Category: minimalism

A New Beginning: I Wrote A Book!

Published 04/09/2016

Hi everyone!

I’m sooo excited to announce something very dear to my heart! I know I’ve been MIA for the past months. But it’s for legitimate reasons 🙂 I’ve been spending my time building businesses, building my health and fitness, and building my character. I escaped the 9-5 to do what I love. (I’m still helping on a part-time basis, but now I have a lot more time to focus on my dreams!)

But my proudest accomplishment is my new book, The Cozy Life: Rediscover the Joy of the Simple Things Through the Danish Concept of Hygge. It takes minimalist and simple living concepts up a notch and will hopefully inspire readers to enjoy what’s truly important.

It’s about the Danish concept of coziness (hygge) and how it helps us embrace the simple things in life, be more authentic, and reconnect with ourselves and our loved ones. It also includes illustrations I’ve drawn, practical tips, activities and personal stories.

EBOOK: There is a FREE PROMO for 2 days starting tomorrow for the official launch (April 10th, and 11th) for the Kindle version here.

PAPERBACK: If you prefer holding a real book in your hands, you can grab one here. The book is definitely the cozier option and looks the prettiest.

If you decide to purchase the book, it would also mean the world to me if you could leave a review and share my book with your network. The more reviews and downloads I get, the higher I can climb in the Amazon charts and hopefully become a best-seller!! <3

Here is a description:

In today’s world, we’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next and are struggling with information overload. We’re more disconnected from ourselves and our loved ones than ever before. Rediscover the joy of the simple things through the Danish concept of Hygge in The Cozy Life. This book will inspire you to slow down and enjoy life’s cozy moments!

Learn about the Danish cultural phenomenon of Hygge, and the secret to why Denmark is consistently rated the happiest country in the world

Embrace the little things and take simplicity and minimalism up a notch

Add Hygge into every aspect of your life with practical examples and tips

Say goodbye to the Winter Blues and live a healthier, centred life

This charming little book, filled with hand drawn illustrations, beautifully addresses that yearning we all have for a more authentic life, created by ourselves instead of external forces.

What’s stopping you from living a more meaningful and connected life?

This book marks the start of my next chapter in life. Expect more posts on this blog as well! I can’t wait to share the magic of hygge with the world! 🙂

What’s most important is I want to thank all of you for inspiring me to write this book and spread the message about living meaningfully and authentically. This book would not exist without you and I know it will bring you infinite amounts of joy and inspiration.

<3
Pia

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Simple Living, Nature, Tiny Homes & Art

Published 09/26/2015

Just a little Saturday morning inspiration…

I came across this YouTube vide below. It’s a little documentary about a travelling hobo artist named Dan Price. He tours his underground home, talks about his art and philosophy. He is all about the simple living. Really simple living, living off the land mostly, and connecting with nature, and making art. He never wanted to grow up and be an adult, and loved the magic you had back then as a child. So he applies that artistic magic to his lifestyle. He’s lived in tents and teepees, but now lives in a hobbit style home in the hills. Watch the video below.

He’s written a couple books too, one on Radical Simplicity. Now edited to My Simple Life, and a book about his Tiny House.

And one on How To Make A Journal of Your Life. This one inspired me to connect with the outer world, and document my life again. I used to write everyday as a teenager to document my high school life. It’s’ wonderful to pick one up and read through it again. Albeit slightly embarrassing too haha.

He’s written a Moonlight Chronicles Series that documents his life traveling the world and the many adventures and observations, and he’s definitely inspiration to the style of books I want to write. I’m really glad I came across this.

Check him out, if you enjoy whimsical things about the meaning of life. It’s a really beautiful breath of fresh air.

Adios and enjoy the weekend!

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More Minimalism YouTube Channels

Published 08/29/2015

It’s 2:41 in the afternoon, and the air is moist. There is a raging windstorm going on outside, which has decided to blow over one side of my balcony railing onto the street below, and tear our patio gazebo apart into a tangled mess of canvas canopy and broken metal. Even with all of this going on, I am very comfy and cozy snuggled up on the sofa with my love, my laptop, and a hot cup of english breakfast tea.

