Daring to be

I have a dream to leave the world better than I found it. This dream is a big one. Trust me, I get that. In many ways it’s paralyzing. But I am a determined little nugget.

I am going to embark on a new lifestyle journey.

This interest was sparked earlier this year when I learned about minimalism. Through exploring different social media I learned about zero waste living and the potential and meaning of eco-friendly living. I found it all fascinating.

Minimalism was a concept that intrigued my mind. The idea of having less but with more meaning. A way of truly living a life with the premise of quality over quantity. A goal that is in complete opposition to U.S. society consumed with capitalism. I was enticed by the challenge.

I was already familiar with certain elements of being eco-friendly considering the growth of the green movement and the hot button topic that is climate change. I even remember learning about recycling in elementary school. I soaked in all the information. I was most moved by all the dangerous ways animals come into contact with people’s waste on landfills and the ocean. To this day, I can still see the picture of a duck being choked from soda can rings. I never go without cutting the plastic that holds the soda cans together.

It’s now that I realize my mom has been preaching zero waste when it comes to food for years. She constantly complained about how wasteful First-World nations can be. She always encouraged my sisters and I to not waste, primarily our food. Zero waste just made sense to me. It’s a simple concept at its core. The main premise is to cut back on the waste you create in your life.

I thought each lifestyle had something unique to offer myself and my community.  All this new found insight inspired me to boldly change my lifestyle.

Now here I go embarking on this journey to be a more conscious consumer with my own personal flavor. Living in the U.S. today makes it challenging to be a conscious consumer with capitalism (aka buy buy buy) oozing out at every turn. There are opportunities for days to be wasteful and hurtful to the environment. The list is a long one with plastic in everything and a high reliance on oil, but I won’t do that to you.

Despite known challenges I want to begin this journey. This blog will be a way for me to document this journey and inspire others. This blog will have elements of eco-friendly, zero-waste, and minimalism living swirled into one. It will also include the scratches and bruises that come with starting a new journey in my effort to be as real as I can be. I don’t claim to be an expert in these lifestyles but a willing learner.

I do believe starting this journey will get me to a new level of happiness and peace. In addition to my faith, this can help me obtain more out of life. I know I can make my community better than I found it by starting on myself.

So cheers to living a more conscious consumer life and to having a more fulfilling life with less!