I have heard of Marie Kondo since several years ago. I knew her through memes as some sort of an internet pop culture icon teaching people to tidy up with the iconic “this sparks joy” quote. I didn’t read her book because I considered my room was quite orderly.
My friend recommended her book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” last month. He told me that her book doesn’t only contain practical guidance to tidy up, but also philosophical principles in life.
I’m currently reading the book halfway through. I learn many things from the book both practical guidance and philosophical principles.
Marie Kondo suggests us to do big bang project to completely tidy up our house over a period of time. After the project is finished, our house will change drastically different so that our minds change, so we don’t want our house to be cluttered anymore. We only need to maintain our house in order by putting things back to their place and only keeping things that sparks joy.
There is a philosophical principle in a simple activity like folding clothes. When we fold, we should put our heart into it, thanking our clothes for protecting our bodies. Folding is an act of caring, an expression of love.
I believe we can apply the same principle in our other activities. I don’t know if it’s just me, but sometimes I do my daily activities – like showering, brushing my teeth, walking – hurriedly and haphazardly. I don’t take the time to properly care for my body, give thanks and give the love it deserves. I suppose that’s also called mindfulness. I will try to do better!
Although tidying up may seem insignificant at first, this book has taught me otherwise. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes a more comfortable house and a happier life.
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