Today has been a great day so far. We spent the morning wandering around the Museum of Vancouver to see the Happiness exhibition and a really neat exhibition on the history of living in Vancouver from the 1900’s to 1970s. Of course my favourite was the hippie display. A good day to slow down indeed.

Anyway, I just wanted to update my list of Minimalism YouTube Channels because it seems to be getting some popular attention, as I’ve found a few (more than a few) more since last time.

Melissa Alexandria – Probably my favourite channel right now. Melissa covers so many different areas in our lives with regards to minimalism and what that means. It’s very inspiring to watch someone go through their journey and follow along.

Samantha Lindsey – Samantha shares her inspiring story on how minimalism helped her deal with anxiety.

Brittany Taylor – Brittany takes a more nomadic approach to minimalism, but it is so cool to watch someone with such a free and spiritual lifestyle. She’s really into acro yoga too.

Carrie LeighAnna – I like Carrie’s simple and sweet approach to minimalism. She also has a really great capsule wardrobe.

High Carb Hannah – Hannah’s channel is more vegan based than minimalist, but she does live a minimalist lifestyle, and I love watching her and her fiancé, at Unconventional Living, build their intentional lives.

My Minimalist Baby – For those of you who have little ones!

Noelia Lewis – A beauty inspired minimalism channel.

The More We Explore – Watch this couple on their journey to living out of an RV.

This week…

I took a bit of a break on my workouts because I was on the 3 day juice cleanse. So I’ve made a commitment to start up with Blogilates again on September 1st to start the new calendar month!

I’m practicing my intuitive eating. Trying not to stuff myself. It’s helping. We bought a scale, and my body actually fluctuates between 4 pounds over an entire day. That weirded me out a little.

Every night I’ve been reading a bit of my Astrology book, but I’ve not been as focused on my goals.

Giving back is great, I’m excited to the Annual Walk for the Kitties event for VOKRA.

I’ve been more honest with the relationships in my life as well as career. I find that when you put the truth out there, a weight is lifted, and things are more likely to turn for the better 🙂

That’s all folks. Some things I could improve on, is focus on eating even better, and smaller meals more often throughout the day. I think my spending could be a bit better too. I don’t really buy a lot of stuff, but I know I could be more aware. I’ll aim for that this week. Less spending and eating better.

Anyone else trying to live more intentionally?

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Why We Need To Slow The F*** Down

Published 08/08/2015

Pardon the language in my title. But seriously. I’ve just finished a book (I read a lot of books sometimes) written by my partner’s aunt, called Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

It’s a book about the importance of creative thinking and being in tune to your inner creative intuition. It looks at all of the ways that we repress ourselves and how society blocks our creativity. But there were a couple points in this book that really stood out that I must share.

Living in a Hurry -Up Culture

We have become overstimulated and overwhelmed by all of the choices available to us and there are way too many options that stand in the way of deep examination.

“Political “experts” sell their pre-packaged thinking, financial analysts, theirs. Into whose interpretation of political events or economic eventualities should we buy? What commodity will reflect well on us? Which new fashions will enhance us? What cereal displayed in the rows and rows of cereals in the ultra-super-megastore should we choose? Which of the latest technological applications is best? How long will it take for it to become outdated? How do you keep up with the ever-changing future? How much more time will we spend trying to make choices? Will there fever be enough time to explore our individual creative desires?” ~ Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

It’s incredible! Because we are being bombarded with information, we rarely have a moment to sit and contemplate everything thrown at us, and we don’t take any time to listen to what our own souls are crying for us to do.

People who are removed from their own instincts about things become more and more confused by the multiple perspectives they are constantly being offered and become incapable of defining their own world view. And thus, we suffer from a loss of authenticity. This is something I can really relate to sadly.

Our poor kids today are growing up in a busy culture as well, and not having time to themselves to create and be imaginative.

“In the United States today, it is the age of the microwave child, many of whom have never kneaded dough, never watched a meal being cooked from scratch. The ingredients are not of importance; it’s the finished product that counts…a goal is achieved without the creative process, without the stimulation and sacrifice of work. Instead, there exists a need for instant gratification.” ~ Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

Our Lack of Solitude

“There might be a place inside your head where ideas dwell, but nowhere to bring these to fruition is a cruncher.” ~ Have You Ever Had A Hunch?

