Taking Risks and the Unexpected Joy in Living with Less

taking risks packing tape box

Hello, reader! Since this is my first time back on the blog in 2019, let me just say, “Happy New Year!” I sincerely hope your holiday season was one of joy and connection with the people you love, and perhaps a little less hustle than the year before. I can hardly believe that January has already come and gone, and here we are again, immersed in a brand new year – full of promise and opportunity.

taking risks terry mirror

We are downsizing!

After over twenty years in our current home, we are packing up our lives, aiming to live with less, and moving into a much smaller space, just down the road! In typical fixer upper fashion, we have chosen a quaint, work-in-progress home in a beautiful nearby neighborhood in San Leandro, and the work to make it ours has already begun. (Design inspiration and house tour to come in a future blog post!) As we’ve shared this decision to downsize with others, we’ve been met with a myriad of reactions…

taking risks terry packing
taking risks terry packing tape

“Why smaller? Don’t you want a big place for your family?”

“Aren’t you sad to be leaving your home after so many years?”

“What’s the point of moving just down the street?”

Not every reaction has been negatively intentioned, people are genuinely curious and shocked by our decision to do what very few people in our season of life would choose to do. Surely, this would be the time to dig roots deeper, get an even larger home, and add – not subtract to our lives! These questions make sense to us, and we’re happy to share the “why” behind this move, because it is one we believe in.

taking risks boxed items

Simply put: We are taking steps NOW for whatever big thing comes NEXT.

Adrian and I have shared with one another that one of our biggest fears in life is never doing the big things we imagine, and never becoming the people we know we’re meant to be. For us, these things go hand in hand, because we always want to be the people who DO the things they dreamed of! For now, I’ll remain vague, as many of these dreams remain private-held plans for the future, not yet realized, but slowly in motion. I will say that us moving a mere mile down the road for the sake of living with less is part of that dream in motion!

taking risks terry bathroom

This process has been mostly made up of the unglamorous, tedious work we all know moving to be. It’s been a lot of packing tape, getting more boxes, donating unwanted things, discovering items I’ve long since forgotten…and all in the midst of everyday, busy life. Yes, life has not stopped, but downsizing has also made room for more creativity as I imagine living in less square feet, and has given us special moments with our kids, as we look through boxes of photographs and childhood relics. Many have wondered whether or not we are mourning the loss of the home we raised our children in. The short answer is no, and the long answer is we have found a way to detach sentiment and memory from things and have placed them back on the people we love. Ultimately, what we really want with us lives in our hearts, not on our walls.

taking risks terry sink

Now don’t get me wrong, home matters! Creating spaces for people to belong and grow is something I’m passionate about. (Hello, I am in the business of home!) What I’m simply learning is there so much joy to be found in living with less. It has taught us to rightly place value on relationships, not things, but has also shown us what things actually matter, compared to the stuff that was just taking up space for “someday.” We are learning to ask the question, “Is this coming with us into the next season of life?” and finding that more often than not, the answer is no, making room for more than a million yes’s could. I personally think we should all ask ourselves that question…about stuff, toxic relationships, bad habits, old ways of thinking, etc. If the answer is no for you too, get ready for a freedom that will feel like a gift.

taking risks terry measuring

With less, we are breathing deeper, dreaming bigger, and positioning ourselves for whatever next big pivot comes our way! We feel proud of the steps we’ve taken, as it’s required independence and courage to do what feels unexpected and even silly to some! Our hope is that in taking these courageous steps into the unknown, we would inspire our children and those we hold dear to listen to their hearts and have what it takes to leap with bravery into their big dreams too.

taking risks terry measuring tape
taking risks tools equipment

Stay tuned for more downsizing updates on the blog and if you don’t already, follow me on Instagram @terrymartinezrealtor for a real-time window into the journey. No doubt about it, 2019 is going to be one of our most exciting years yet!

Until next time,
Terry

taking risks wood
taking risks flooring

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