Sorry to have been MIA for awhile, but unfortunately life got in the way (in the form of a totaled vehicle - don't worry though, I'm fine!) but I am back and ready to discuss with you some matters of importance.
Well, that's a bit dramatic - but still, what I want to talk about IS very important. I have found that in life, I usually do not find things worthwhile unless I'm actively learning from them. I don't like to watch tv shows that have no substance, I don't like to read books that don't teach me anything, and I don't like going to classes where my brain is being fried rather than nurtured. I feel as though as humans, we all feel similarly; we don't like to waste our time. That's why a lot of people are unreceptive to the idea of ethical and sustainable living. I get it, I really do. It's a TON of research. You can't just breeze through life everyday and buy the things you want. For a lot of people, that's a problem. The reason we have gotten stuck in such a vicious cycle of a quick buy is because we simply do not have the time to live any other way. The easiest thing to do will always be to choose fast food, to buy disposable dishes, to drink from plastic water bottles, and to buy cheaply made fashion. But just because something is easy, doesn't make it right. To prove to you that fast fashion is worth your while (beyond the monetary benefits I have already discussed), I thought it would be nice to compile a list of things I have learned from changing my lifestyle to what it is now. This way you can at least see that dedicating your time and effort to this cause will benefit you by teaching you things you never thought you would learn. 1) Less IS more This is something I talk about pretty often, and if I could scream it from the rooftops, I would. This is such an important concept to grasp - but it's sometimes difficult to see things this way. Why do you think fast fashion retailers like Forever 21 do so well? It's because people prefer quantity. Personally, I can now see that this is one big fat lie, created by those who benefit from you buying more rather than buying less. I know that the point of a business is to get you to buy their products, but by making things that they know aren't going to last more than a few months and compromising the quality of their items just to make a buck, they are going about it in the completely wrong way. Trust me, I'm a business student - and unfortunately for them, due to the way numbers are looking recently, it seems like more and more people are starting to pick quality over quantity. Since beginning my journey, minimalism has been at the forefront of my mind. You can't live sustainably without thinking about this concept. I know that minimalist catch a lot of flack these days, but hey, give it a chance! I have been practicing purchasing less for the past few months and I have never been happier. My bank account has also never been fuller. Though I look in my closet and my pantry and see empty space, it doesn't make me feel bad - in fact, it makes me feel good! Everything has a purpose on that rack or on that shelf, nothing is just sitting there collecting dust. Imagine how that must feel? 2) Less trash bags mean more time for fun Now, as a college kid, I hate trash build up. I live with 3 other girls and let me tell you - we can make a mess sometimes. That's why when you start living sustainably and start using your silverware rather than plasticware, you come to realize that life is meant to be lived with as minimal trash runs as possible. Even if you don't live with others, it doesn't matter. Taking out the trash will ALWAYS be a hassle. It's also a huge waste, as well. We could reduce our trash runs tenfold, if we would just decrease our plastic use and take care of the kind of packaging we buy our products in. Once we start doing that, we can spend more time lounging around or getting active, rather than carrying out all the useless waste we make in 2-3 days. By reducing my trash runs to only once a week, and also making sure to keep it all in one bag as well, I have found that I don't spend as much time dreading taking out the trash. I don't spend as much time making trash either. It gives me more time to do things I enjoy and the landfills aren't being bombarded with several unnecessary bags of my garbage. See? Everyone wins. 3) A shower is not meant to be an event We've all spent too long in the shower. I'm guilty of it, you're guilty of it, we've all done it. But here's the thing, a shower is not supposed to be long. It's supposed to get the job done and then be over. Most of us don't even need to shower when we do, it's just become a habit. It's similar to how we overly wash our clothes because we feel like one wear is enough to get an item of clothing thoroughly dirty. Now it's different if you sweated a lot that day or labored out in the yard and collected a far amount of dirt on yourself, but even then, a shower is NOT meant to be an event. Get in, get clean, and get out. You may ask why I'm so passionate about this and it's simple really. There is never a good excuse to waste water. Taking a shorter shower is a lot like turning off the faucet whenever you are brushing your teeth - it's just the smartest and most efficient thing to do. It's also one of the easiest things to do. Taking shorter showers was a hard transition for me, I'll admit that. I enjoy a good long shower and sometimes miss the feeling of allowing my troubles to wash away, but I've learned that I feel better about myself when I know I'm not wasting water. To be honest, that feels better than any long shower ever could. So, now that you see that a sustainable lifestyle is something you can end up learning from, is it worth your while? Does it change your perception and make you see the importance of being conscious of your choices? We only have one Earth - and we need to do everything in our power to take care of it. If that means learning a few lessons and making some changes, don't you think it's worth it?
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About MeA marketing student passionate about green marketing and attempting to live a sustainable lifestyle. Archives
June 2018
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