Creative people need a space for solitude in order to reach those depths within. But many people are afraid to be alone with themselves. But being alone allows us to really think, it’s required if we want to get to know ourselves, and not get distracted by the constant information out there.

But anyway, enough about that. I just wanted to share those nuggets of information should you be inclined to check out the book!

This week…

I didn’t end up biking to work at least 3 days a week (oops). I blamed it on not making enough time to ride to work. However, I have ran 5km twice this week to make up for it and I’m noticing a huge difference. I’ve done well with intuitive eating, BUT have not always made 100% healthy choices. There was chocolate birthday cake, and a wine and cheese girls night in there somewhere. This week I must do better.

I’ve been setting a few minutes everyday practicing feeling blissful and not suffering. I tend to whine and complain, so I’m trying to get over that.

I didn’t make any unnecessary purchases. Yay to that!

Last weekend I donated a cat tree to Katie’s Place. And almost took a cat home.

I tried to squeeze in important family/loved ones time but I could have done better here. I was having an emotional and hormonal week contemplating my life and career, so I think my attention was more towards myself. I saw my family on the weekend and had brunch, and did a road trip with my partner to Harrison Hot Springs though.

I asked my boss to work part time. The company is still my baby, but we aren’t as busy currently so it was a good time to see if I could focus on all my projects on the go. I’m torn between growing the role full-time, vs time on my projects. There’s a great opportunity there that I need to sort out.

And that is all folks! Nothing very exciting. I’d love to hear how your week went! Is anyone else trying to live intentionally?

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A Fresh Start to Living with Intention!

Published 08/01/2015

Hey everyone! Long time no chat. I’ve been a bit MIA these days because, well, basically life just sort of took over, but I am back and I want to give this thing the love and attention it needs. I’ve also been fighting a fear between just being myself vs trying to be objective and informational, if that makes sense. But a good friend helped me realize that, what is the worst that could happen if people I knew in real life knew me as personally as I shared myself on this blog? So I’m going to be more real, as I definitely enjoy reading those blogs more than pure informational ones (i.e. 10 Ways to Get Over a Cold!) Be warned, this is a long post, but it’s an intro to a new start, so if you have the patience to read it, then cool!

A lot of things have changed and I must admit that I got distracted from the Minimalism thing because I had moved into a new house with my SO and had a promotion a few months back so I was very busy and overwhelmed. The result was a house full of things (combining my things with his things) and being too mentally exhausted to focus on anything else with all the work stuff going on.

After having gone through some intense personal development workshops and seeing the person I want to be wasn’t exactly who I was currently, I am committing to live a more intentional life starting today, August 1st, 2015! I plan on checking in weekly to see how I am doing, and I am happy for you to point out of I miss any updates (eek!). One thing I need to work on is committing to tasks that are somewhat ‘repetitive’. I seem to have a difficult time with this. But my coach said something brilliant.

Building Character means doing the things that uphold your values and who you want to be, despite you not feeling like it or wanting to do it.

Amen to that. But first.

I kicked off my “Fresh Start” by reading this book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. It’s absolutely incredible! Talk about a unique, quirky perspective on minimalism. Basically, Marie talks about the Japanese KonMari method of decluttering, where you hold every item in your hand, and only keep it if it “sparks joy”. She anthropomorphises objects, teaching you to show them love and appreciation, and thank them for their purpose. For example, if there are gifts or cards you don’t want to keep but feel guilty about getting rid of, know that the purpose of a gift/card is to convey someone’s emotions about you. Once that purpose has been served, you have no other obligation to keep the item.

I finished this book in a few hours and was well on my way to decluttering what I had accumulated since my last purge. I got rid of 4 giant garbage bags of clothes/linens, a bunch of books, dishes, and random knickknacks that had no meaning. I also went through useless documents that I thought I had to keep for record keeping sake. Granted, I don’t have a ton of things because I did do a huge purge last year, and I am not the biggest shopper. But I did well! I am so lucky to have a partner who was super supportive of it all.

“Go ahead! I like my office but the rest of the house is yours!”

Yay!

