I consider myself a minimalist, even though I still have way too many pairs of shoes and my closet is still a bit full.  Our house still gets cluttered, but the reason I consider myself a minimalist is because today I am more conscious of what I buy, how I use my time and what I choose to do.  Perhaps, it's reaching 30 and being a little bit more mature. Perhaps, it's feeling like I don't want the rest of my 30's to be one big chaotic run around  I want to enjoy people, things and experiences. 

This didn't happen overnight.  In fact, looking back, I was the ultimate consumer.  My weekends would be spent at the mall buying stuff I didn't really need.  My weeknights would be attending events that I didn't want to be at.  It was a lot of saying "YES" for fearing of missing out, for not wanting to offend people, for not wanting to be antisocial, for wanting to be liked.  Over time, I felt all of this was making me tired and utterly fatigued.  I began to slowly let go of things, of unfulfilling relationships, of old habits, and of old perspectives. 

This is a two-part series on what minimalism has meant for me.