With more than 50,000 monthly readers, Everett Bogue’s highly popular, blog, Far Beyond the Stars, focuses on minimalism — the art of living with less in order to experience a rich and full life that is not defined nor dominated by possessions.
In the context of minimalism, “less” generally means fewer possessions and fewer extraneous activities. “Rich” means creating space and time to focus upon that which infuses your life with meaning. This could be family, life experiences, writing, travel, learning, yoga, gardening, a minimalist business, or something else entirely depending upon your own definition.
In a recent article entitled “How You Can Actually Help With the Gulf Oil Spill (but probably won’t),” Everett boils down the cause of the oil spill to you and me (and him).
That’s right, he says the oil spill is our fault because we drive.
His four-point solution to overcoming oil dependency is simple, but even he feared his readers would find it controversial:
1. Stop driving now
2. Stop buying stuff now
3. Eat local now
4. Share this message
Is Everett right?
Is Everett just trying to scare us or be sensational? Do we need to go this far? How much do we really need to give up? Do we need to stop driving our own car altogether? Or even give up our car? What about flying? Do we need to stop buying stuff period?
When do we need to start? Can we afford a 5 or 10 year gradual personal transition plan? Is blogging, speaking, and dreaming green really hitting the target or just creating a different mode of consumerism?
I think it’s critical to ask tough questions like these, to dialogue about them with others, and to take the time to boldly assess and change our own lifestyle.
Without the oil spill shake up, it might be easy to miss the far-reaching implications of our current level of oil use and just go on living the status quo. Being green is in vogue, but it doesn’t necessarily equate with reducing consumerism. Is there a danger of making a few eco-friendly changes, feeling self-satisfied, but still continuing in the same old oil consuming groove?
The green experts agree
The green experts align with Everett’s view. In an article at Treehugger, Matthew McDermott says that it’s not a question of whether we want to use less oil, but rather that “we will be using less oil in the future, whether by choice, by supply shortages, or a combination of these.” It appears that the idea of free choice may be a momentary illusion.
Since 71% of oil goes to transportation—transporting ourselves and the goods and foods we purchase, there’s no question that a radical reduction in driving and travel are required in a new green world. Matthew goes on to say that “…when it comes down to it, creating more communities where the average person’s daily needs are met on foot, on non-motorized vehicle and via public transportation, is the most critical piece of using less oil.”
This is the crucial message that is taking root in me: the biggest gains will come from a significant reduction in transportation – my own driving and flying and the transportation of goods that I buy. And yours too. We can make a difference, but only if we take significant steps.
Everett’s solution is for everyone to move to a city where they can walk or take public transportation. While the idea is good in principle, it may not be realistic for everyone to suddenly move to a city. There’s not enough space for one thing. However, we can apply the same logic underneath the idea wherever we live by driving less—a lot less—and shopping locally. We can also begin redesigning our communities to function with more regional practicality.
For example, I live in a pristine environment and have no intention of moving into a city filled with environmental pollutants. Instead, I work at home, keep my driving to a minimum and, as much as possible, access resources within a five mild radius of my home. I’m fortunate to have a chiropractor, physical therapist, plumber, car mechanic, farmer’s market, yoga and meditation courses, small gift shop, garage sales, and a community center in close proximity. These are conscious choices.
Sustainability dovetails with mindfulness—as learned via meditation—because it always comes down to being awake and aware with each and every choice I make, day in and day out. This is not the era to live on automatic or follow our well worn comfortable patterns of existence.
Other views of sustainable living
As you can probably tell, I’m fascinated by the question of sustainable living—what it looks like and how to get there. In another excellent article, Lynn Fang discusses the definition of sustainability from an ecological perspective and gives tips for how to live in a more sustainable way.
Raam Dev paints a beautiful, but different picture of sustainability as he explores the highest reaches of Nepal—a region and a people not yet fully spoiled by unsustainable, needless consumption.