Anyway, pick up this book. It’s very cute, but extremely practical and claims to make you a tidy person for once and for all.

Let’s take a moment to talk about Minimalism for a second. I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately on minimalism,

Here are a couple I absolutely love:

but most of the Minimalists I am running into, whether on YouTube or on the Blogosphere, focus on extreme minimalism. Like, literally living with only, probably, one item of everything you need. Their decor is very neutral, simple, and clean. Which is really cool, and I wish I could do it, but I can’t ignore who I really am.

You know what brings me joy? Anything antique/vintage/retro and bohemian looking. Think eccentric grandma! Ornate designs carved into wood, colourful eccentric patterns against a neutral background, and textures. I do like to keep the bedroom fairly neutral and relaxing though as a space to clear my mind. Also, my wardrobe is pretty minimalist and neutral. My home just has to be eye candy. Here are some photos below.

So while my tastes don’t match what the norm seems to be out there in the Minimalism world, I adore every piece I own and they all spark joy. This is what it means to me. It means many things to different people. For instance, the world traveler minimalist who lives from their backpack, or a van converted into a home. I think it’s important not to confuse minimalism as one way of being because the purpose is ultimately the same – to get rid of the things we don’t need, to make room for the things we want.

And now, I must move onto to my Intentional Living! I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit nervous to start this. But the blog, Blonde on a Budget (another one you need to check out) really inspired me. Not only is she living more intentionally, but she has been on a Year Long Shopping Ban and onto her second! Amazing work Cait!

Below is a list of things that I intend to focus on so that I can live more intentionally, simply, and meaningfully. I’ve already been doing these things, but the goal is to STICK to them and remember the higher purpose.

Health and Fitness:

Daily Pilates: Currently I’m doing Blogilates daily. (Guys it’s so much fun!)
Bike to work at least 3x/week.
Intuitive eating which is creating a good relationship with food, mind and body. Learning not to eat for emotional reasons, just eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full.
Vegan/Vegetarian diet. I love animals way too much to eat them. Also not eating processed foods, too much sugar/alcohol/caffeine/crap. Currently I’m open to eating seafood, but most of my diet is primarily vegetarian. Let’s see if I can get to vegan. Any advice?
Cook more! Less eating out. Save money. I’ve been doing pretty well here.

Spiritual/Emotional:

Everytime I have the impulse to eat something bad because of emotional reasons (boredom/sadness etc), sit in the feeling, recognize it’s a misguided opportunity to connect with ourselves. Being ok with just feeling the emotions.
Be more present.
Astrology!: I must admit, whether it’s true or not, I find it so fascinating because the things I read seem to be extremely accurate. Been reading a bit of this book everyday. The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need.
Be more aware and ethical in my lifestyle choices, whether it’s cleaning products, food, clothing etc.
Practice my daily Bliss feeling and no suffering so I can learn to push through uncomfortable feelings when I don’t want to do something.
The minimalist lifestyle, living simply, enjoying the little things and open up space for what is important.

Finance:

Currently live on half of my paycheque, and save the other half. Only buy things I need such as food and toiletries. Spending a minimal amount on ‘going out’ and other miscellaneous things.

Giving Back:

This Blog: Writing consistently, and personally, to hopefully inspire others. And I will be honest when I fail on any of these things in my weekly updates.
Animals: Donating money or supplies to Katie’s Place, a local animal shelter in my hometown, Maple Ridge.

Relationships: I think I can sum all of these into really honouring the time I spend with those that I care about. Being truly present with them, instead of being distracted by the next thing I need to do.

Friends: Make an effort to see how people are doing, being more supportive of people’s dreams and aspirations.
Family: Being present with my family, recognizing they won’t be around forever, spending more time with them.
Partner: Also being more present, giving my full attention, appreciating how much I love this man and how amazing he is.

Career/Personal:

Grow my Virtual Assistant business here at Less of the Excess, the ultimate goal for me is to become location independent and self sufficient. Through living a minimalist lifestyle and not buying into consumerism, we need much less money to survive on!
Less time surfing the internet, more time on goals…this one is difficult. Less distractions!

Phew! That was a long one…

I’d love to hear some of things you guys are all doing in order to live more intentionally.

