I’m a yogi and a vegan and I work at Green Festivals, where I study and talk about sustainability, social responsibility and reducing one’s carbon footprint all day. Still I am so far from perfect.
My journey to conscious living is a journey where I am continuously learning about the consequences that each of my decisions hold- for my body, for the animals and for the planet.
There are so many ways to go about striving to live that perfect life: drive a Prius (or don’t), eat a vegan diet, eat organic, don’t use/buy plastic, only shop fair trade, plant a backyard farm…
The facts are tough to swallow:
- Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease. source
- The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. source
- 37% of adults report they are not physically active. Only 3 in 10 adults get the recommended amount of physical activity. source
- Things like this video “Farm to Table” happen to real animals every single day because most Americans choose to eat conventional animal products.
- We go through about two kitchen trash bags every week. I can’t help but think of where that trash goes…
Especially lately I’ve been digging into all the world’s problems are and what role my decisions play in it all. When I read about the world’s water crisis all day, I can’t help but analyze all the lost drops of water we waste in our house every day and all the other decisions we fall short on.
All this knowledge can weigh heavy on a person. I’ve begun to obsess.
At the end of the day I accept that not being perfect is part of being human, but that I can live consciously in every moment. I can educate myself and take responsibility for my actions in every moment.
How do you live a conscious life?
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Fabulous post!
I gave up meat and am working on giving up dairy (I still use butter and cheese but never drink dairy milk) and eggs.
I walk and take public transportation as much as I can, and drive my small, fuel-efficient car when I can’t.
I buy as little packaged food as possible, instead buying thins in bulk with re-usable containers.
There is always room for improvement but we can easily drive ourselves crazy. I recycle, use reusable water bottles but know I can do more. I always wonder where the trash goes…. when I have my own house I’ll have a compost pile : D
I can really relate to this post. I am in an academic program within law school that focuses on race and social inequality. Personally, I research and write about education and race. It’s easy to get bogged down in feeling like you need to do more or volunteer more or do something. I just try to remind my self that I am always being proactive and doing the best I can everyday.
You are a positive influence in world and that is a great thing!
Hi Ashley!
Here in Spain there are recycling bins on every other corner… and the Spaniard is insane about recycling! But the irony is it totally acceptable to litter (right next to the trash and recycling bins, mind you) … and don’t get me started on the smoking!
Every little bit helps. I recycle far more here than I did in the States. And I walk everywhere. What I wouldn’t give for a drivable city some days… but I know I will miss the walking when I return to Florida.
I’m so happy Ashville is treating you well! I love it there!
Thank you for this!
I try to live a conscious life. I’m the type of person that tears a paper towel down the middle to get two uses out of it, instead of just one! I would love to live somewhere where I could drive less, and walk more. But, that isn’t going to be for a while.
There are other things I could be better at (like taking shorter showers!) and it’s important to keep those things in mind. I plan on starting my own garden when we have a house too! I try to make our home as efficient as possible…I just wish others would think more about their choices.
i don’t think ANYONE can live perfectly. as long as you’re continuously trying to improve, that’s awesome!
i always use reusable shopping bags, i shop at our local organic farmers market (when it’s open – i live in wisconsin!), only use my reusable water bottle, and take public transportation to and from work every day. i definitely have a lot i could improve on, but i’m happy i’m at least conscious of it.
Thought you might be interested in this http://mycharitywater.org/
A friend of mine did this for the last marathon he ran. He was able to raise almost $5000 for the cause. Awesomeness.
Living consciously – I started taking a weekly yoga class. I get off the train a stop early to walk a bit before work, and I take the train every day instead of driving into Boston (though I wish I lived a bit closer to the station so I could walk…3 miles isn’t too bad, but it’s hard when it’s dark out.) We use degradable cat box liners, though I should use the corn-based litter too (it seemed like we went through it twice as fast as the Tidy Cat, though). I recycle as much as I can in an apartment where I don’t have a compost pile. I really want a vermicomposter, and I totally need to use the reusable water bottles I have (why is it so much harder for me to grab them off the top of the fridge?!) I’m also splitting a CSA share with my sister and mom, and I’m going to plan some herbs and tomatoes as soon as mother nature stops freaking out on the Northeast.
Long comment is long. =)
Absolutely love this post. Being so conscious about what goes on and into everything is such a gift and a curse. It’s a curse because, well, you know what likely went into that shirt you just bought. It’s a gift because it’s empowering when you realize that you don’t have to buy that shirt or whatever it is. You don’t have to support that. People start to ask you questions and the ideas spread.
Most importantly it’s what you do 90% of the time that truly matters. Like you said, we ain’t perfect. Let someone else worry about that.
Living a conscious life is so important – and one of the biggest ways that I feel like I do that is through a vegetarian diet. That being said, I feel like making small steps is the way for me to become more conscious. If I think about everything that I could (& should be doing), it totally gets overwhelming! I have to take it one step at a time (both for personal and world healthy) and am still learning to live with that! Loved and totally enjoyed this post!
Great post, Ashley!
To live a conscious life, I eat vegan, I recycle, I (try) to conserve energy and I limit my consumption by asking myself if I truly need the things I am about to buy. It can be tough though when you run into GREEN GUILT. I began to realize I was not Earth or environmentally conscious about everything in my life. I sometimes end up with things that are not organic or reusable because of cost or just plain convenience. I have to remember to do the best I can because its about the small steps I take that will add up in the end.
I feel your pain about awareness of all these unfortunate things weighing down on you, and it can be hard to avoid or make sense of. I try to take comfort in knowing that I’m doing what I can do to help people, whether that be through teaching yoga, my volunteer work or just my general interactions with people. I try to eat minimal animal foods as well (giving up greek yogurt is TOUGH), as I don’t agree with the methods in which many animals are raised and slaughtered.
This is a great post because it’s so easy to get caught in the “not doing enough” cycle. I’ve started thinking this week about all of the things that I’ve changed about my life and the things I’m trying to do better – buy a bike, eating towards a vegetarian/vegan diet, swapping out my products, talking to people about what they’re doing, etc.
What an interesting post and comments. I eat a vegetarian diet and have recently been cutting back on the amount of dairy I consume. I try to be conscious in my decisions, but it is really hard sometimes not to end up feeling guilty for not living ‘perfectly’. I guess we can all only try to educate ourselves and do the best we can at the time.
We just moved to a new neighborhood that has a great vibe to it. There’s a huge park across the street and several small businesses, restaurants, and a grocery store within walking distance. Everyone seems to be focused on keeping it local in this revitalized neighborhood but I realized there are very few recycling dumpsters. I am hoping to call the city and see if they can put more out. Recycling is so easy, it seems obvious!
Also, there are many websites that you can donate to in order to create safe drinking sources for entire communities.
Try not to beat yourself up, instead tell yourself that something is better than nothing. If you help just one person, doesn’t that make you feel better?
I loved your article because it encourages us to become aware of how we live and the choices we make. For me, that has meant moving towards a community-oriented lifestyle instead of the ‘fend for yourself’ mentality that has become very common in America.
I buy fresh (often organic) produce from local farmers, reduce packaging by buying in bulk, and reduce my driving by carpooling with friends. There are so many ways to address the problems we are facing today–it just takes a little creative thinking.
A friend of my husband came up with an online tool that has really helped organize ourselves as a community. It’s called SplitStuff (http://splitstuff.com). It makes it easy to participate in ʺcollaborative consumption,ʺ a new movement away from the consumerism of the past. We save money, gas, and time by buying in bulk as a group and then splitting the costs.
It really is like a breath of fresh air to hear how other people are also living consciously! Thank you for your wonderful article.