“The fertile mountains were covered in fields of rice, corn, pumpkins, and potatoes. Tiny homes dotted the landscape. Rivers, fed by the monsoon rains, gushed down the hills creating an abundance of waterfalls and streams. This was the real Nepal. A country where the people had learned to embrace the land and respect it, where they had accepted hardship as a way of life and where the Earth had given them health and abundance in return; a place where sustainability was a way of life.”
Questions for reflection and discussion:
Do you agree with Everett? Is the answer so simple? Are you up for it? How far do you think we need to go?
You might also like:
- The follow up article: Leo Babauta: Can minimalism save the world?
- 11 ways to reduce your oil use
If you liked this article, please share the link with others. Thanks very much! Sandra
Great article, Sandra. It’s going to take a concerted effort. It’s true that Everett’s advocated lifestyle is eco-friendly on a basic level, and that if more people live this way, we’d see a reduction in ecological impact. But, like you say, not everyone can or will move to the city in order to make use of public transportation and local goods.
And, it’s not enough to make individual changes. There are things we can’t control in our individual worlds – such as public spaces, road and highway infrastructure, or public schools and libraries. We have to get out into our local communities, speak out for the change we want to see. If we want more bike-friendly roads, we have to get together with other bikers and try to make infrastructure changes to support bike highways, or bike-friendly public transit. This is really the toughest part, in my personal view. Individual action is easy. Collective action is more challenging. I think blogging is a great medium to support collective action.
Even if we are green and minimalist at home, we are not necessarily so in the workplace due to authoritative pressure.
The best thing about lifestyle change is that it is much more convincing and compelling to others that you are absolutely serious about trying to live lightly on the earth.
Anyway, it’s quite a complicated issue that deserves repeated discussion and attention. Thank you for bringing this up!
Lynn,
I really appreciate your comments. You raise so many relevant aspects to the issue – the main one being that personal change alone is not enough and the fact that the whole arena of public policy becomes much more complicated. I really appreciate the points that you bring to the table. It’s important to see that these are indeed complex issues.
My weakness is thinking in terms of public policy changes and how I can encourage and support them. Of course, the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 is one issue I’ve blogged about. I want to educate myself more on current public policy questions and also the ones that pertain to my own community and state.
Thanks so much for your comment. You always have so much to offer.
Dear Sandra, WOW!! What a post and how well you handled it. I don’t have the answers, but I too will most definitely NOT be moving to some city, I already live in a small city/large town and I have plan to move out it and back onto the land. AND YET, I also know that we all cannot go in our, what is it 8 billion something hoards, back to the land. I don’t think there is one answer that fits all. I do wonder if some of the decisions may be made for us down the road, IF we don’t start making them for ourselves, now.
I also would be curious to know where you live! LOL!! It sounds a wonderful mix of rural and yet community. I also loved what LYNN FANG wrote above when she said: “We have to get out into our local communities, speak out for the change we want to see. ” I think this is very key. Even if we get involved, and enough of us put our foot down and say, “No more chemical herbicides and pesticides are allowed in this community. No more plastic bags allowed in stores, etc., etc.” We have the power to create great change. In fact I think we ARE the change, the only change that is going to happen is going to come from each one of us, and “us” collectively in our towns, cities, states and countries.
I also loved my friend Tess’ comment below. Good questions raised there as well. I think this at least gets us all thinking and I believe no step is too small, we can all make immediate changes with little strain to ourselves or our families. I am not saying that it is always enough, but we all must do what we can, and nothing should be discounted as insignificant. My husband and I use only one car (by choice), as well as public transport, bicycle, walk, and share rides. We also shop at secondhand stores, and do a whole host of other things. I love minimalism and have lived it quite a bit at times in my adult life. I hate clutter, so I thrive on “simple”, and I hope to return to a very simple lifestyle in the next few years. But even that has to be taken into consideration, all that I do impacts the life around me. So many things to be aware of and to consider.