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Social Media or No Media? Which Would You Choose?

Published 06/17/2015

“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” ~ Jim Morrison

Let’s talk about social media, or the media in general and what it does to our emotional and mental wellbeing.

I have a friend whose family is from Africa and her grandfather lived until he was 127 years old. They say it was because the family moved him out of the city, and into the countryside, cut him off from all media, so that he could live blissfully and stress free with his family and the beautiful nature.

I have another friend from Vietnam. They did the same thing. When their elders got old, they chose to protect their family members from the media and moved them to a beautiful location to live media free so they could live longer and healthier lives.

It is well known that the Media (social media, news media, etc.) can cause us stress. Especially the television news. The stories that are told to us are generally negative and frightening. I personally try to limit my exposure to negative news topics because I am a very sensitive person, and I can get very depressed about the state of the world. And while isolating oneself from the media can make us potentially live healthier stress free lives, what are the costs?

Social Media is a topic on it’s own which can cause stress because of:

Trying to keep up with the Joneses with what is popular or what others have
Keeping up with ourselves and the need to portray our ideal image
Being addicted to technology
Losing our privacy
Prying people
Identity fraud
Relationship/Friendship drama

If you had to choose to either be media and stress free (ignorance is bliss), or informed but stressed out and miserable? Which would you prefer? Can you have both? Do you care?

I think the happy medium is to be able to choose what content we are exposed to. Essentialism, coined by Greg McKeown, would say we should choose to expose ourselves to information that brings us value, and disregard the rest. A dear friend of mine says it’s always important to be learning (which requires learning about what is going on in the world), but we should have a choice on what kind of information we get and go to trusted, unbiased (ideally) sources. We should also explore all angles of a story or issue, and not blindly accept what is being told. For example, read the comments sections and discover other intelligent interpretations.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Aha! Moments – Marta from Change with Marta

Published 11/13/2014

Meet Marta from http://www.changewithmarta.com. Marta writes about her journey to a happier, simpler, clutter free life, and the achievements and mistakes she makes along the way. Please check out her blog!

Marta shares her Aha Moment:

My dog doesn’t defend my house.

Yeap…that was the most challenging concept for me these past few years. Sorry…what? That was what I though myself, that I had lost all common sense.

I came to this realization after a few years of owning a dog. We would leave the apartment to go to work/school/cinema/dining out for a few hours, and unfortunately my dog would stay in the apartment alone.

When any of us get back home, we are received by a mess of jumps, dog hugs, running around and a sense of super happiness, not caring a bit about toys, beds or the house. Just as if we had been away for days. On the other hand, when a family member is already home, our dog would bark at any person coming into the house, in order to protect us.

I understand every dog is different, but at least I was lucky enough to have experienced this. I believe we, as humans, are not so different from other animal species, we all feel fulfilled at least to some extent by social belonging and peer acceptance. And that happiness, doesn’t rely on stuff but rather on experiences and close people.

When I realized this, I was shocked. I had been giving importance to trivial things, like valuable pieces of clothing, and electronics. When I was asked what would I save from my house in case of fire, I started listing some of the most irreplaceable things, before coming to an stop and adding, “given my family is safe of course”. But that thought came second! In my heart I know they are first, and maybe I was assuming the question referred to physical stuff. But it doesn’t matter, now people are on the top of the list, followed by my doggie, and then comes the not-so-irreplaceable-as-we-think material stuff.

Since this realization, I have been in a quest to downsize and declutter my life, to rid my life of unnecessary things and finding what I love the most and what I am passionate about. This also pushed me to start my own blog, Change with Marta. Because life is a journey, it’s not so much about goals and achievements, but about trying, making mistakes and essentially…changes. Some of these changes may take you to closer to your goals, and some may not, but it’s all about growing as a person.

Embrace change as a constant in your life to unlock yourself

I want to share YOUR stories.

If you have experienced any ‘Aha!’ moments where you realized you want to align your life with who you really are, I want to hear about them and share!

All I need from you is:

1) A written 300-700 word personal story
2) A photo of yourself, or something that represents your story (this is optional)
3) A link to your blog/website (if you have one)
4) Email the info to lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com

Take care and see you soon!

