We should never stop dreaming…
We should never stop growing.
However, we need to make sure our dreams for our future don’t distract from appreciating today.
I recently had a subject line pop up in my inbox that said “Minimal is Meaningful”. It was an Ad for furniture. I wasn’t in the market for new furniture, but the words resonated with me. I jotted it down on my notebook and have been thinking about it daily since.
We live in an inspiring world
Most of us lead busy lives. Our family, our friends, our jobs, our houses, our community… they all pull us in various directions and leave our thoughts spinning at night.
Social media and the internet flood our minds daily with endless possibilities. We are surrounded by beautiful images, designer environments, and motivating stories. I personally feel that being exposed to so many worlds has many of us dreaming bigger than ever before!
Dreaming is fun. We all wish and want and search for the next adventure, our next house, or the next pretty thing. We should never stop dreaming. We should never stop growing. However, we need to make sure our dreams for our future don’t distract from appreciating today.
Minimal is Meaningful.
This is certainly not a new idea, but it’s one that struck me in the right moment on the right day.
We can take these words and apply them to every aspect of our lives.
For example:
In our careers… Although we may have many different skills to offer the world, without clear vision and focus, we can never be truly great at any one thing.
I often hear of people consistently ‘burning out’ while trying to improve their weaknesses. They commit themselves to take on more responsibilities and stretch themselves too thin thinking that’s the only path to success.
What if instead, we build on our strengths and focus on being great with one task at a time? It’s important that we recognize our weaknesses, but maybe enlisting the help of someone better suited for those tasks will free our time to master our strengths. Perhaps this is how true experts are created.
In our families… When we say yes to every event and activity we are invited to, we never have time to be present with each other and to grow together.
There is healing power in the simple things. Unplug from the chaos of the world and be present with those who love you.
In our homes… Yes, it is important to maintain our house for cleanliness and property value. However… If we are always jumping from one project to the next and trying to look and feel like we live in a magazine, we never pause to see all that we have already built.
You may want that trendy new decor, but do you need it? I’m not saying to stop treating yourself to pretty things, but too often appreciation for what we already have becomes lost.
In buying and selling houses… As a real estate consultant, I always advise my buyers and sellers to stay focused.
I tell my buyers to narrow their search to 1 or 2 neighborhoods. Narrow the must have list to the items they absolutely need to maintain their desired lifestyle.
I tell my sellers to declutter the house and only keep items they absolutely need in daily life. Everything else needs to be donated or packed away in storage.
Maintaining clear focus and minimizing noise can reduce stress and help you to truly excel with what is most meaningful to you.
Let’s all take a collective deep breath.
Be thankful for where we are today.
I encourage all of you to consider how you can minimize and focus.
Take small steps. Maybe it’s physically getting rid of unnecessary stuff. Or perhaps you commit to a few hours of time ‘unplugged’ from technology.
Minimalism can mean something different for everyone. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you feel you can better focus in your life!