“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” ~ Thomas Merton
We all need balance in our lives, a balance that allows us to consider our wants, needs and desires. To be able to weigh up our lifestyle and make choices that reflects a true desire to do better and an understanding of our impact as members of a consumer society.
I know I have touched on the subject a few times before; specifically here and here, but I feel this is the essence of what Small Simple Life is about and thought it necessary to come at it from a slightly different angle and perhaps in a little more detail.
I am hoping, over the next couple of weeks, to target specific areas of our everyday life and look at how our choices and habits have an effect on the world around us.
I truly believe the only change that is lasting is change born from a true desire. If we simply make choices and learn habits based on what we think we should do or what others tell us we have to do; then they do not have the staying power of those founded on true belief and understanding.
I feel many people may distance themselves from certain products, choices, habits and ways of living because they fear giving up a modern lifestyle. They don’t want to live a ‘hippy’ existence; detached from technology, fashion and all the chemically enhanced and modernised gadgets we all take for granted in the Westernised world.
These things play a role in all our lives to a varying degree and it would be unrealistic to expect everyone to throw their modern lives out the window and adopt a completely sustainable, ethical and eco-friendly lifestyle.
Am I getting this wrong? I know each of us is driven by different needs and there are different things in all our lives that take priority. I just feel if people had a little more understanding of some of the consequences of a modern lifestyle we might as a society start to really desire to change some of our habits.
Not to give it all up but change our focus from blind consuming to positive choices; those that reflect positively on all peoples and the planet.
And there are many, many small changes, choices and habits we can adopt in our daily lives. But these need to come from a true desire to make a positive impact and not simply because we’ve been told it is right or better or good.
We need to understand the issues and embrace the power we have to alter the focus of consumption. From the companies and manufactures down to us the consumer and eventual disposer of goods, we need to understand the effects of the products we choose. If we put our money into sustainable, ethical products and practices we can power the change and shift the world towards a brighter future.
In order to examine this in a way that will hopefully prove helpful and inspirational; I want to consider certain key areas of consumption. From fashion, beauty and cleaning products, to the food we eat, the energy we use and our very lifestyle; I want to examine what choices have a positive and sustaining benefit and what ones may have a negative social, ethical and environmental impact.
It is all about balance. We can, in each of our lives, adopt some positive changes and habits to benefit ourselves and the world around us and learn to balance our modern lifestyle and needs with a true desire to have a positive impact.
If we do not fear change, if we acknowledge our own consumer impact, we can base our actions and choices on true understanding and the belief that each of us can either contribute negatively or positively to our lives and the lives of others.
So for the next couple of weeks I will be dedicating a weekly post to a specific area of interest with the aim to create further understanding about the implications of our choices and inspiring us all to make lasting positive change in our lives. I hope to look at specific products, manufacturing processes and companies to discover what real choices are out there. I look forward to finding out what we discover : )
Related posts:
- Top 5 small, simple steps to overcome a consumer mentality!!
- Balance and Consequence : Fruit and vegetables and the benefits of “going local”!!
- Balance and Consequence : Choosing beauty products that meet our own healthy, ethical and environmental standard
Keep up to date with all things small and simple… subscribe to my RSS feed! Or follow me on Twitter!
"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." ~Hellen Keller
