Like any journey in life, the environmental/eco-conscious one is definitely one that must be approached with a Start-Where-You-Are mentality. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the eco-conscious world. At least, for me it is. I try to stop and remember all the cliche sayings — One step at a time. Little by little one travels far. Small actions over time can make a big difference… Start where you are.
The thing is, we’ve all come from very different backgrounds and households. Some of us may have been introduced to clean and conscious living at a young age and some of us are just stepping on board. But in this information age we live in, the amount environmental causes out there is staggering. Once you start to become conscious of where your products come from and what their afterlife is, and it’s difficult to go back. Suddenly you’re thinking about your food’s packaging and where your shoes will go once they’re worn out and how many steps it takes to get your magazines to you and the enormous amount of toothpaste tubes we, as humans, use. This is not to say being eco-conscious means a life of giving these things up, just making smarter and more conscious choices.
But change can be tough. Even when we want to change, our human nature gets defensive and resistant to the idea. And since there’s SO much out there that needs to be changed, it sometimes seems easier to just keep the status quo and forget the whole thing.
But our actions DO matter. And the little things will add up. It might be tricky to know where to start, and it’s hard to take other people’s advice on this since nobody lives the same way or is starting from the same place. But, I think if you can pause and close your eyes and think of something that’s been irking you, even the slightest bit. Maybe you’ve started thinking about all those plastic water bottles you go through every month or the amount of packaging involved in getting fast food take-out. Maybe you’re bugged by little, cheap, broken toys you end up throwing away or the amount of gas you end up using in your commute. Whatever it might be, from extravagant vacations to small, plastic floss containers, we all have at least a little idea of an area we might be able to shift our actions for the better.
The comparison game is an easy one to get lost in and not one that belongs if we’re going to join together for this cause. I would say that in my usual circles, I’m probably the most eco-conscious one. But last year, when I started going to a local group’s meetings about reducing waste in the community, I suddenly found myself playing the comparison game. And not in a I’m-doing-so-much-more kind of way, but in a I’m-not-doing-nearly-enough-as-these-people way. Not that anyone in this very kind and inclusive group was putting out this vibe, it was just my own mind playing tricks with me. While I could have been celebrating being around a group who was standing up for the change I want to see and learning from their wisdom, I was using it to put unneeded, extra pressure on myself instead.
Like anything in life, I think it’s important to pause and celebrate our own progress. It might not be the same as our friends’ or even where our self-critical mind thinks we “should” be, but it’s key to look back and recognize our accomplishments. To be proud of the efforts we’ve taken and the hurdles we’ve overcome.
…Which is not to say that our journey stops there. If we are really going to help our planet, we all need to come together and continue making eco-conscious choices in our lives. But, it’s ok to not know everything all at once. To not dive in and be picture-perfect, zero-waste role models right from Day One. Our actions can and will make a difference, even the small ones, from wherever we’re starting.