'plastic' is slowly becoming an evil word- and perhaps rightfully so.
over the years, i have found my whole-hearted commitment to environmental crusades has ebbed and flowed from time to time. i've struggled with the knowledge that industry is at the top of the environmentally destructive food chain. industrial farming, emissions from manufacturing, and the damage from fossil fuel extraction all being big pieces of the complex pie. it can feel disheartening, even trivial, to try and make any meaningful dent in the catastrophes currently taking place. my voice is only so loud, the impact of our personal decisions only stretches so far.
so why bother?
one of the things that has resonated very strongly with me lately is this: the best thing we can do for the world, especially when feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed with the sadness and despair happening all around us, is to commit to small acts with great love in our own community. family, friends, neighbours- making small changes in our own backyard ripples outward to all the bigger things we can't control.
and perhaps that sounds fundamentally flawed or silly in the grand scheme of endless sorrows taking place, but those ripples- especially when linked arm in arm with other ripple-makers- slowly become waves. our small voice echos and amplifies when we take a firm stand, change our behavior, vote with our dollars, write to politicians, share ideas and information, give back to our community, and focus on radical acts with unconditional love. we hold the power to change the world, we just continually give that power away.
last month, i wrote a guest blog post for my friend indi and her professional organizing business, room to breathe. whenever i write for her, it never feels like work - words flow with ease and i find myself being gently reminded of our priorities in this lifetime - a commitment to minimalism, living small, conscious consumption, valuing experiences over stuff, and using my voice to share these ideas. i am grateful to indi for always allowing me to write and share from a place of heart - for seeing the value in amplifying important, change-making ideas and giving our collective voice a larger platform and wider audience than the one i have on my own.
this most recent blog post is a zero-waste challenge - a few ideas for habit changes to start those outward ripples. meeting you wherever you are at, and hoping you will link arm in arm with us, joining the good fight.
have a peek if you are so inclined and feel free to share some of your waste reduction ideas in the comments - i'd love to hear from you.
