The WHAT and WHY Behind my Madness

 Ok guys, time to answer the big question, what even is minimalism? (That was the title of my first post and I didn’t answer it, oops!)

I always thought it meant you had to own like 50 things, live in a 12’x12’ home, and travel the world.

My friends (well, we’re not actually friends, but someday we will be) over at www.theminimalists.com define it as “A tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.”

To be honest, I had to read that like ten times before I could wrap my head around it. The shortened (Mel) version is, “Getting rid of anything that doesn’t add value or happiness to your life so that you can focus on what really matters.”

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, the writers of that blog, said the following,

“By incorporating minimalism into our lives, we’ve finally been able to find lasting happiness—and that’s what we’re all looking for, isn’t it?

We all want to be happy.

Minimalists search for happiness not through things, but through life itself; thus, it’s up to you to determine what is necessary and what is superfluous in your life.”

(P.S. they live in Missoula!)

Aren’t we all seeking for happiness? Don’t we all have clutter, whether physical or emotional that gets in the way? Think for a second, what is it that truly makes you happy?

While you think about what that looks like for you, I’ll share my story (which is still being written by the way). I woke up one day a few months ago and realized that I wasn’t happy.

The gospel makes me happy. My family makes me happy. Serving others makes me happy.

However, I do plenty of things daily that 1) don’t make me happy, and 2) get in the way of allowing me to focus on the gospel, my family, and service to others.

Here are some of those daily things getting in my way:

-Social media

-Shopping (mostly online)

-Gossiping

-Complaining

-Comparing myself to others

-Working long hours and multiple jobs so that I could buy the newest, prettiest, or the latest and greatest gadget, article of clothing, or accessory

This list could definitely go on quite a bit longer. To sum it up, I realized that I’m not spending a lot of time doing the things I enjoy!  And I wasn’t okay with that.

One of my favorite men who walked the earth, (Gordon B. Hinckley) said, “Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured.”

Well, you know what, President Hinckley; I’m not enjoying this. I’m just enduring it. Boom. I said it! I admitted it! Something had to change!

One day, who knows exactly when it was, I came across a pin on Pinterest (more social media distracting me from something better that I could’ve been doing) that said something along the lines of, “Less is more.”
 

Um…I’m pretty sure they made a type-o. We are living in a world that teaches us the opposite. MORE. We need more. We need to work more, so that we can afford more toys, nicer clothes, bigger homes, newer iPhones, blah blah blah. Are you tired of reading the word more?

So anyway, I slowly started reading blogs, watched a documentary, and then really began pondering this whole minimalism thing.

Of course, right away negative thoughts came into my brain. My roommates will judge me. I won’t have all the latest clothing trends. No one will compliment my clothes anymore if I become plain and boring all of a sudden. That’s not the Mel I know! I like my stuff so I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.

But it’s like this idea of simplifying life kept lingering, and lingering, and lingering. And when I realized it wasn’t going away, I thought, okay. I can do this. I’ll donate a bag of old stuff. I’ll go find a bag of things that I can live without, and I’ll get rid of it.

And then, maybe I’ll be a minimalist.

So here’s the thing – getting rid of stuff and de-cluttering is kind of addictive. And before I knew it, I had taken five bags of old stuff to the Family Crisis Center, an organization in Rexburg that helps out local families in need.

Check out this link to learn more about how/where you can take old clothes instead of just tossing them: https://www.babble.com/style/12-places-to-donate-clothes/

The key for me was to stop thinking about it and just start. I had to stop worrying about what people would say and do what I thought was best!

That’s how it began, and I will definitely be sharing my experiences along the way, because it’s not a destination that I’m trying to reach, but a way of life!

What I hope to get out of this new style of living is more financial freedom, better relationships, some free time (a foreign concept to me sometimes), time to ponder, time to serve, time to really study the scriptures and the life of the Savior, not just a couple minutes in the morning to check off my “Read the scriptures” box. I’m so over that!