Dear Sandra, I am proud of you for raising such a HUGE topic and one that can be looked at in so many ways. I also admire you for respecting each varied view. You are a kind soul, who is also very wise and intelligent. I am enjoying getting to know you. Hugs, Robin :)
Dear Robin,
Thank you for offering your wonderful ideas. I was especially moved by your emphasis that no step is too small or should be considered insignificant. I also feel that having a positive viewand respect for others creates space for more change to occur.
I appreciate the steps your and your husband are consciously taking. It helps to share what we do to stimulate ideas for each other. You are so right that everything we do impacts the life around us and it’s always good to keep that in mind.
I live on the big island of Hawai’i, not too far from where the volcano flows into the ocean. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say “relatively”pristine. Nevertheless, it’s a far cry from being in the middle of a city. Our local culture is very laid back – people often work from their homes, no fancy offices. So I don’t live in the midst of lots of offices. I can just pop over to the neighbor who does chiropractic or who fixes cars in his yard.
You are right, we can’t all return to the land nor can we all move to a city so there needs to be a variety of solutions. It’s better to make our own decisions now while we still have the opportunity.
Robin, thank you so much for your very generous, sweet, and kind words. You are so encouraging and I appreciate your taking the time to comment. Can’t wait till your book comes out!
Hi Sandra,
I’ve not been to his website. My first question is does this guy have a family and if so how many children does he have? Because with a family and children the changes he suggests are not simple. In the US does he know how difficult it is to sell and buy another home?
It’s always to tell others what to do. When would he like us all to begin?
I think it all begins with penguin or baby steps. And eventually we all make progress. I also agree with the other commenter it’s easier to do individually. This guy also must assume that all couples are just going to agree to the same thing. Often person is willing to change before the other and maybe the other person in the partnership will never change. Then what does one do…move to the city alone?
Personally I don’t have all those things around me and we currently do have our home for sale and plan on moving to the city. Second, my car is eleven years old and when it dies we are going down to only one car. Hubs drives a Prius and commutes 1 & 1/2 hrs each way for work.
I’ll just end by saying no person has all of the answers for everyone. And when one thinks they know everything they know nothing. But you already new that!
Hi Tess,
Thanks for your dynamic and heartfelt response. You raise many good points!
I really don’t know the answers to all these questions about reducing oil consumption myself and that’s why I am posing them. Through this kind of dialogue, I think we can have a far clearer picture of the complexity of the challenge, it’s many facets, and the variety of elements that have to be addressed. It also helps us to have more understanding, tolerance, and compassion for each other.
I’m so glad you responded because you add several important perspectives!
Everett Bogue does not have children, but he does sometimes feature minimalist with families on his blog who share their motivation for this lifestyle and how it adds value to their lives.
I’m not necessarily for or against minimalism. I’m just trying to grapple with the question of where’s the balance point and how do we get there so we can leave a healthier planet for our children.
Thanks again for raising these important points.
Hi, Tess.
If you want the thoughts of a minimalist family man, You can’t do better than look up Joshua Becker, his concept is ‘Rational Minimalism’, which is exactly what it says on the tin!
Ev Bogue doesn’t claim to have the answer for everyone, just his own truth, it’s beyond mw, too, to live with less than 100 things, and go car free, but that doesn’t mean the principle isn’t well worth aiming for – ‘Aim for the stars, and maybe you’ll hit the Moon’ as they say ;o)
Hi Sandra,
I love the idea of minimalism in many ways but like any other thing it can be taken a little too far. I didn’t mean for you to come up with the answers. I was just getting it all off my chest! Thanks for giving me the space!
Tess,
I’m so happy you contributed to the conversation. I really hope my reply didn’t sound weird in some way because I really love you and your spirit so much! It’s comments like yours that help us understand the complexity of the situation and have compassion and tolerance for all. I’m really happy you said what you did and didn’t for a moment think you are asking me to come up with the answers. I’m just reporting that I definitely don’t know the answers and am just trying to sort my way through the process by asking open questions.
