the completion of this course and it was an achievement in itself. Another major change in the offing was attention to health. So even though I practised yoga in the mornings, I added evening walks to my schedule a few times a week.
January passed, things were rolling along smoothly and I got a wee bit smug. Then came the epic fall! Literally! Yes, I fell down a flight of steps for no apparent reason. As I went around garnering attention for my sore foot, a nasty rash appeared on both my lower legs. It wasn’t funny anymore. As it turned out, it was way more serious than a common rash and the doctor gave it a fancy name after putting me through a series of fancy tests. Sometime, in between, my mostly dormant spondylitis decided to act up as well. My writing, exercise and morale had hit a low. I yo-yoed between self-pity and panic!
Just when I had started putting in effort to stay healthy and follow my passions, roadblocks had started appearing a little too much. However, as I settled down and started analyzing, a surprising mellowness started emerging from within. I ditched the allopath and went the ayurvedic way. The clean sattvic diet started making me feel good. So much so, that I hardly even missed the exotic stuff. I realised that simplicity was indeed the essence of beauty, health, and all things good. There were lessons being learned.
Heartened now, I decided to take simplicity to the next level and made a conscious effort to declutter my life. I started with the obvious, unwanted stuff lying around the house. Next, I turned to my most sacred space, my wardrobe. I’ve always been obsessed with clothes and my closet is filled with beautiful stuff that I regularly pick up at glossy stores. (But even then, I have nothing to wear when I go out. But that’s a story for another time.) I cleared out DVD/CD drawers (it’s 2014, who keeps that stuff anyways!!!), and cutlery drawers and lofts and shelves until I collapsed into a gleeful heap.
But as my very wise husband pointed out, the biggest clutter mountain was yet to be scaled. The dark, daunting closet where all our skeletons reside – the mind! Our thoughts, feelings, past hurts and memories, these are the very core of our problems, physical or otherwise.
So now I’m taking on the most unnerving project of them all – The Mind Declutter Project. It’s only when I succeed in this one that I can actually write about ‘Becoming a Minimalist’. Until then, I’m just an evolving declutterer.
THE MIND DECLUTTER PROJECT 
Decluttering that extra luggage from mind is the most difficult but most important step for achieving the unlimited energy flow.
Observe, the small kids… they play, fall down, cry then laugh, rest and again start playing. What exactly happens? The answer is simple – minimalistic approach to the little world they know.
As we grow older we become wiser and start collecting good as well as bad thoughts. The bag starts becoming bigger and bigger.
In the process of shedding that extra luggage, we should not forget that there is a very thin line between shedding and ignoring the unwanted luggage.
Let’s start shedding along ….
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Veeresh, your support has been really important. Thank you.
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Way to go Declutterer.
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Thank you, Isaac.
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Hello,
Thanks for your site. I am very minimalist in terms of possessions. Really, I own very little indeed, and in terms of personal possessions all I have is a little clothing, my Buddha shrine (so beautiful!) and lots of art/writing, in books that I create myself.
However, today I realized that I tend to create stress in my mind, by setting myself impossible creative goals like “I want to draw four complicated big pictures today. I want to do lots of modular Origami – AND do a detailed cartoon drawing for my son – and make Peace badges! And do lots of housework!”
Since I’m not in employment (I just do a little voluntary work) my art is my “occupation”. Now I have realized, thanks to you, that I need to stay in the moment with my work, just focus on one project per day, and let go!
You’ve helped so much and are so inspiring.
Peace,
Julia
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Hello Julia,
The first thing I read this morning was your response and it made me smile. Am so happy to have inspired you in a small way. My best wishes for a decluttered mind in 2017. Would love to see your art. Let me know if you have a website. Stay blessed.
Love,
Reni
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😊Wow! Being a minimalist! When we are happy and content with minimum things in life we’ll automatically restrain from hoarding and almost never have unwanted stuff…I guess the same applies to all… We just let go unwanted stuff and not let them enter our sacred space ie. the mind…that way we are decluttering along the way…so we just have the minimum in our wardrobes and houses and minds…
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Thank you, Sushma. Your feedback will always be appreciated.
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I salute you. I started the same project a year ago and I even started blogging about it. Now I’m starting over. There and back again… Hope you’d have much more perseverance than me! Good luck!
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Thank you for the encouragement and good luck to you for round two. We shall persevere. Yes, we will!
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way to go girl! it was fun reading….
and 40’s, who says that?? you are still in early 20’s,.isnt?
anyways count me in as you follower!!!
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Thank you, Dimps. Really appreciate it.
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I simply love the blog….all d best for the good intended project.
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Thank you, Sharon. Next post is coming up soon. : )
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Wonderful write-up and awesome lesson…. But like wardrobes and drawers… The mind decluttering too needs to be periodical and not a one time project. All the best (y) and thanks for motivating me too !!
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You’re right, Shubhangi. It’s got to be an ongoing project. That’s one reason why I started blogging on this theme. Thank you for your good wishes. : )
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The mind is definitely the most difficult place to declutter! I’ve been decluttering for 4 years and only just getting to the mind aspect 🙂
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Yes, the mind is most definitely hard to declutter, but we gotta keep going. Hope we achieve what we’ve set out to do. Blessed be!
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Let me preface the following with I enjoy and respect the work you do here and am not one to impose tedious work upon others but given I do respect and enjoy your work and you are amongst the top 5 of my favorite blogs I am nominating your blog for the Liebster Award. Given I just went through the process of accepting this nomination I know the amount of effort it requires. I won’t accept these sorts of nominations out of the blue nor should you. However, I had a great amount of respect for the blogger who nominated me and it was worth my time and effort to accept. Please don’t feel obligated but know your blog is appreciated. If you want additional information and/or instructions on accepting this award follow this link http://complicitgrace.wordpress.com/2014/05/27/liebster-award/
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Thank you very much for reading and nominating my blog. Will do the needful asap. Really grateful for all the appreciation.
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