Occam’s razor

Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
Plurality must never be posited without necessity.

Frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora.
It is futile to do with more things that which can be done with fewer.

Or, in the words of my 9th grade science teacher:
K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid

Despite the fact that I have moved around a lot in my life, I still have a moving truck full of stuff that I own. Which was nice when I moved in with Brett because we were able to furnish every room in his house (when we told his parents we were getting married his dad told me to get Brett some furniture). We both often look around and wonder how in the world I fit all of this in my 600 square feet-ish apartments before. I make good use of space.

Sometimes I think of my pioneer ancestors who crossed the planes and how everything their whole family owned would fit in a hand cart or wagon. I remember looking at a picture of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island with a bag over their shoulder and having my first thought being that was their carry-on bag and they were off to pick up the rest of their luggage. Except that was all of their luggage.

I lived as a missionary for 18 months with only what I could put in two suitcases. And I put a lot in those suitcases. I don’t think I need to go back to that time, but I do think I could do with less. I could’ve done with less even then. I’d pack differently if I did it again. I can pack almost a whole week in a carry-on now.

This year I haven’t bought many things. And that’s a start for me. In fact, one of my goals for the year was to finish more sewing projects that I already had everything for rather than buy material to start a bunch of new ones. I do love to create, but I need to learn to finish what I start. So far I’m about 3/2 for old projects vs. new projects. Yesterday I finally cut out the jacket I bought material for five years ago. And I finished one fleece blanket and started another I probably got material for that long ago as well.

Keep it simple. Do with less rather than more. Don’t do more than is necessary. The simpler things are, the more room I make in my life physically and mentally, the less room there is for stress oddly enough. Simplify. It’s nice.