I like the way that minimalism stirs the thinking process. It’s not necessarily the right path for everyone. We are all different. It’s important to understand and respect that.
From a deeper perspective, it’s not necessarily the stuff that’s the problem but our attachment to it…at least that’s how I see it.
Sandra, thanks for your article, you’ve got my neurons spinning! (firing, more accurately) I’m thinking more and more now about political engagement, enough for a new future article and perhaps some personal changes. Funny how inspiration happens. Like Raam mentioned before, inspiration often happens in the quiet places, from passing conversations of strangers to online forums. Anyway, thanks again!
Lynn, I love to see spinning neurons! Can’t wait to see how this synaptic energy translates into a post and ideas for action. My pleasure to be part of the process.
Thank you Sandra for such an interesting and thought provoking article. Thanks to the rest of you for such a dynamic discussion. I really love Lynn’s comment about collective action. It really does take a village to make change. Acting alone is making a statement but collective action is strong and visible. Everett’s position is interesting….simplistic and unrealistic, at least for me. As much as I want to make these changes it is simply not feasible. Raam Dev really sums it up-if we all treat the earth as a place where ” people had learned to embrace the land and respect it, where they had accepted hardship as a way of life and where the Earth had given them health and abundance in return; a place where sustainability was a way of life”. That is just perfect. Keep on sharing Sandra, creating debate and conversation-that’s how change comes about.
Lori, Thanks for sharing your take on these ideas. We really do need to find ways to make it all feasible and realistic and not give up becomes it seems impossible or overwhelming. I really resonate with Raam’s experience in Nepal along with you.
I really appreciate your encouraging words too. Conversation is an important part of moving along the path to a greener future. Thanks so much, Lori.
What a great post and discussion thread. I’m glad things kept me away for a while so the dialogue could become robust.
Full disclosure: I follow Everett, though not as much as I use to. His story is inspiring though personally, I could never emulate it 100% with our family of five. It is about gleaning what you can and finding ways to apply it to your own situation. Striving to live a simple or minimalist lifestyle is one of the key elements of how I live deeply each day.
Now, about sustainability and sustainable living. Prior to starting The New Pursuit, I blogged for three years about our family’s efforts to live more sustainably both at home and in our surrounding community. Through that discovery, it become quite apparent that there are many things we can all be DOING to lesson our impact and footprints. You know how I feel about challenging the Throwaway Culture of Convenience we live in. I believe it is because of this culture — this longing for ever more convenience and luxury — that we now have ourselves in this predicament — environmentally, socially, spiritually.
I am also a firm believer in the peak oil theory. It is NOT a matter of if but when. There is a fantastic book out there called “$20 Per Gallon” by Christopher Steiner that presents a variety of scenarios of our future world as the price of oil/gas rises in response to diminished supply and increased demand. While our day-to-day living will be impacted greatly by more costly everything (so much is tied to petroleum), there are silver linings to be had — improved community, development of new technologies, social innovations to name a few.
But I agree with you 100% — When you boil it down, I personally believe that as individuals take steps to tap and develop their own inner being, their capacity to understand the domino effect of their choices and actions will lead to a greater awareness of our connection to this beautiful planet we call home. As this connection blossoms we will naturally begin to want to step more lightly; to take care of the finite amount of resources we have for ourselves and future generations of ALL beings (human or otherwise); to take care of the Mother from whom all life springs. This sense of ‘eco-being’ is what I believe the next evolution of the environmental movement is all about. Now, whether a degrading environment and/or abrupt shortage of oil/energy expedites this is a whole other matter…
Thanks for sparking such a great conversation! Be well.
Hi Bill,
I love hearing your perspective as a father with a family of five committed to creating a conscious eco-friendly world.
I’m new to all this so I feel I can learn so much from you, Lynn, and Lori. I appreciate hearing the themes that you highlight like the “throwaway culture of convenience” because these give us handles for change. It also helps me to hear about books and people’s scenarios for what the future will look like if we keep going in the same direction because I haven’t done much reading on the topic yet. So thank you very much.
