My KonMari Summary – Part 3: My Final Thoughts

I remember the day I purchased this painting. Could barely jam it into my husband’s sedan to bring it home. This local artist paints on board (not canvas) which gives her pieces an extraordinary finish! It was love at first sight.

But it was invisible for years. I rarely stopped to look at it. And since KonMari, I make a point to admire it daily.

So here’s my Final Thoughts on the KonMari subject. The two main themes that continued to rise to the top over the past 4+ months were:

GRATITUDE for the things I have NOW!

And the feeling of ABUNDANCE without the need for more – EVER.

Crazy thoughts for America, right? The Conspicuous Consumption mentality which dominated Americans during the past few decades has been diluted and nullified after the KonMari movement.

Abundance versus Lack.

Gratitude versus Dissatisfaction.

There you have it. This is what should be written on my KonMari Graduation Diploma: Gratitude for Abundance.

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This still life was and is a joy, again. Like the other artwork, it blended into the white wall behind it.

I remember researching the artist’s story. It was intriguing to find this perfect picture for this plain place in my dining room. And now, I get to see it again for the first time.

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Talk about good thoughts and good feelings. When I found this little (early 1900’s) gem for $40 in a terrible frame tucked in the back of a consignment store, I knew it was the find of all finds. And I was right!

Back in 2016, my son and I went to see a well-known art and antique appraiser. (She’s on television quite a lot!) In a large room in the Marriott Hotel, I was one of many anxious art owners who just wanted to hear the good news that we won the art-lottery!

…and luckily I was one of the few chosen to get my art appraised. So did I hit the jackpot? Yes and No.

No, I couldn’t retire if I sold the drawing. But I could sell it for over 6 x the money I paid! Okay. I know that $250 isn’t going to set me up for a luxurious retirement, but I was over-the-moon happy that my $40 was well spent.

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For years, well decades, I have secretly tried to create a home that was comfy for my family…. yet looked amazingly “magazine-worthy”. I am embarrassed to even admit that to you today. KonMari has given me the mental permission to surround myself with joyful artwork, furnishings, and decorations that reflect our lifestyle. Period. Magazines-be-gone.

Last year, I attended a party in a home that was so stark and sterile. Every single item was recently purchased for that particular home. There was no rich history. No sentimental items displayed. Not one childhood picture or memento which triggered memories of times past. Every stick of furniture and every wall hanging was new. (Secretly, I thought if I looked behind the sofa, the tag would still be dangling.) It was as if this woman had no Yesterday.

“Your home is a portrait of yourself.” ~ Marie Kondo

After clutching each piece of Clothing….bopping the life back into my Books….sorting and shredding tons of Papers….painstakingly plowing through the category of Komono…and finally walking down memory lane in Memento – Sentimental Category….. I am finished with KonMari.

And this is my last post in the series documenting my journey with Marie.

I wish you well in your tidying journey. And, I hope your home is a beautiful portrait of yourself.

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Come back next week….for a post on must-read book this summer.