I know what you mean...I love the way a book feels in my hands. I have to keep myself away from bookstores sometimes because I can't help but buy one! Money well spent I'm thinkin.
Living in a more conscious way is, I think, the best thing a person can do. I wish I could say I've never shopped in Walmart but my lifestyle hasn't been adjusted for me to stay out of there forever. I'm working on it, and on some of the other good things you've listed. "being observant about what's making me happy and what's making my family happy and acting in ways that promote that"- this is so much more important than making sure you don't have too many possessions. And I think, perhaps, that when you achieve that level, the rest will follow and you'll find you don't need things anyway. Maybe. If not, you'll still have a happy family :)
April 23, 2008 at 3:24 PM
in my quest for living in a more conscious way (i'll stop trying to say it's simple or frugal, because it's simply not that, at least not the moment), i've done the following (have i mentioned that i love lists?): started a food journal--where i write about what i eat--recording recipes, experiments, fabulous meals in restaurants, just the everyday food on the table.ordered an organic box of fruit and veggies to be delivered every friday. i make a concerted effort to USE UP what's in the box (i'll admit i don't always succeed, but i'm getting better).buy økologisk/organic--whenever i possibly can, even if it means spending more (and unfortunately, it often does, tho' it's getting better).thinking about the "food miles" it took for the food i put on my table to get to me and making choices not to buy things if i think the way it came to me is not environmentally sustainable.never, ever buy the eggs from the chickens that were kept in those nasty cages.take my bike and/or public transport as much as possible.buying handmade on etsy when i need gifts for people.wines made from organic grapes. (now if they' just come out with organic gin, i'd be in heaven.)not shopping in wal-mart or other places where the employees aren't treated properly.being observant about what's making me happy and what's making my family happy and acting in ways that promote that.working in a place that makes me happy and in which i am both fulfilled and appreciated for my talents.being kinder, more thoughtful and simply more observant towards my friends.watching little or no t.v.listening to public radio.less chemicals/perfumes/hormones in my home (no overly-perfumed fabric softeners, environmentally-friendly cleaning products, natural-based soaps and detergents, less plastics).of course there is much more i can do. and perhaps i'll learn a whole bunch of new things from my new books. because frankly, despite the angst of the earlier post, i ADORE them. new books totally rock. they actually SMELL good and they feel good. they're wonderful. they LOOK beautiful and i haven't even read the words yet. but i'm going to start now...
2 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formI know what you mean...I love the way a book feels in my hands. I have to keep myself away from bookstores sometimes because I can't help but buy one! Money well spent I'm thinkin.
Great list!
April 23, 2008 at 8:17 AM
Living in a more conscious way is, I think, the best thing a person can do.
I wish I could say I've never shopped in Walmart but my lifestyle hasn't been adjusted for me to stay out of there forever. I'm working on it, and on some of the other good things you've listed.
"being observant about what's making me happy and what's making my family happy and acting in ways that promote that"- this is so much more important than making sure you don't have too many possessions. And I think, perhaps, that when you achieve that level, the rest will follow and you'll find you don't need things anyway. Maybe. If not, you'll still have a happy family :)
April 23, 2008 at 3:24 PM