I also feel an interconnection with you because of your emphasis on “being’ and now “eco-being.” I feel like I blog about the intersection of body, mind, spirit, and environment and you do too!
So thanks for all that you have shared here and taking time contribute to the conversation. I value your input.
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Great Sandra,
I have incorporated some into my life already.
Work at a place walking distance from home. eating local veggie’s.
Talking about this to other people is what i need to do now.
love,
varuni
Varuni,
Thanks for sharing your positive actions. Talking to others is an important step too. All the best to you.
Hi Sandra
Thank you for introducing Everett, I have not heard of him or his site, but it sounds right up my alley!
Earlier this year, my husband and I decided to change our lifestyle to a more and natural one. We sold our suburban house, one of two cars and a lot of our already few things. It felt amazing! Now we get the majority of our veggies through a local shared agriculture program, and we will be growing some of our own too. And this is all just the beginning for how much more we will change our lifestyle to be the healthiest for us and our Earth.
So how far would I go? Far… today for me life is all about living in nature as natural as possible. I do agree with Everett for the most part because I think we are at a critical enough time that drastic measures need to be taken. Sitting back and saying “well… we need an “x” amount of years to implement this not to hurt the economy” just won’t work anymore.
If we act today, and if we act smart not only can we make a better world and life for ourselves, but we can have an even better economy.
Thanks for this – it lights up my passions!
Hi Evita,
I love reading your story when I first visited your blog. You and your husband have made such wonderful changes on many different levels. It’s exciting to hear that it’s just the beginning and I look forward to hearing more about your positive evolution.
I agree that we are at a critical time and it’s a good time to be bold about lifestyle changes.
Glad that you are enjoying the passionate conversation! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate hearing from you.
He’s right. We have a tendency to blame an always hidden hand for fucking up our planet, society and governments.
If we were to just stop whining and start looking at what WE are doing we’d finally get somewhere.
Drive minimally. Be vegan.
Hello Ali, I agree – it never helps to blame others and in the end only harms you. At the same time, I think it’s important to hold governments and corporations accountable. You’re right – looking at what WE are doing is empowering and a way to get the momentum moving.
I don’t see the point in looking at anyone else while there are things I can improve about myself. Firstly, it would be hypocritical, secondly, leading by example is the most powerful thing anyone can do- integrity is power.
Otherwise we’re so deluded about ourselves and the world that we don’t actually know what are problems and what aren’t. Hence the armies of environmentalists who eat meat and drink milk and will end up helping the big picture as much as everyone else will.
Introspection, self-cultivation first. Then look at the neighbourhood. then the country, then the world. In that order. That’s just how life works.
Starting at the top just serves to rearrange the trouble.
I am fully in accord with looking at one’s own mind and actions first.
I don’t understand what you mean by this sentence though:
“Hence the armies of environmentalists who eat meat and drink milk and will end up helping the big picture as much as everyone else will.”
It would seem like you are actually saying the opposite.
Ha – I was trying to write a negative in a positive… turned out a bit convoluted ooops!
Try this: “…who are 80% as responsible for environmental degradation and climate change as everyone else”
The trouble is that self-cultivation takes time and headspace… while chasing the bad guys out there in the world leaves us with little of both.
By the way, to clarify… (!)
Talking about big action, it’s not that we shouldn’t do anything and instead focus entirely on ourselves. The difference is intention and motivation.
When your heart cries out and won’t let you do anything but try to make a change, it’s different. It’s far more likely to be positively reinforcing – and it will be coming from a deeper, truer level of self. In that case there’s no concepts of outcome or scale… it’s just right.
When it comes intellectually, as in ‘I know all the answers and I’m going to make a difference,” your actions is more likely to be shallow, ineffective, destructive and not followed through. Plus no one will listen because the world is full of talkers.
