Okay guys, I did it. 

Surprisingly, it wasn’t too difficult! Yesterday, I pledged to get rid of the excess in my life. I was supposed to pick out 48 pieces of clothes and shoes to give up to make my own 25% reduction quota–I found 58! Like I said, I go big or go home.

So, now instead of a closet of 195 shoes and clothes, I’m at 137…which is still an embarrassingly large number for one person to possess, but hey, it’s a start. And plus, I’m not doing all this so I can join a nudist colony–I still love clothes. 

And some of those things were only worn like once…yikes.

These piles of clothes represent easily hundreds & hundreds of dollars put to poor use, but even more than that, they represent insecurity (needing to use clothes to make me feel pretty/fashionable/wanted/etc), an overwhelming need for accumulation, avarice, and worst of all, proof that I’ve been a terribly irresponsible steward of the time & money I’ve been given by frittering that away on expanding my wardrobe & not expanding Something more permanent & meaningful.  

I desire simplicity–of a life not defined by the things I own or what I wear but of the words I say and the experiences I have. I want to live with my palms open & facing up, not clenched into a possessive grip. A life of yes rather than no. 

And I just can’t do that when I own a lot of things (even things I love, like clothes.)

Maybe you might think this is crazy (and it kind of is), which is totally okay. I get that. I’m only responsible for my choices–I can’t tell you to stop spending money or buying clothes (those sales racks at H&M beckon me like a siren’s call).  But if you want to join me–we might have less, but I think it will mean so much more to give rather than hoard.