Beginning ~ with a phone call

This beginning may seem long, but the "good" part needs this whole bit.

In the summer of 2004, I was a rising sophomore in college on my first visit to Paris, and I was jubilant.  It was midnight; I was riding the metro with a small group of excited international students when the leader of the group I was with handed me her cell phone.

"It's your mother," she said, sounding casual and unworried as only the French can.

I grabbed the phone.  "Hi Mom!  Guess where I am — I'm on the Metro in Paris!"

"Baby are you sitting down?"  Her tone instantly got my attention.  After all, it was midnight in Paris, and she had called the group leader — a number I didn't even know she had.  I sat down.  "Our house burned down," she said calmly.

"What?"

Minimalist Living: Decluttering for Joy, Health, and Creativity ~ by Genevieve Parker Hill, 2013, self-help

Cluttered desk?  Stuffed closet?  Stressed-out life?  Most of us know the weight of too much stuff.  We can avoid it for a while, but when it's time to move house or reorganize, we can't escape facing our clutter.  Your excess stuff can hold you back and make you sick.  Having stuff we don't use or enjoy is a burden, a waste of money, and importantly, it doesn't spark joy.  If your rooms, closets, and surfaces are filled with clutter, all your unneeded possessions can get in the way of a full experience of life as it was meant to be lived.

This book covers not only techniques for decluttering, but how doing so can fill your newfound space with meaningful and creative activities that add joy to your life and support your goals.  You have the power to bring serenity, clarity, creativity, and more joy to your life with minimalist living.  This book, now updated for 2020, will show you how.  You will discover:

• Why you should define your own sense of minimalism
• How to create your "Minimalist Mission Statement"
• How to use the techniques of "blazing" and "gazing" to declutter
• Why decluttering now can lead to a happier, healthier, and more creative life
• How to deal with sentimental items without losing their meaning
• The amazing connection between minimalism and living your soul's deepest purpose

Experience the powerful de-stressing and pro-health benefits of minimalism.

I was buying another book for my Kindle yesterday when I happened across this one at a cost of $0.00 on Amazon.  I ended up buying two other e-books and treated myself to this one as well.  I'm already curious about the author's life.

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