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There is a saying I use all the time with my fitness clients and that saying is it’s one thing to talk the talk but it’s a whole different story to walk the walk. This is just as true for minimalists and that we need to focus on changing the world.
Today this saying describes how I feel after watching a video of an inhabited island in the ocean. This island is a habitat for many birds. Unfortunately, these birds are ingesting plastic in many forms including bottle caps, sharp plastic chunks and plastic bags they are finding floating in our oceans – and they are dying horrible deaths. The video can be found here – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151284803302286
This video brought tears to my eyes because it is disgraceful what we as humans are doing to this planet we call home. If this essay gets just one person to think differently about how they use plastic, it can be considered a success. For me, I can say I have been about 90% on track in using my recyclable water bottle but after seeing that video, I will ensure that I never purchase another bottle of water.
The video also got me to thinking about my minimalist lifestyle and the dramatic changes I have made in my life and living environment since I first started this journey. I can say that the changes have all been positive and that my minimalist lifestyle is a perfect tool to try salvaging the world we live in for future generations. My journey is not complete though and I continue to take baby steps each and every day.
What can you do if you are just beginning your minimalist journey? Exactly that – begin your journey but remember your journey is unique to you. We recommend our article How To Begin Living A Minimalist Lifestyle. When changing a lifestyle habit, baby steps will be the best way to adopt any changes permanently. I personally did not get rid of everything in my house except for 100 items – that is not practical. My husband although sensitive to many of the same things I am is not a minimalist and I have to respect that his journey is just that – his. I did however, streamline more than 75% of the items that we did have by re-purposing, donating, and recycling. Not one item went into a landfill.
If you have decided that you are ready to take that first step, let us be the first to thank you on behalf of the world we live in. As you implement this lifestyle, think about the choices you are making on a daily basis. This has been a key thing for me as I never used to think anything of going to the store and purchasing things that I not only didn’t need but that many times didn’t use. I didn’t think anything about jumping in my truck to go to those stores to buy things I didn’t need. Do you see the pattern here?
Now that I have been in this lifestyle for a few years, it is normal for me to think about what reactions my actions will cause. Just taking a moment to think about what you are going to do before you do it is a step in the right direction. If nothing else, we hope this essay gets you to stop and think before you make choices. We also hope you think about how you are currently using plastic.
Blessings,
Denise
For tips on how to begin your decluttering journey, you can Start Here, or snag a copy of the 30 Day Challenge (our Minimalism and Decluttering eBook).
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