Hope it’s eloquent enough.
Hi Sandra, interesting discussion. :) I find I disagree with Everett on several points. First is that he lets BP and the government off the hook completely. BP has been totally unconcerned with the environment or even the lives of its own employees for years. The regulators allowed the drilling while their own reports indicated that a leak like this could be catastrophic. In fact, BP was allowed to go ahead without a real contingency plan for disaster. As Lynn pointed out, we need collective action because nothing is preventing an oil spill from destroying another body of water tomorrow. That’s much more harmful than me putting 4,000 miles a year on my car.
Secondly, even if everyone stopped driving and buying “stuff” tomorrow, that wouldn’t solve the oil problem. We still use fossil fuels to heat and cool our homes, use the internet, and get the veggies to the store. Sure, I choose renewable energy for my electricity, but we don’t have close to the capacity to go “green” if everyone wanted to.
Thirdly, local food is great if you can get it. I live in Texas, and big agribusiness means that much of my food is produced 2,000 miles from here whether I like it or not. I have read articles from people who tried to eat within a 100 mile radius and it was difficult to do in Central California which is the center of US agriculture.
Hi Jennifer,
I think you are right, we can’t just let BP and the government off the hook altogether. Your points do highlight that the situation is complex and requires a multi-dimensional approach. However, if we did stop driving and buying stuff, it would decrease our need for oil radically – by 71% including the transportation of food and goods. That’s a lot and it would put an entirely different face on the issue and the threat. I’m not sure that anyone is thinking we can remove oil out of the equation entirely.
So it may not be realistic to stop consuming totally, but how much is realistic? That’s my question. In terms of the food question, we managed to eat and survive prior to big agribusiness so I believe that’s very do-able, but it requires a transition and it may require limited choices. I rarely eat anything produced by big agribusiness so I know this is possible, but it is more difficult in some locations.
But I think we are not talking “life as usual” but a new life or as Bill call’s it a “new pursuit.”
Thanks for adding to the conversation. I appreciate the points you raised.
I LOVE this thread of discussion. Exactly what blogging should be all about!
Consumption takes on so many forms. Some obvious, some not so obvious. Much of the material things we consume are tied in one way or another to carbon-based energy — whether for the mining of raw materials, the manufacturing, the distribution, the storage, the drive-to-the-store-and-back process of buying it, etc. If you are talking about food production — and specifically Big Ag food production — then you need to factor in all the energy that goes into the farming process, the manufacturing of the chemical fertilizers, the distribution… you get the picture.
So yes, reducing our consumption can contribute to reducing our dependence on energy in general — whether that is carbon based or not. Fostering the development of local (and where we can, organic) food systems helps. Supporting the development of more local-based micro and regional economies can help (check out Bill McKibben’s “Deep Economy” for a fantastic read on that subject).
Evita’s declaration to reduce consumption greatly resonates with me. (I do have delusions of homesteading off-grid grandeur from time to time.) Will I be living with less than 50 things any time soon? Probably not because my current work and life situation makes that difficult (though I’m working to change that!). But as we turn inward and find joy and happiness in ourselves, in others, in the magnificence of Nature, in the relationships we have in our communities, there should be a lessening of our consumption as a matter of natural course.
At the end of the day, I believe the transition to a truly ‘sustainable’ society will be driven by both a bottom-up (individuals, consumer-driven) and top-down (government then business) approach. We’re seeing the growing groundswell of the former now, fanned by the slow movements of government (American, at least) and Big Business. Eventually, the latter will come around. What I don’t have a sense of is what the drivers of that latter approach will be. Proactive? Or reactive in the face of some dire environmental, social, or economic situation.
Time will tell. Until then, we all have a responsibility to ourselves, to all the other beings we share this world with, and to the planet itself — to do our part to live more responsibly and in greater harmony with the resources that make ALL of our lives — minimalist or not — possible.