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Minimalism in the City vs the Country

Published 09/04/2014

There are SO many ways minimalism and simplicity can be looked at, and so many ways we can apply it to our living situation, whether it’s in the city or the country, or if you live in an apartment or a house.

While I’m currently in an apartment in the city, I’ve also lived in a house in the countryside. Below are a few things I’ve loved about living in each.

Living in the City

Using public transit, walking or biking to get around as we won’t need a car
We can work closer to our home as there are more job opportunities
Being close to the public library so we can borrow items instead of collecting books and dvds that add to our clutter
We don’t have to spend time tending to our lawns and gardens, but can spend a nice stroll in the park
The greater ability to meet likeminded people simply because there are more of them
We likely live in a smaller space (apartment, basement suite, smaller house) which means owning less stuff
Less need for purchasing indoor entertainment like a big screen TV or video games when we can go out to a concert or a movie

Living in the Country

Growing our own fruits and vegetables in our garden, which means less groceries to shop for
Entertainment options are farther away, so there is more motivation to do fun and free things at home
Everything moves at a slower pace and is more relaxing
A slower life means more opportunities to really connect with our close friends and family.
We likely live in a bigger space, so there is more opportunity to invite people over and spend quality time together
Enjoying the sights and sounds of nature
Less pressure of keeping up with the latest fashion trends in order to feel good
Not having to deal with constant shops, advertisement and consumerism surrounding you
Less tendency to eat out, and more cooking at home
More self-sufficiency and relying on what is available at home
More conscious or planned spending as you have to plan your shopping trips

What is your current living situation and how do you apply minimalism to it? Or if there is anything I’ve missed, please add to the list and comment below!

If there are any specific topics you’d like to hear more about, PLEASE let me know in the comments, or send me an email to lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com. I’d love to hear your suggestions!

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Minimalism and Spiritual Awakening

Published 09/01/2014

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle, the other is as though everything is a miracle. ~ Albert Einstein

I follow a lot of Minimalism blogs (see them here), and I’ve noticed there seems to be two common ways people approach or discover Minimalism if they weren’t always a minimalist in the first place.

They’ve had a profound shift in perspective, usually due to a significant event or series of events. Things like break-ups, job loss, deaths in the family, illness, travel, having children, etc. After these events, they have realizations of what is important in life. And then they discover Minimalism.
They are searching for something ‘more’ out there and are tired of the status quo. They are trying to figure out what the purpose and meaning of their life is and question everything they’ve been told. They aren’t sure what that is yet and discover Minimalism as a way to get there.

No matter how we are introduced to Minimalism, I think it is tied to Spiritual Awakening, and our need for the shift for something more. Now, I realize some people find this topic a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but it has some value. This post was oddly enough inspired by a dream about mice last night. I never dream about mice. Today I found a dying mouse in my building. I’ve never seen a mouse in my building.

It is also inspired by a dream I had about two childhood best friends, and the next morning I received a message from a childhood best friend who wanted to reconnect. I hadn’t seen or talked to her or her sister in 8 years. We met up this weekend and they introduced me to Spiritual Awakening as they are on similar paths. I’ve never heard about it before, but after some research, it was a huge aha moment so I had to share it.

Apparently synchronicity and clairvoyance are part of spiritual awakening…

What is Spiritual Awakening?

The process of becoming a whole person, reaching higher peaks of awareness.
The individual sense of self identification falls away. We no longer care about the superficial world and we are left with awareness, sensing, thinking, feeling or being.
It is a process that can take a lifetime. It doesn’t happen over night.
It is similar to Maslow’s Self Actualization or Carl Jung’s Individuation.

Below are 22 signs of Spiritual Awakening:
Original sources are here and here. This post also has some really great advice.

1. Asking Questions about the world around you and the stuff that is taking place in your life.

2. Changes in sleeping patterns to suit your needs and requirements as a growing individual.

3. Stimulated sensations like random bursts of emotion that you didn’t usually feel before, such as crying during movies, feeling compassion and empathy towards those around you, changes in body temperatures, or sudden random urges to go and do something like running, swimming, or climbing a mountain.

