Why I Chose Minimalism

I feel like so much has already been said about my journey into minimalism, so for today, I figured now would be a good time to give a "recap" while also getting a bit more personal with the choices I made as a minimalist for 3 years now. I'll say right away that minimalism is NOT a fad or trend; it's a lifestyle and a commitment. Decluttering is part of the process, and I believe that the reasons for choosing minimalism differ from person to person. 

I did not have a plan or vision in mind when I started my journey, and so all I remember feeling at the time was stress. Some of that stress was internal inside my mind, but looking back now, I realize that the stuff I had kept and accumulated did have an effect as well. I was never a messy person, but if there's one thing that minimalism has taught me, it's that I didn't need as much stuff as I thought I did. There's a difference between decluttering and organizing, and if you're constantly buying stuff just to rearrange it in different spaces of your house with an array of different organizing containers, that's not minimalism. This is a trap I fell into for the longest time since obtaining my first job, and I never fully realized back then just how big of a burden this put on me mentally and emotionally. 

No matter where you decide to shop, it's always best to be mindful of how you spend your money. I'm grateful to have parents who taught me the basics of creating a budget, but I know that once I got that first paycheck, I wanted to spend it. Buying things with no real intention or thought, thinking that because it's cute or because it's on sale, is a mindset that stayed with me throughout my early and mid-20's. I think this is common among a lot of people when you don't know what it is you like or don't like, and minimalism has really helped me in this case with figuring out my taste in style and what I gravitate towards the most. 

I'm not a serendipitous person, but in some ways, I do feel like minimalism is something I didn't know I needed at the time of me figuring out how it works. I've made a lot of mistakes, and I think because of the mental stress that was going on in my mind for the first several years of my 20's (and late teens), I realize that I have learned quite a bit about myself as I continued on this path. One of the first shifts in my mindset that followed is my decision to make more sustainable choices, though, this inclined me to make purchases that didn't serve me for long or just didn't do well for my life personally. My shopping habits were already wasteful at age 18 as I wouldn't keep a certain item for more than a few months, and subconsciously, I thought I was doing more good buying cheap products instead of paying for something that's higher quality, but still priced fairly. It's like I was going from one extreme to the next on the pendulum of buying habits. These days, I know that there's nothing wrong with buying something on sale, but if I believe it's worth it, then I'm willing to bend my budget every now and then for something that's high quality. Let this be a lesson that I'm still trying to work on accepting because while I do love and prefer buying things secondhand, not everything you see is worth claiming if there's something wrong with the product or if you think the price is unfair. 

Minimalism DOES NOT equal deprivation. This is something I'm starting to better understand and value now because I know what my interests are and what "sparks joy" for me. When first starting out however, this is something I honestly struggled with. I started with my closet, and what made this process a challenge is that I was holding onto a lot of feelings of inadequacy because my wardrobe wasn't "sustainable enough", or that I was spending my money on too many pieces that were trendy or disposable (aka. fast fashion). Even once I did switch over to buying things secondhand, I still struggled with the mindset as seeing my clothes as something to care for instead of seeing them as disposable. The underlying lesson I had to learn is that if I ever feel discontent or just "meh", the issue may have more to do with what I'm personally dealing with as opposed to what's going on in my surroundings. 

For every hard lesson I've learned, I can wholeheartedly say that minimalism is something that I believe anyone can get great value from. For me, it's helped me to better define what I get the most value from as well as giving me a little boost in my confidence/self-esteem. I would definitely say that just like anything else in life, minimalism is a journey that comes with its own challenges. I hope me sharing this can be of value to you, but if nothing else, I hope it can at least give you some insight as to why minimalism is important to me. 

Artist Spotlight: BYU Vocal Point

Brigham Young University is where this a cappella group hails from. I’ve been following their music for a while now, and while this probably goes without saying, the thing I love most about this group is how talented these singers are.

Because the members of this singing group attend school, it makes sense that once a member graduates, they’re removed from the list and another person takes their place. The range of songs that this group sings is diverse, but at the core, BYU Vocal Point shows an immense passion for their faith and values in Mormonism. Yes, this group is Mormon. Now in my eyes at least, I’d say that regardless of what you believe in or identify as religion-wise (or even if you’re not religious), this group of talented singers can still be appreciated for what they do.

BYU Vocal Point’s members are all male, and if I’m being honest, I feel like some of their best music videos are ones where there is a variety of genders and ages. Now of course, this isn’t to say I don’t like their other videos where it’s just a group of young men singing together; all of their songs are equally great in their own ways. One video that I love however which showcases great diversity is their own mashup of songs from The Polar Express. Diversity within the group’s members is one thing that I feel like they could improve on as the only member they have who is not white is named Yaphet. His vocal range is quite impressive, and whenever he takes on a solo, it always brings a smile to my face. One song in particular that comes to mind when talking about solo acts is “Noche de Luz”, a Spanish version of the classic Christmas song “Silent Night”.

To wrap this up, I want to say that every member of this group truly provides a unique role to BYU Vocal Point, and the way these young men are able to harmonize with each other without the aid of instruments is something I’ll never get tired of. Before I even knew about them, the only exposure I had to a cappella was through Peter Hollens. Once I heard about this group through a collaboration done with Peter, I had to jump on board and listen to everything else they’ve done. Thank you, BYU VP, for always providing positive and uplifting music that’s high quality!