The Great Jewelry Purge

Last April I wrote a post entitled A Whole Lot of Less in which I described what I packed for a 9-day trip to Florida. Which was very little. All my clothing fit in one small suitcase, and my jewelry included only the following items: one Fitbit Blaze (with interchangeable straps), one pair of earrings, and one wrap bracelet. Additionally, because we were leaving our home to our Masters guests, I had stored all the rest of my clothes and placed all my jewelry in a duffel bag which I squirreled away in our closet. When we returned home I didn't even pull them out again.

I learned an important lesson during our vacation: for those 9 days I wanted for nothing, and yet I had exactly what I needed--not too much, not too little, but the blessing of just enough.

And living with enough is plenty.

It wasn't until TODAY (six months later!) that I even pulled out that duffel bag of jewelry (which I discovered as I was cleaning out our closet). I looked at jewelry I hadn't worn in months, at all the watches, rings, necklaces, and bracelets I hadn't even missed. I sorted through everything, saved some favorite pieces, and then bagged the rest for donation.

Simplifying. Getting rid of too much. Letting go of the having just to have.

And knowing that the gift of enough is plenty. It's a lesson I apply to many areas of my life, and I have learned that saying no to excess leaves room for grace, tranquility, and peace of mind...all of which teaches me more about life than all the running around I do to live it.

Simplifying, and getting rid of what I don't need. 

Getting rid of too much. All bagged and ready to be donated.

This was all the jewelry I packed for our vacation, 

and all the jewelry I used for several months.

These are the earrings I kept after the Great Jewelry Purge.