William Morris
Columbia River waterfront
When I write about living more simply and my turn toward minimalism, I fear that it might come across as ‘judge-y’, which is not my intention.
The other day I mentioned a 3,000# home. I do not begrudge anyone who lives in a 3,000# home. My best friends live in one that’s probably that size and I have other close friends who do, as well.
Simple living, at its most basic, is really intentional living. That’s what I’m always referring to. A person can live intentionally in a large home as well as a small one. Intentional living is living consciously each day through each movement. It’s questioning why we do what we do or live how we live, making a decision based on that conscious answer and continuing along your path or detouring off of it.
It’s difficult for me to ‘think outside the box.’ I don’t have an inherently artsy brain. I’ve had a quote on my refrigerator for years but just recently questioned it…
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful” William Morris.
Can you just picture a house like that? The contents of every room has a use or is visually beautiful. What would you take away from each room in your home if those were the questions you asked yourself about every item in it? Well, I’ve been doing that over and over for so long I thought I was dialed in on this one.
Several months ago I looked at that quote again and saw something I’d never seen before (Do you ever notice when something’s right in front of you, you tend to glance over it? Like when your husband puts on shorts, a sweater and tennis shoes and you don’t notice it’s a horrible combination until you’re driving down the road to your destination and it’s just too late to do anything about it). Whether the author wanted me to or not, I read “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful TO YOU….”
Wow, that was a paradigm shift for me. I’d really made strides reducing our belongings over the years but this new revelation opened me up to even more reducing.
Now, when I walk into a room, I think to myself “Do I have something in this room that serves no purpose for me but is useful and could serve a purpose for someone else?” I thought we were becoming experts on this journey but I’m happy to keep learning.
Viki
I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.