Note: This is an old favorite article of mine that still rings true today. In light of Oprah's talk show ending after 25 years, I wanted to share the article again. And to prove that the woman behind the show can truly inspire, because she lives what she sets out to do.
If you’re wondering is this Oprah talking, you might also wonder what she views as the Best Life for her audience. Since my audience likes the planet we live in and wants to protect it, I believe, like Oprah, that your Best Green Life has to start with your core being. Your attitude on how you would like your green living to begin.
I think the essence of becoming our best green living selves is that we begin to respect our natural resources. If we can give respect for the stuff we own now and learn how to use them properly and maintain those items and products for as long as possible, then maybe we can treat nature properly and with much respect.
Personally, shifting my attitude in the way I owned my stuff took me a while. Because I didn’t really have the idea that caring for what was in my closets or drawers, used daily or once in a Blue Moon, needed a sincere thoughtful look. I didn’t have deep insight into what having each of these items really meant to me.
I was that type of customer who would go into a clothing store and buy a ton of T-shirts, because it was on sale at 2 shirts for $10. I didn’t even need those shirts at the time. I just felt like “Why not?” Or “Who cares if I get another shirt to stuff in my closet?”
I love T-shirts, and I didn’t care how many I bought and from where. Well, I should have cared because my attitude in buying those extra shirts would eventually have a consequence. The consequence being my attitude to get those shirts just made the decision to create an environmental impact, and not in a good way.
I wasn’t living a green life instead I was creating a place of unintentional stuff. T-shirts that I thought would look cool to wear began to look like uninvited guests. I sort of forgot the real reason I had this pile of shirts in the first place. The reasons behind my buying a lot of shirts had no foundation. Back then I wasn’t looking through my closets for shirts I could reconstruct and recycle, which could lessen the negative environmental impact of my buying decision. I just wanted something to make me look good or feel better about myself.
Today, I wholeheartedly make decisions based on the definite need of a particular item. I rethink my decisions to buy things I felt I needed. I try to rethink is there an item I already have stored away in my closets or drawers that can be used, instead of what I feel I should buy right now because it’s brand new. Can I remember the stuff I have now is all that I need before buying into the hype of a product or its newness?
We all have different approaches toward green living, but I feel if you can be honest with yourself in finding the root of why you buy what you buy, you might see that the foundation of your decision isn’t as stable when its compared to wanting to save the planet. When you look outward and see your environmental influence in your community, you’ll feel the impact of decisions closer to home.
Finding what’s behind your buying decisions could help you initiate your Best "Green" Life. Before you put stuff in the trash, think if it has a second life as something else. Can it be recycled or upcycled? And before you buy another T-shirt or new gadget, think to yourself, “Is it what I need?” Or “Do I feel like I need it right now?”
Be honest with yourself. Are you a good human that recycles what they don’t need? Or do you like to trash all your unwanted stuff?
Want to check out what the T-shirt generation looks like?
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