konmari and my journey to minimalism

i lived a "normal" teenage life prior to konmari.  i used to buy, buy, buy just to satisfy my insatiable appetite for material things.  sure, all the purchases made me happy, but the happiness was rather short-lived.  i had to blame my discontentment on my insecurities, peer pressure, and the ever-present lure of advertising.

as time passed by, my soul felt emptier.  i knew in my heart that there's more to life than chasing superficial things and external validations.  so on my early 20s, i became a minimalist by choice.  my story was far from happy ending though because i had occasional relapses, especially after an intense argument with family members due to my mom's relatives.  to numb the emotional pain, i picked (expensive) food as my drug of choice.  i gained a hell lot of weight, but at least, i didn't get angry everyday.

fast forward to year 2015, i chanced upon a book by marie kondo titled "the life-changing magic of tidying up: the japanese art of decluttering and organizing" through my facebook feed.   i thought i only needed it to pare down my overflowing closet, but something major eventually happened.  the lack of clutter, literally and metaphorically, helped me listened clearly to my authentic voice.

my perception about life completely changed.  i had learned to let go of material things, people, and experiences that didn't add any value to it.  i became a more mindful, conscientious consumer.  also, i finally lost all the added weight that i had been meaning to lose for months.  minimalism, once seemingly unattainable, became a natural part of my identity.  living with less made me a complete person - and, the transition was enjoyable thanks to the magic of konmari.