When Your Simple Life Doesn't Look So Simple

With all passions, it's easy to get lost in the "dreaminess" of it. The shiny, perfect, idea of our dream that we've built up in our mind- you know what it is for you. For me, it's owning less STUFF and inspiring others to simplify, both with their stuff and with the "heart clutter" too. 

But in our relentless pursuits of our dreams, it's easy to lose focus on what's really in front of you. 

Earlier this week- when the house was a mess and the dishes weren't done and the "stuff" was everywhere, my husband pointed out to me that my simple life isn't really all that simple. 

And he was right. 

There are days when dishes stay in the sink all day long. There are rooms in our house (which is much too big for us, I think) that are cluttered and contain things that we don't even use. And when I look at my life on days like these- the early mornings, cranky babies, endless coffee, cluttered rooms, thoughtless arguments, thrown together dinners- sometimes it looks far from simple. 

Can you relate? 

Maybe you have dreams of owning less, or learning how to buy with intention, or retraining your heart to "slow down". And maybe it feels like "real life" is getting in the way of your dream. 

In the moments like these, when I feel far from a minimalist, I have to remember the process of simple living. Like anything else, it takes time to reach a goal. De-cluttering takes time just as clearing the unnecessary and negative thoughts from my mind. 

Instead of holding myself up as an example- I want to include myself in the process. I hope you all will give me grace too, on the days when I look like the worst minimalist in the world. I hope that I encourage you to be authentic- even when it means living with a little more clutter than I would like. And finally, I hope you learn to give yourself the same grace that I'm forcing myself to give. Remember that passions are processes- as much as we may hate it some days.