4. Having great ideas and putting them into action, seeing the depth of the truth, willingness to look beyond the tip of the iceberg, compassion on a bigger scale, and thirst for knowledge.

5. Feeling pressure in different parts of the brain, such as the frontal lobes which is the male logical and thinking part, or the back of the brain which is more connected to the female, intuitive and space of connectedness.

6. The recognition of issues that have been denied, repressed, and avoided in the past and present may surface to be processed, in many cases, this may happen in relationship to someone or something, which offers opportunity for growth for everyone involved in the vibration.

7. Changes in the body like looking younger and stronger, which also goes hand-in-hand with changes in the eating habits and life style. Everything revolves around health.

8. Having personal and peak experiences where one feels at one and in peace with her/his surroundings. Having meaningful dreams and in-depth visions are not uncommon.

9. Craving more and more to break free from traditions, outdated institutional thinking, blind conformity, and useless beliefs that do not serve the greatest good of humankind… taking that craving, and turning it into action.

10. Seeing and comprehending the world in a way with deeper meanings. More and more awareness of synchronicities between the physical world and the feelings, thoughts, and energetic representation of the physical world.

11. An increase in occurrences – (there aren’t any coincidences) An increase in psychic, mediumistic, clairvoyant, and intuitive skills.

12. Acute sensitivity to negative energy around specific people or environments.

13. A desire to “find yourself”, change your social group, behavior, job etc. Sudden extreme sensitivity to people or crowds. You may find that your once sociable nature suddenly disappears and you simply cannot bear to be with certain friends, family members, colleagues, or coworkers.

14. Sudden awareness of recurring patterns or relationships– A noticeable inability to tolerate someone with whom you have had a previously close relationship.

15. Sudden inexplicable panic or anxiety attacks occurring at any time with no valid reason. A feeling that something has changed within you.

16. Acute sensitivity to shopping malls or crowded environments such as restaurants, clubs, festivals, and so on.

17. Extreme sensitivity to mobile and digital phones, laptops, computers, wireless routers, and all microwave technology, as well as certain types of lighting.

18. Zoning out for long periods of time with an overpowering need to sit and do nothing. (This often occurs as a result of our consciousness spending increasing amounts of time in the fourth and fifth dimensions.)

19. Changes in your energy levels. The need to rest and sleep for much longer than usual or sudden insomnia in normally sound sleepers.

20. A stronger connection to nature

21. Quicker manifestations

22. A change in what you read, watch on TV, and your hobbies

Let me know if you’ve experienced any of these signs and share your thoughts in the comments below, or email lessoftheexcess at gmail dot com.

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Decluttering Your Closet!

Published 08/21/2014

“A shopping cart flipped upside down forms a cage that I use to protect myself from consumerism.” – Jarod Kintz

I’ve focused a lot of energy on in my closet decluttering process, but I STILL seem to have an endless amount of clothes despite the fact that I’ve given away several garbage bags full. That’s kind of embarrassing haha! I used to have a bit of a shopping problem. Whenever I’d get a paycheque, I’d have to make sure that I bought the latest things on my “want” list. And it was a never-ending list. I’d constantly see an image, or person wearing something that I had to have, and since I had the money to spend, I’d just go buy it.

I definitely think living in the city had a little to do with it. Working or living downtown, seeing everyone wearing the latest and greatest fashion trends. There was some sort of internal pressure to try and keep up, while it never crossed my mind when I was growing up in the countryside.

Anyway, those days are over. Ever since I embraced minimalism, I don’t care anymore. BUT, I was left with a ridiculous collection of things I probably only ever wore once or twice. I’m sure some of you can relate. Shoes for every occasion, bags to match every outfit, 30 pairs of jeans, random shirts of all colours and prints. Yikes.

(Side note: If fashion is your passion, then I completely get that. It’s a great way to express yourself and inspire others to do the same. For me personally, it was partly that, but partly an inner desire for something that was unhealthy. It took up a lot of my precious mental space and time and I was trying to fill some sort of void).

But to the point of this post, below are the steps I used to pare down my crazy collection. Mind you, there is some sort of method to my madness haha.

How To Declutter Your Closet

1. Make it fun! Put on your favourite music, have a glass of wine, and designate some special “me time” out of your day to focus on decluttering your closet.