I’m almost done preaching. I just want to make one thing clear- minimalism will look different for everyone. There are no rules! You don’t donate 20 bags of old stuff and then label yourself a minimalist. Some people who choose to live a minimalist lifestyle are mothers with young children, while others do indeed choose to live with 50 belongings and travel the world. You can tailor it to what works for you and how you want to live. But, as you go throughout this week, ponder the following questions:

“Does this (belonging) add meaning to my life?”

 “If I were to get rid of this, would I miss it?”

“Are there things in my life that are distracting me from what matters most?”

What Even is this "Minimalism" Thing?

Balance. Meditation. Yoga. How to lose weight. Being a 22-year old LDS college student. Positivity. How to be happy. Minimalism.

These are just a few of the ideas I’ve had over the past several months as I’ve considered starting my own blog. Today I found myself whining to my best friend, “But..everyone is starting blogs right now. It’s so trendy. All the millennials are doing it.” 

I have done nothing but think of excuses as to why I shouldn’t sit myself down and start writing.

Her response struck me, and moved me to finally start this blog of mine. She said, “Mel, there’s someone out there, maybe just one person, who needs to hear what you have to say. You’ve been talking about doing this for a while now, so do it.”

The Spirit has whispered to me time and time again, (like every Sunday for the past three months), that I should start a blog. But what would I even write it about?

The Gospel. Duh. It’s what makes me happy! It’s the easiest thing for me to talk about.

No, if I write about being LDS I’ll have far less followers than if I were to write about, say, being a college student and finding balance in life. So, I started thinking about non-gospel related topics that would catch people’s attention in this day and age.

That idea went out the door real quick. If I feel so strongly about my faith and want to share it with others, why would I hide it?

So then, I had an idea. Why don’t I talk about the things I love (listed at the beginning of this post) and find ways to tie them to the Gospel? I strongly believe that we can relate anything to the Gospel.

Sure, I could write a post about faith, and then another about repentance and so on and so on….or, you could, like, read the scriptures and learn a lot more than what I have to say.

But, as I have studied lately about minimalism, meditation, balance, taking care of our bodies, being positive, and all of that fun stuff, I have come to realize that these things can actually help us live our faith and help us live happier, more fulfilling lives.

We simply must realize that they don’t have to be separate. They can go together!

So, if you’re looking for a blog that will show you how to get a flatter stomach, maybe skip mine. Or, if you want to learn how to bake the best chocolate chip cookies, try Pinterest.

What you’ll get here are a few ideas on how to declutter your life and make room for the things that matter most. For me, those things are the Gospel, my relationship with the Lord, family, and my friends.

What I’m finding, though, is that material things are getting in the way of making these things real priorities in my life. So, I began studying minimalism after I got home from Mexico. After living with practically nothing for 18 months yet being so happy, I started making a connection. 

I realized that the phrase, “Less is more,” is SO TRUE. Seriously it’s true.

The less time I spend shopping, the more time (and money) I have to do things I enjoy. The less time I spend sulking about my problems, the more I serve others. The less crap I have lying around my room, the more time I can spend studying the scriptures instead of organizing my junk! Less truly is more.  

I’m excited to continue learning about how becoming a minimalist can help me grow closer to the Lord and avoid getting caught up in the distractions of the world. 

I have so many things that I want to talk about, but must save something for future posts. 

But, for everyone who reads this, I do have one small challenge for you. This week, find one thing that you can get rid of. Maybe it’s an old shirt you hate. Or maybe it’s the clutter on the kitchen counter. Don’t organize it- just get rid of it! In my next post we’ll talk about why.

FYI- This week I’m choosing to get rid of a pair of ugly pink capris that I wore once and HATE. If it  doesn’t serve a purpose or bring you joy, you simply DON'T NEED IT.

Until next time, just remember- “Minimalism. Because the best things in life aren’t things.”

Mel