I think you are right Bill when you say: “But as we turn inward and find joy and happiness in ourselves, in others, in the magnificence of Nature, in the relationships we have in our communities, there should be a lessening of our consumption as a matter of natural course.” With awareness, there’s a natural ecology that comes about and therefore everything is not so predictable. It makes sense that change will occur from all directions, but hopefully I won’t be due to more dire circumstances. This is beautiful: …”we all have a responsibility to ourselves, to all the other beings we share this world with, and to the planet itself — to do our part to live more responsibly and in greater harmony with the resources that make ALL of our lives — minimalist or not — possible.”
Bill, I agree very much with this statement: “At the end of the day, I believe the transition to a truly ‘sustainable’ society will be driven by both a bottom-up (individuals, consumer-driven) and top-down (government then business) approach.”
A large grassroots social movement has yet to form from the woodwork, to press industry and government to stop their irresponsible behavior, or to separate the hold industry has on government.
Lifestyles will have to change if we want to be truly sustainable, and with that comes changes in mindset, lifestyle adjustments, and personal growth. But at the same time, it is not the only important factor in turning our society around.
Ali,
I was reflecting on these words of yours during my afternoon walk:
“Introspection, self-cultivation first. Then look at the neighbourhood. then the country, then the world. In that order. That’s just how life works.”
I fully agree with you about the benefit of introspection and self cultivation. They are an important emphasis in my life. But what came to my mind is that people don’t necessarily function in a linear fashion going from A to Z as you propose. I don’t think this is how life works really works. People have so many different paths. Some people start with politics first and only later move into introspection and maybe never at all. But that doesn’t automatically mean they don’t make a contribution even if their behavior is sometimes inconsistent. None of us are fully consistent. People come at things from all different angles and lots of times zig-zag around. You never know what will suddenly turn on the light bulb for someone. So I’m tending to agree with Tess that not any of us know the right way or right prescription for everyone.
Sandra, my path started in politics and was very zig-zagging. I’ve always been very introspective, but considered politics the path to change for a long time. Then a number of light bulbs hit in different areas, and came to the realization that individual action is crucial to wider change. But now I’m seeing that individual action alone is not enough, that we must unite as a community to take collective action. And that will bring about the bottom-up and top-down change that Bill described.
Ali, I think people arrive at similar conclusions via different paths. Yours makes sense, and I’ve been seeing the world through that lens for the past few months, but it’s not the only mindset for living with integrity or promoting social change.
Lynn, the same light bulb is flashing off in my mind too. Individual action is important and so in personal congruence, but to effect widespread change there has to be collective action as well. People start where they are, and that can be almost any place.
Loved this post, Sandra!
What I have discovered by becoming a nomad and living with only what I can carry on my back (25 things) is that life with less doesn’t need to mean less life — in fact, it means more life through increased freedom, independence, and choice.
Rediscovering the art of borrowing, lending, and sharing has been incredible and I think we can all find ways to incorporate more of those into our lives — they automatically lead to more sustainable living.
Raam, Thanks for bring this vital point to the conversation. I don’t know much about minimalism but from what I’ve read so far this seems to be the core lesson. And you express it so beautifully. The point that impresses my mind is the giving up isn’t a hardship but brings so much joy and value into life.
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Hi Sandra,
Glad to catch up with this post after computer problems kept me offline.
I’m also very interested in what I think of as the health of our planet (AKA sustainability). Like you, I found that Everett Bogue’s post got me wondering about what steps I can/should take to do my part to decrease our dependence on oil. I wrote about it here: http://bit.ly/dr6l6K
Although we may not always agree on what we need to do in our own lives, I think Everett, you and I all agree that each of us must take action. It’s just too easy to blame “big oil” and continue our unsustainable ways.
Hi Eileen,
Sorry about your computer troubles! It’s wonerful to hear how Everett Bogue’s post had a positive influence for you. I’m so glad you have explored this topic on your blog too.
You are right – our methods may be different but we all agree action is imperative!
Thanks so much for stopping by.