3 Ways Marie Kondo Will Bring You Instant Happiness and “Spark Joy!”
Marie’s wisdom in her book, “The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up” is as tasty as a Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight in Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
When it comes to decluttering, the Japanese Queen of tidying, Marie Kondo, can be thanked for her amazing dedication and passion for getting millions of people to ask of their things, “Does this spark joy?”
If you look at an item and it no longer gives you a little flutter of joy in your heart, then it no longer serves your best happiness!
Seeing her arrive at an average American home in the Netflix series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo” is like experiencing a little ray of sunshine amidst the oppressive clutter. As she steps out of her chauffeured car to tackle her next challenge, she personifies a spark of joy through her positivity, constructive ideas and simple, stylish fashion. Speaking little English, she bravely and happily communicates to a long-suffering family that the pile of mess in which they all stand, will disappear by following her methods… and it does!
Do you have a crazy relationship with your stuff?
Are you a secret hoarder? Since the second world war, our spending and consuming has doubled, and our personal possessions have tripled. This makes us hoarders in comparison to our Great-Grandparents!
Did you know that you might be living in a mansion? On average, our house sizes have grown with double the bedrooms for the number of occupants. So, two people will live in a four-bedroom house. Any extra, free room makes your home a mansion.
Are you unwittingly glued to your screen? Where there was once a tv in one room, you now find at least two, plus access to instant entertainment on every digital device in the house. It seems that we now stare at screens up to 50% of our daily lives. I see kids in playgrounds trying to get the attention of their parents who are staring at their phones. I see kids in social settings being pacified by being handed a screen.
Do you pay for storage? People pay money to store what they have originally paid for but no longer use! The trend is to rent storage for all the things that you don’t use but keep, “just in case.” That’s a sunk cost if ever I’ve heard of one!
Are you a walking advertisement and willingly do it for free? Everyone now seems to wear at least one logo every time they step out of the door of their house. Do you want to make money for the company you are advertising?
Are you starring in “The Truman Show?” Social media has us projecting to our friends and the world what we are currently eating, how our pouting skills are developing, posing with hijacked celebrities, and even going to the lengths of sitting on some stranger’s Ferrari and posting it as if it’s our own. People no longer watch concerts and their children’s performance first-hand, they view it second-hand through a screen as they film it, so they can watch it third-hand through another screen in the future.
Hey, I understand this life and have lived it myself. It’s an easy trap to fall into. But freeing yourself from most of these extra burdens is an incredible relief.
I truly feel free from the physical and mental angst of owning too much stuff after my life-changing switch to minimalism 10 years ago.
The good news is that many people are switching on to the decluttering and minimalism movement. Climate change is making us aware of the impact of manufacturing and CO2 emissions.
Possessions don’t bring extra happiness into your life and typically distract you from the things that truly do!
Marie Kondo’s message is truth in a simple phrase. “Does this spark joy?” does not just apply to the physical things you own, but to the choices you make in life:
Does your job spark joy?
Does the way you relate to others spark joy?
Does what you choose to eat and drink spark joy?
Do the choices you make spark joy?
3 Ways Marie Kondo Will Bring You Instant Happiness
1. Choose what you hold onto in life, whether you choose positive feelings that “spark joy” or indulge in negative feelings that keep you stuck in unhappiness.
2. Once you have decided what you want to keep and have let go of what you no longer want, be mindful of what you allow back into your life. Don’t let in anything else that doesn’t spark joy, whether it be a physical possession or a belief.
3. Seek out experiences that spark joy, not stuff.
Marie Kondo is one of the most congruent personalities I have seen in a long time. Wherever she goes, joy follows, and her show is one long delightful experience.
In a growing world of anti-consumerism, she reigns supreme with her practical advice.