Why Angie's Abnegation?definition of abnegation: noun
1. the act or an instance of abnegating, or denying oneself some rights, conveniences, etc.: (via dictionary.com) |
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Angie's abnegation is a site to show the beauty of minimalism and why living with less stuff is living with more. I am taking my house full of trinkets, items, stuff, and minimizing so I can spend more time doing the stuff I enjoy like spending time with my girls, writing, and reading a good book without all the distractions.
I felt called to live a more intentional life. As I looked around at my things, I began recognizing how little I used ninety nine percent of my things. Although, my first intention for clearing stuff out was to get rid of stress and anxiety of clutter and mess. Then as I looked around, I began feeling that my hoarding of items was selfish. I owned so much, just in case, when I had friends, family members, and others who could use that stuff and actually enjoy it.
I realized then that becoming a minimalist was more than just making life better for myself, but enriching others lives as well. Blessing others often brings blessing to ourselves.
Often we want to feel happy in the moment, and yet the high from a shopping spree or eating junk food disappears the moment the food is gone or the bags are unpacked. Denying ourselves certain joys like choosing to eat healthy or giving others our personal belongings, gives a more lasting joy.
I felt called to live a more intentional life. As I looked around at my things, I began recognizing how little I used ninety nine percent of my things. Although, my first intention for clearing stuff out was to get rid of stress and anxiety of clutter and mess. Then as I looked around, I began feeling that my hoarding of items was selfish. I owned so much, just in case, when I had friends, family members, and others who could use that stuff and actually enjoy it.
I realized then that becoming a minimalist was more than just making life better for myself, but enriching others lives as well. Blessing others often brings blessing to ourselves.
Often we want to feel happy in the moment, and yet the high from a shopping spree or eating junk food disappears the moment the food is gone or the bags are unpacked. Denying ourselves certain joys like choosing to eat healthy or giving others our personal belongings, gives a more lasting joy.
Week Four: Getting Rid of Old HobbiesIf someone were to have walked through my house last year, they would have assumed I loved to quilt, crochet, knit (haven't yet learned), embroider, craft, paint, and read. Truth is I have never completed a quilt, nor crocheted an entire blanket. I do embroider, but rarely paint or do other crafts. Yet, I have all the things to do all that stuff. Why? Because someday, I might get to it. The problem is someday has never come, and the stuff sits taking up space, causing clutter. It was because of that I realized I needed to recognize what hobbies I really enjoy and stick to only those. Read more...
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The More of Less: The Book That Changed My LifeAlthough I had known for a long time that I had too much stuff, I honestly did not know what to do about it. Yes, I started to get rid of things, but I needed help and direction. It was not until I read Joshua Becker's book The More of Less, then had my husband read it, that I truly felt our life shifting to a much easier, simpler way of life, that allowed us to focus on what is truly important in our life. Read More...
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Why Buying Quality Is Better Than Saving MoneyOur society loves buying things on sale. Too often we focus more of our attention to the sticker on the item we are buying than the item itself. This has caused an influx in houses being full of throwaway furniture and credit card debt. Too often, buying things on sale end up costing us more in the long run, whether it be furniture, appliances, shoes, or even our house. Read More...
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Week Two and Three of the Minimalist Life: Books, DVDs, and CDsIf you are anything like me, then you have at least five hundred CDs, DVDs, and books each. If not, then this process will go much more easily than it did for me. I truly mainly focused on books since books take up much more space than CDs and DVDs, but grabbed some of the CDs and DVDs that I knew I didn't want without a second thought. Unfortunately, choosing was easier than finding what to do with them. Here is a list of places to sell, donate, or give to. Read More...
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Week One: Clearing Out the ClosetThe first area I knew I needed to minimize was my closet. I was pregnant two years ago, and was thirty pounds lighter than I was prior to being pregnant. So I had a lot of clothes in my closet that didn't fit me. This is how I was able to sort and find new homes for my clothes without any regrets. If you want to see how you can do it to, then Read More...
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How To Declutter a House: The Journey BeginsIt was two years ago when I realized I needed to change my lifestyle. I wanted to be able to enjoy life, relax more, clean less, and spend more time with loved ones. I found that I spent a lot of time cleaning, rebuying stuff I already owned, and feeling like I never could keep up with my chores. It was then I recognized that I needed to get rid of my things, starting with one item at a time. Read more...
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