There is a new book out by Annie Leonard with quite the title: The Story of Stuff: How Our Problem with Overconsumption Is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health--and a Vision for Change. Whew! Although the title is long, the "Three Steps for Radical Spring Cleaning" that Spirituality & Health (Mar/Apr 2010) pulled out of it and put on their Best Practice page really hit me!
- Ask yourself, "Who really wants this stuff?" Is it truly our own want, or is it the world at large that is giving us the idea that we need all this?
- Align your time with your values. As we spend more and more time working and having "screen time," our face-to-face social activities (both personally and on a community level) are decreasing. And the formula is actually quite simple: the more time we spend doing things that make us happy, the happier we will be! (Remember all those studies on gratitude?)
- Share. I'm going to quote this one directly. "Sharing means buying less, spending less, wasting less. Really, does every household need a lawn mower, Bundt pan, a scanner, a ladder? Sharing also requires conversations, so it builds community. More friends--less stuff! See www.sharingsolutions.com for tips on getting started."
Writing the "green article" that is coming out next month was incredibly inspiring to me! I really felt that we (my family) were doing OK with the whole green thing--and we are--but there are so many other ideas out there! It is so fascinating. So many things to try if you are up for it!
So for me . . . Stuff? I'm really over it--except for books and magazines, of course! But more stuff around my house? Not really needing it. And of course, isn't there always kid stuff lying around?
Aligning my time with my values. Yes. That is something that needs to be done. I've got a lot of my time right now going towards things that are not rocking my world. That will be changing soon.
And sharing? I remember reading another article about this where some guy on the East Coast had a tool "lending library," and his neighbors and friends would just borrow what they needed. I thought it was a great idea then, and I think it is an even better idea now! Of course, I love my kitchen stuff too, but it's great to borrow my friend's neighbor's lobster pot on New Years Eve instead of having to store one at my house! Hey, Alice! I guess we were eco-cool before we even realized it!
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