Self-Reliance Equals Power
Sustainable living isn’t just about recycling or making more responsible shopping choices; it’s also about learning to live a more self-sufficient life, and the peace and happiness that comes along with that. Here’s how you can experience these benefits of self reliance for yourself….
Of course we share a lot of tips on how to live a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle on this blog, but today we wanted to discuss a more philosophical aspect of sustainable living.
You see, you may start out just by recycling more of the trash your family generates, or maybe you thought you’d save some money and produce less waste by switching to more efficient light bulbs or appliances. Perhaps you decided to grow some of your own food, or just cook more of it from scratch yourself.
No matter where you started, or how small of a step you took, you will soon find that sustainable living quickly becomes addictive! Once you start paying attention to the environment around you, you’ll see more and more opportunities to protect the planet – as well as your own health, as you will realize we are all connected, and what we do impacts everything else. This will lead you to make healthier choices in many areas of your life, and, as an added bonus, as the family below discovered, many of these changes will actually end up saving you money as well!
You’ll likely also find, as she did, that self reliance is so empowering, you’ll want to do more and more to take responsibility for your own lifestyle.
As you do so, you’ll find a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment that was somehow missing in your life before. This is the true gift of sustainable living – and one that I hope we will all someday learn to achieve!
Happy New Year, and may the year ahead bring you more joy, satisfaction, and health than ever before!
Check out this article for some easy tips for living a more simple, sustainable, and self-sufficient lifestyle:
I started this journey decades ago for environmental reasons when I lived in the city. I’d discovered that the plastic tub my favorite yogurt was sold in wasn’t recyclable, so I sat out to see if I could make my own homemade yogurt to eliminate that daily piece of landfill-bound trash. As it turns out it was way easier (and CHEAPER) to make myself than the advertising folks led me to believe.
Hmmmm… wonder what else was I misled about? Is it really too difficult, complicated or time-consuming to do things for myself? I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find out the answer is almost always: NO – IT’S EASY!
Voluntary Simplicity is Less Expensive
And here’s a bonus: Self reliance is almost always also less expensive, sometimes by quite a bit. Each task I take up is another drop in our budget bucket by way of money not spent…. So, I started pouring those drops into the bucket as fast as I could. I learned to cook from scratch, make my garden more productive and to preserve what the garden produces. Awesome! What else can I do?
……………………………………………………….Repurposing is Powerful!
My battle cry these days is “use what you’ve got.” We repurpose what we already have instead of throwing it away and buying another whatsit to fill a need….
…………………………………………………….Do What You Can, Where You Are NOW!
We’re all in different places in our lives — some are just starting out on their own, some are raising a family, some are empty nesters — and all stages in between. But no matter if you live in a small apartment or have acreage in the country, voluntary simplicity offers something for everyone since self-reliant steps can be based on the time and space you have available now.
……………………………………………………………….Start using cloth napkins and shun the repeated purchase of disposable napkins. As a matter of fact, look at all your disposables and see if there’s a better way. Or grow some of your own food. Don’t have a place for an outdoor garden? Plop some small veggie plants into containers on your balcony…. And everyone no matter where they live has to clean — learn to make your own cleaning supplies and you’ll save money, plus homemade versions have less chemicals in them. Win/win….
So start today. Don’t buy into the advertising telling you that you aren’t capable of doing it yourself! Learn the simple things you can start right now and build on it as you gain confidence. You may find, like me, that the difference you make in your life can be game changing!
Check out the full article at MotherEarthNews.com…
