IOALOT

I started by dipping my toe into the waters of minimalism, just to get my closet organised.  I never dreamed that it would morph into so many areas of my life.  I am so much more aware of the world around me and how many of us are consumer driven and full of gluttony.  Recently, I was at a stop light in our town and the car in front of me had a vanity plate that read IOALOT.  I giggled at first, but as we proceeded through town I became sad.  Most people are willing to finance themselves to the brink of destruction just to impress people they don’t know or like.  I am not pointing fingers or judging because I too am working on not being one of these people.

• Americans owe $1 trillion in credit card debt.
• They carry an average of $9600 on their cards.
• Only making minimum payments on cards will cost them $1185 annually.
• Fewer than 40% of Americans have the savings for a $500 emergency like a medical bill or car repair.

I’m amazed at what this lifestyle has taught me in such a short time.  I’ve learned patience, self control, gratitude, freedom, and accountability.

Minimalism isn’t about your stuff, it’s about your soul – the ‘you’ underneath all that stuff

Brian Gardner

The Truth

The truth is, we can all de-clutter and get rid of stuff,  but that doesn’t even begin to touch the surface of what the real movement is all about.  Minimalism is just a tool that guides us to a simpler, calmer, meaningful life that we’re all in search of.

The title of this post is IOALOT which is a majority of american’s lifestyle and mindset, but this movement has put my whole life into perspective.  I am learning that I need to value myself more than things.  I am making my decisions based on what I need, not on fueling my inner gluttony that is tied to lack of self worth.  This doesn’t mean we live without or deprive ourselves.  It doesn’t mean we buy cheap things.  Minimalism is simply about learning to desire less, rather than having less.  I urge you to investigate this movement and look in to all things minimal as you never know where it might lead you.

Let’s change the American landscape from IOALOT to ILIVEALOT.