"Going green" can address so many areas of your life. From choosing the safest and eco-friendly food for you and your family to choosing the most non-toxic brand of eye-shadow being a conscientious green citizen can be overwhelming.
Over the last decade, I have logged countless hours reading the latest research, reading the most current magazines, even interviewing dozens of eco-entrepreneurs and product designers to glean their secrets to going green. Indeed, I could fill several books with the green tips, ideas and suggestions for sustainability that I have gathered over the years. Come to think of it, many books have been written on the "right" way to go green. And I probably have most of those books on my bookshelf!
As with any situation with too many options, it can be overwhelming and cause a sort of change-paralysis. When it comes to making green changes in your life you may feel, "there's just too much to do , so I just won't, can't or don't have time to do anything!" And truly, I can't blame anyone for feeling that way. I know I've felt this sentiment before.
The perspective that has helped me to make the shift and to take action actually came more from my yoga practice and the quest to find my authentic voice. It took my journey of looking around and inward to realize that everyone, every single person has an amazing unique way of looking at the world, and that hours spent trolling Facebook and Twitter weren't going to result in some magic mix of comments and quotes that finally inspired me to action.
What did inspire me to action was the realization that the way I choose to go green is beautiful. I did not have to be any "type" of activist or any specific "brand" of eco-leader. All I had to do was to go back to what I know about myself. To trust my the most inner-voice and to stop long enough to actually listen to my own intuition. We all have this voice inside of us.
I realized that it's important for me to choose to focus on what is most important to me and share that message by living it. Going green is not about suffering, denying yourself the things you love or going without. It's about reassessing what is most important to you. It can be about truly listening to your inner voice and going with what is right for you, whether it's trying to eat more vegan meals, or learning about how to avoid toxins in personal products. You become the change in your world and inspire others by living according to your own rules. Going green in your own authentic style truly is beautiful. A great example of this very attitude is Hovey Lee. She has not given up anything in style or beauty to create an eco-friendly line of amazing accessories. She is the new eco-preneur, combining beauty and a respect for Mother Earth. Love it!
Check out how I go green here at TheEcoDiva.com where I decided that choosing eco-friendly style does not mean giving up a sense of luxury. Ethical luxury is my motto for fashion and beauty, and this inner knowing of what I believe allows me to walk this earth lightly and in my own personal way. What's your green style?
Thank you for the lovely and thoughtful post Elena! I think you hit an important point and that is to really start with what's most important to you. If you care enough of that one thing you're much more likely to make some real change on that. For us jewelry is our life line and we are trying very hard to make the necessary change in the process, our passion keeps us going!
ReplyDeleteHovey, thank you for the opportunity to share my words, thoughts and musings on this amazing life ;).
ReplyDeleteWow! Such an amazing and helpful post this is. I really really love it. It's so good and so awesome. I am just amazed. I hope that you continue to do your work like this in the future also nurse hat
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