I’m currently on a minimalism kick.

I’m throwing away as much as possible. It’s been hard.

The easy part is getting rid of items I’m relieved to toss- the stuff I never really wanted in the first place. The hard part is getting rid of the “sometimes” items: the ones I occasionally use, find somewhat useful and sort of like.

And then I heard the wise words: “Get rid of anything that does not spark joy,”

The quote is from the number one Amazon bestselling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” by Marie Kondo. Jane read the quote to me, and now I have to read the book. I’ve seen multiple articles about it including this one about having an entire Marie Kondo decluttering party.

But even without reading Kondo’s book, her quote is enough to change the way I look at items in my home. I’ve collected so much in my 30 years, but how much of it sparks joy?

The answer is almost none at all. Surprisingly, minimalism has begun to spark more joy in me than most of those items ever could.