Two years ago, after a particularly hard couple of months, I came down with a pretty bad case of stress-induced Shingles … on my face!
In addition to a strong anti-viral to combat the disease, my doctor gave me two options: take some strong medication to combat my anxiety or begin to take control of it on my own with the help of a counselor.
I elected for the latter.
With her help, I began to take stock of the elements in my life that were literally making my nerves explode through my skin.
In a good bit of serendipity, I also discovered the fantastic book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo while I was in a state of self-imposed Phantom of the Opera-esque exile until my face healed.
It was then that I fully committed to a life of minimalism. Not because I wanted my house to be a breath of fresh air with airy white walls and only a few succulents sitting intentionally upon a stack of monochromatic art books.
No, I became a minimalist because I needed a massive course correction so I could be a healthy, functioning husband to my wife, parent to my kids and partner in my business.
My minimalist journey wasn’t going to be a Facebook meme. It was going to be a rescue operation.
