Find Your Joy With Marie Kondo
Ahhh Marie Kondo, the Asian phenomenon that has taken the world by storm with her big smile and cute style. I love her. She has modernized everything my grandma has tried to do with unused Tupperware containers and meticulously folded underwear. I come from a long lineage of aggressive hoarders. My Lola saves everything because she thinks she will use it later and those traits have trickled down to me with all the crap I've accumulated over the years. Books, clothes, shoes, paperwork, and especially greeting cards have taken over my life in a way I never thought could happen.
So when I made my usual round in the book section at Costco and see the title "The Magic of Tidying Up Your Life," I sped read through that bitch before we could leave. When I tell you this book changed my life, it seriously altered my reality. The simple thought of joy being the root of building a happy life never occurred to me. Looking at all my material items and pondering whether they sparked joy in my life seemed so simple. After I left Costco, I went home and like many readers, emptied out my entire closet and piled it on my bed. I relished in the mountain of my clothes until I realized I hated 75% of it. Noticing pants that didn't fit, shirts that were old but still had a tag attached and jackets that I knew I would never ever wear. I did as she said and help every item up and even tried them on to see how I felt in them. By the end of the night, I had three garbage bags filled with my most despised clothing. Now I could see everything I wanted to wear. My outfit choosing process was cut in half and when I shopped I knew exactly what to add to my wardrobe.
After clothing, I cleaned out everything else; books, paperwork, toiletries, and more. I tried to attack my house but my grandma is relentless so I at least brought a sense of peace to my own space. Once I finished getting rid of everything that didn't make me happy, I felt relieved. I lost my desire for material things and built an understanding of what makes me happy. It was weird, how cleaning your room according to the way you feel about things will change your perspective on life as a whole. If I could get rid of things in my life and be happy; then I could change other things like quit my shitty job for a better one. I could make changes to the people I interacted with and notice every aspect of my life that brought me joy.
Much of Marie Kondo's practices align with Buddhist teachings, being that she was raised at a temple in Japan. Her compelling approach has introduced a realistic form of minimalism to our materialistic Western culture. Forcing people to really think about their things and how each item in their home affects their well being. It's an interesting way to see the world and recommended for anyone who feels smothered by their belonging.
Although the book is an easy read, I also suggest watching her series on Netflix. In the show, families, and couples invite Marie into their homes in hopes of organizing their things. However, the show highlights the underlying message of joy that people often lose connection with. Each person of every household learns more about themselves and their role in the home. There is a white family with kids, an old Japanese American couple, an Indian family, a black family, and a black lesbian couple. All great examples of whatever household you may live in and how to tackle whatever obstacle has formed in your home.
If you decided to read this I would love to hear how it helped or didn't help you. comment below to share what you got rid of.
