My Wants, My Needs, My Desires

The year 2020 gave me pause.

Not only in the physical sense but also gave me pause to think - to simply BE still in the moment. I stayed home like so many, however unlike millions thrown into chaos around the world I stayed home in the countryside. Trees surrounded me, vegetable plants grew to be eaten directly from the garden. I had room to breathe, to walk outside on 38 acres without bumping into anyone - without the need to social distance or mask up. I felt myself pause and allow Mother Earth to embrace me in a comforting hug.

It was insane to see that my version of 2020 was so very different from the reality of so many others.

I saw the world at a crucial point or shift in consciousness of the harm being done in the pursuit of want. This pause allowed me to slow down - to feel the world slow down. The pause allowed me to understand that it was up to me to stop adding to the burial of My Planet under the weight of My Wants and Needs.

I cannot rescue the whole world nor everybody in it. I cannot change the habits of others when I don't live their lives. I can, however, change my habits and with every single change I make I impact My World - and I make a difference.

2020 has allowed me to see with 20/20 clarity that every single thing I want - and buy - adds to the earths demise. I may not be the person who throws litter out of the car. I may not be the person who buys clothes for a day or two only to toss them aside when fashions change. I am however the person who with everything I buy I impact the world.

I buy vegetables and fruit at the Farmers Market - I take my own bags and I eat all that I buy. I put the discarded leaves etc into the compost. All good! I do however drive to the Farmers Market so I start off in a debit...to get to a credit.

I bought an electronic book reader - in debit once again to start as it has parts that will break down one day (like my mobile phone) and I will have to throw it out. Credits do ping in though as I no longer drive to the book shop or library to get a book to read - and I am an avid and fast reader. I also save trees from being farmed - and all the associated costs to the earth in growing and harvesting the trees to make paper to make books. Does it balance? I don't know.

I try not to buy products encased in plastic or other environmentally harmful materials - for example horror upon horror polystyrene packaging. However, sometimes those very best of intentions get lost in the products that I buy - read Want - that are heavily packaged. It is so tricky.

I try to tell myself it is only this one time...or say "people should stop using so much packaging" but this isn't about other people it is about My Wants.

20/20 became the year that I started to take Self Responsibility for My Wants. I can be a consumer who is sold all manner of stuff and say "other people should..."

Or...I become a conscious consumer and ask the following three questions when I go to purchase - everything.

"How important are these things that I think I need?"

"Will they add to the quality of my life?"

"Will their role in my life balance the affect the production etc has on Planet Earth?"

If I ask these questions of everything I purchase - and take responsibility for the processes that got this product (the making and the traveling and the packaging) to me and responsibility for the product and it accompanying packaging as its use finishes for me.

So - to be clear. I am not halfway - nowhere near - to following these questions with everything I purchase. However the point here is that I have defined that my impact on this earth is directly related back to my wants, my needs, my desires - for more...and more disposable stuff that is slowly killing this planet. My Wants.

I can make an impact - I already do - however I can make change that will change my impact that my living brings every day to this earth.