I'm a passionate environmentalist and I take living an eco-friendly life very seriously.
But how to distinguish between living a passionate environmentally-friendly life and living in a environmental military camp?!
Well this is what I shall attempt to answer today. I have my moments where I brush things away saying 'It's just this once, it doesn't really matter' and I forgive and forget- yep, I sound so serious. I also have those days where I walk through the shopping mall clutching my over-flowing plastic bag hiding my face in my scarf, praying I don't bump into someone I know and silently scolding myself because I forgot the canvas bags. Sow how can we strike a balance between these two to lead an environmentally friendly life that is not only helping the environment but keeping us in a happy place too?
1. You don't have to be a god- the world needs more warriors!
Unfortunately, we live in a world where there are so many different issues facing our society from plastic pollution to world hunger. It is impossible to live a life that is totally pro-everything and it is important not to put yourself under pressure to be the god/goddess of this earth. Figure out what you really care about and become a warrior fighting for that cause. If we all try to solve every problem ourselves, we won't last very long and it will be much harder to make real changes. Instead, if we work together as warriors, each fighting hard for something that we really care about, we can create an army with momentum and power to make huge changes.
2. Be aware and informed.
I think that this has to be one of the most important things about leading an eco-friendly life. It is very easy to be overwhelmed with people telling you what to do and what to think, trying to convert you to their cult. This can be annoying and confusing and it makes it very hard to form your own ideas and beliefs about certain issues. I believe that staying informed and present in the world is the best way to show that you are passionate and is very useful when your deciding where to pick your battles. This can be as simple as following environmental bloggers (like me) and reading articles from conservation organisations like Greenpeace, WWF and Sea Shepherd. Like this, you can follow what other people are doing all around the globe and be inspired to act for whatever cause you like.
3. Acknowledge, don't reproach.
As I said at the beginning of this post, its easy to misinterpret a passionate life as a military camp and this doesn't do anyone any good. Constantly criticizing yourself for making the little mistakes that everyone makes - even me - tends to make you fell bad about yourself and often leads to giving up. However, if you make a little mistake, you forget the canvas bags, that's okay and it's important that you tell yourself that. Simply acknowledging that something didn't quite go to plan and making a mental note is much more effective than scolding yourself which often creates negative connotations around the activity and damages your self confidence. Recognizing those slip ups will give you more motivation next time to not make the same mistake.
4. Little goals part of a bigger picture.
I am 100% guilty of getting a sudden burst of inspiration and trying to take on a huge mission because I see that someone else is living a zero-waste life so why shouldn't I?! I suspect this also has something to do with self consciousness as I feel inferior to these inspiring people and I feel like they will judge me of not doing enough. THIS IS RUBBISH!!! Making change is something to be proud of and not embarrassed or stressed about. No one expects you to completely convert your entirely life to environmentalism overnight and I don't think anyone has ever done that anyway. Those inspiring people who have made enormous sacrifices to become conservation leaders? They started with little steps and worked their way towards where they are now in little goals part of a bigger picture. Setting yourself small missions makes it much more manageable (and rewarding) when trying to make big changes and keeps the load off your back allowing you to think clearly and be in a good head space at the same time. It also makes it easier for you to see the progress you have made and to plan where you might go next.
One of my favourite things about leading a passionate enviro-friendly life is that it is a journey and not a destination. Everything you do and read and experience is part of your journey and will contribute to your own values and beliefs. Its important to remember that your journey is your own and it is entirely unique to you. There are lots of people out there sharing their journey's to inspire you we are all individuals so don't try and live in a military camp, following the rules to nail because making change in the world starts with being passionate.
But how to distinguish between living a passionate environmentally-friendly life and living in a environmental military camp?!
Well this is what I shall attempt to answer today. I have my moments where I brush things away saying 'It's just this once, it doesn't really matter' and I forgive and forget- yep, I sound so serious. I also have those days where I walk through the shopping mall clutching my over-flowing plastic bag hiding my face in my scarf, praying I don't bump into someone I know and silently scolding myself because I forgot the canvas bags. Sow how can we strike a balance between these two to lead an environmentally friendly life that is not only helping the environment but keeping us in a happy place too?
1. You don't have to be a god- the world needs more warriors!
Unfortunately, we live in a world where there are so many different issues facing our society from plastic pollution to world hunger. It is impossible to live a life that is totally pro-everything and it is important not to put yourself under pressure to be the god/goddess of this earth. Figure out what you really care about and become a warrior fighting for that cause. If we all try to solve every problem ourselves, we won't last very long and it will be much harder to make real changes. Instead, if we work together as warriors, each fighting hard for something that we really care about, we can create an army with momentum and power to make huge changes.
2. Be aware and informed.
I think that this has to be one of the most important things about leading an eco-friendly life. It is very easy to be overwhelmed with people telling you what to do and what to think, trying to convert you to their cult. This can be annoying and confusing and it makes it very hard to form your own ideas and beliefs about certain issues. I believe that staying informed and present in the world is the best way to show that you are passionate and is very useful when your deciding where to pick your battles. This can be as simple as following environmental bloggers (like me) and reading articles from conservation organisations like Greenpeace, WWF and Sea Shepherd. Like this, you can follow what other people are doing all around the globe and be inspired to act for whatever cause you like.
3. Acknowledge, don't reproach.
As I said at the beginning of this post, its easy to misinterpret a passionate life as a military camp and this doesn't do anyone any good. Constantly criticizing yourself for making the little mistakes that everyone makes - even me - tends to make you fell bad about yourself and often leads to giving up. However, if you make a little mistake, you forget the canvas bags, that's okay and it's important that you tell yourself that. Simply acknowledging that something didn't quite go to plan and making a mental note is much more effective than scolding yourself which often creates negative connotations around the activity and damages your self confidence. Recognizing those slip ups will give you more motivation next time to not make the same mistake.
4. Little goals part of a bigger picture.
I am 100% guilty of getting a sudden burst of inspiration and trying to take on a huge mission because I see that someone else is living a zero-waste life so why shouldn't I?! I suspect this also has something to do with self consciousness as I feel inferior to these inspiring people and I feel like they will judge me of not doing enough. THIS IS RUBBISH!!! Making change is something to be proud of and not embarrassed or stressed about. No one expects you to completely convert your entirely life to environmentalism overnight and I don't think anyone has ever done that anyway. Those inspiring people who have made enormous sacrifices to become conservation leaders? They started with little steps and worked their way towards where they are now in little goals part of a bigger picture. Setting yourself small missions makes it much more manageable (and rewarding) when trying to make big changes and keeps the load off your back allowing you to think clearly and be in a good head space at the same time. It also makes it easier for you to see the progress you have made and to plan where you might go next.
One of my favourite things about leading a passionate enviro-friendly life is that it is a journey and not a destination. Everything you do and read and experience is part of your journey and will contribute to your own values and beliefs. Its important to remember that your journey is your own and it is entirely unique to you. There are lots of people out there sharing their journey's to inspire you we are all individuals so don't try and live in a military camp, following the rules to nail because making change in the world starts with being passionate.