2. Take a little moment, sit somewhere comfortable, and think about the style you want to have. What type of style represents you the most? Are you preppy? Sporty? Classic? Girly? Hippie? Chic? What I always found was helpful was Googling or Pinteresting the fashion style of some of the celebrities that I found represented the style I wanted, and using those as a guide. For instance, I’m naturally drawn toward minimalist street style. So neutral pallets (grey, black, white, navy) mixing casual and smart with mainly plain patterns. My style inspirations seem to gravitate towards Rachel Bilson and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I also love stores like Noul or Oak & Fort.

**One thing I’d like to add is to think about the lifestyle you live and the clothes you need for this. If you’re outdoorsy or active, you’ll probably have more of those clothes. If you like to go to fancy events, you’ll probably have dressier items. What is the most useful for you?

3. Once you’ve collected images of your favourite style inspirations, take everything (I mean everything!) out of your closet and toss it onto your bed. The floor works too.

4. Take the first item of clothing, hold it in your hands, and ask yourself these 8 questions. For anything you don’t want to keep toss it in the “don’t keep pile”. For anything you want to keep, put it back on the hanger and back into your closet.

Have I worn this in the last year? If you haven’t worn it in the past year, put it in the “don’t keep pile”.

Do I LIKE this? If you don’t even like the item, toss it.

Do I feel good/confident/hot/sexy when I wear this? If you feel unattractive in it, off it goes.

Does it fit? Don’t keep it if you think it will fit you ONE DAY. If it doesn’t fit, put it aside.

Is it in good condition? If there are any holes or snags, you can either choose to mend them, or toss the item.

Is it comfortable? If you can’t stand wearing it, why keep it? If you’re constantly pulling up at your pants revealing your beautiful hot pink thong, or you feel restricted and can’t put your arms up in that sweater, it’s time for it to go.

Does it serve a purpose? You may have to have different clothes for work, or you may need special clothing for specific activities/events. If it serves no purpose, get rid of it.

Does it line up with the kind of look or lifestyle I am going for? Going back to the style inspirations you gathered, if it doesn’t match, put it aside. A good example is if you’ve collected several printed items, but you actually don’t like prints anymore then get rid of it.

Do this with the rest of your clothes, until you get through them all.

By now you’ve gone through all of your clothes. The ones you want to keep are hanging up nicely in your closet, and the ones you want to get rid of are probably in a big gigantic pile on the floor. I know I could have done the next step as I was tossing things, but I like to work from the top down haha.

5. Sit with your giant pile of clothes and separate the items into 3 piles: Trash/Recycle, Donate or Sell. Obviously the items that are worn out or are in terrible shape can be trashed or recycled to a place that recycles textiles. Everything else can be donated or sold. You can donate items to a thrift store, charity, friend or family member. Some people like to get their friends together and do a Clothing Swap. Or if you have the time and patience, you can sell things on Craigslist or Ebay etc. No matter what you choose, all the clothes need to leave your home!

6. Finally you’ve gotten rid of the clothes you don’t want anymore. Now it’s time to ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET! I love this part. Everyone has a technique, but I like to organize my clothes first by sleeve length (Skinny sleeve tanks, then thick sleeve tanks, then t-shirts, then 3/4 sleeve shirts, then long sleeved shirts, then sweaters, then blazers, then jackets, and lastly dresses.) Then I like to colour code them because I’m weird like that.

That’s it! You should be all sorted! For now anyway 😉 You can obviously use the same method for your drawers or shelves.

Remember, it’s a journey. You’ll likely make quite a dent the first time around. But as you get more comfortable with getting rid of things, you may go through this process a few more times.

What you will notice is a much lighter feeling within you. You’ve created more space and a clearer mind, which can be addictive!

Give yourself a pat on the back!

Next time you go shopping, carefully examine the piece you’re thinking about purchasing. Look at it, sitting there in your hands. And think long and hard if you’re buying it out of impulse, or if you really need it.

Random question of the day: I’m curious to hear, do you live in the city, suburbs or country, and how has this affected your need to shop for new clothes?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below! I’d love to hear them. If you liked what you read, please subscribe!

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