“The energy of book titles and the words inside them are very powerful. In Japan, we say that ‘words make our reality.’ [言葉が現実をつくる] The words we see and with which we come into contact tend to bring about events of the same nature. In that sense, you will become the person that matches the books you have kept. What kind of books would you want in your bookcase to reflect the kind of person you aspire to be? If you choose which books to keep on that basis, you may find that the course of events in your life changes dramatically.”

— Marie Kondo (konmari), Spark Joy, page 130

Buy it here on Amazon.com:

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

“But there is no bitterness in doing without that which you have ceased to desire.”

— Seneca, Epistle LXXVIII, On the Healing Power of the Mind

“Getting rid of the clutter is not about letting go of things that are meaningful to you. It’s about letting go of the things that no longer contribute to your life so you have the time and the energy and the space for the things that do.”

— Elaine St. James

“Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”

–Albert Einstein

“…minimalism is not always a one-time decision. Often it is a daily choice, a moment-by-moment battle to be content with less.”

–“Evelyn”, quoted on the Miss Minimalist blog

“In our quest to become minimalists, we want to reduce the amount of things in our homes that require our care and attention. Fortunately, we have ample opportunity to do so—simply by shifting some of our pleasures and activities into the public realm. In fact, such action produces a pretty wonderful side effect. For when we hang out in parks, museums, movie houses, and coffee shops—instead of trying to create similar experiences in our own homes—we become significantly more socially active and civically engaged. By breaking down the walls of stuff around us, we’re able to get out into the world and enjoy fresher, more direct, and more rewarding experiences.”

–Francine “Miss Minimalist” Jay from her book The Joy of Less

A rather longish quote, but packs a wallop. Even though I realized in hindsight what she points out was true, I hadn’t consciously thought about it. Much of our stuff comes from trying to recreate what once were “public” activities in our own homes. Those walls become pretty thick too, as I can personally attest…

Read her entire post from whence this quote came.