formula for change: why you are the only one who can make a difference

"All we have to do now is convince the politicians, the corporations, the voters, and the super-elite who pull the strings of the fact."

~No Impact Man, when writing of reducing resource consumption on 4/17/08

This statement is a blatant misconception—that the power lies ultimately in the hands of politicians, corporations, and the super-elite (the voters do need convinced, of course, but alas—we are the voters). The only reason they have power is because WE GIVE THEM POWER and LET THEM KEEP IT. We play along with their game and most of us don't even realize it.

A political cartoon caught my eye recently, one picturing a large herd of sheep standing in front of a single dog. The sheep had thought bubbles above their heads, saying things like: "He’d be better if he were more decisive" and "I wish he’d be more open to suggestions" and "He's good on ideas, but not so good on follow-through" (you can see the cartoon here). Whether or not this is the point the cartoon is trying to convey, here’s my reaction to it: there's all those sheep and just one dog. Instead of the sheep complaining about the dog (who the sheep believe has power over them), they could very easily take control into their own hands, solve their own problems, and independently create solutions. They hold a huge advantage—their numbers. If every sheep were to take action, the dog would be powerless. On the same token, if the sheep didn’t believe the dog had power over them, the dog wouldn’t! The dog, who looks quite pleased, seems to be thinking: "All of these silly sheep think I'm their leader—what a silly thing to think! Oh well. Might as well take advantage of the situation."

We are that massive herd of sheep and the dog is that tiny percentage of folks who hold political power. And to believe that the only way we can create any sort of significant change is to convince politicians to follow our views or wait for them to catch on and take action is not only hypocritical, but is foolish, ignorant, and counterproductive. To sit back and let the politicians do everything is ludicrous. Almost no one is happy with the way the government is handling things—how hard is it to stand up against the things we disagree with, propose changes, and demand that they be met?

Every one of us is a consumer and, believe it or not, that fact gives us immense political power. To illustrate this point, here’s an example:

If 1 out of every 4 Americans (about 76 million people and just over 1% of the world's population) refused to drive a car or use any sort of oil-consuming transportation in order to boycott oil consumption and cut back on pollution, the impact would be colossal. Oil companies would experience a significant dent in their profits, which would affect oil distributors, oil refiners, and the countries where oil is being extracted. Car companies would experience a significant drop in sales and would most likely experience a surplus in stock (especially if the car boycott occurred suddenly and without warning) that could hurt them financially. In order to continue bringing in their current revenue, they would have to increase car prices, which could cause even more Americans to jump on the boycotting bandwagon.

Without transportation, boycotters would have to quit their jobs and seek work within walking or biking distance of their homes, would have to shop at local stores and markets, benefiting local farmers, and would have to cut back on their consumption (if they can't drive all the way to the nearest mall, how are they going to buy?). Thousands and thousands of companies and businesses would experience a shortage of labor (unless they were located within walking distance of a town), causing them financial hardship (if not bankruptcy and shutdown) and prices of their goods and services to increase. Car accidents would decrease significantly, affecting health providers and insurance companies—25% of the country would be practically immune to any sort of car or vehicle related injury, though bike related injuries would increase.

Bike companies would make out like bandits, bike prices would drop drastically, and new legislation would have to be put in place in order to meet the needs of millions of bikers hitting the roads. It would be the bike company CEOs that would be the multibillionaires now and there would be a sudden, increased need for the resources required to make bikes. With all that walking and biking, 25% of the country would weigh less and would be much healthier, also affecting health providers and insurance companies. And the list goes on and on. All that because of just 1 out of every 4 Americans boycotting fueled transportation.

In the above example, every single change occurred because of the actions of regular, everyday people (except the bike legislation, but ultimately, that was a response to the boycott, as well). No politician or corporation had any say in the matter and couldn't do anything to change the decisions of those 76 million American consumers. It's not like they were waging guerilla warfare in Washington D.C. They simply made a single decision to boycott fueled transportation, a one-time action that, in this example, was so powerful because so many people participated.

And while this is an entirely unrealistic example (I highly doubt 25% of the American population would give up the luxury of owning a car), I hope it illustrates: (1) the point that tiny actions on a huge scale make a colossal impact and (2) that the power lies ultimately in the hands of you and me, the consumers, the voters, the citizens—people in political office only have as much power as we give them.


What you can do: Try using your car less and spread the word. Not only will it save you hugely on gas money, but it will also increase your health, which will increase your quality of life. Consider finding a job in a nice little small town, and move to a home close to that new job. Then walk to work every day. And if you already live in a nice little small town, consider quitting your far away job and finding work within walking distance. While the car boycott idea was just an example, it doesn’t hurt to try it out, or anything else you would like to do to take action. Be a leader, encourage others to follow, and even you can start a revolution.

p.s. I tried to condense this post so it wouldn't be so long, but I'm really passionate about this topic. Please leave comments--I want to know what you think!

reclaim your real needs and desires

Meeting unlimited needs and wants with limited means—the guiding principle and problem of our world. Every nation, organization, firm, and individual must, because of limited resources, compromise some needs and wants for others. The problem lies in the fact that most people have too many needs and wants—do you really need everything you think you do?

Have you ever, before giving into an impulse to purchase something you had a sudden, fiery, passionate desire for, analyzed that desire and determined its origin? Do you think, as a citizen and participant of a consumer society, in which you are constantly being bombarded, influenced, and amused by advertisements that range from flashy and obvious to subtle and suggestive, you may be far more impressionable than you would ever dare to admit?

Consider your last few purchases—were they necessities like clothing, food, or shelter? If so, did you choose the bare bones versions (e.g. buying a basic t-shirt for $4.99 as opposed to a flashy, designer one for $29.99)? Most likely, unless you have a tight budget (and you’re actually acting like a consumer with a tight budget, instead of choosing to be indifferent to your financial situation and blowing your last penny on impulse buys), you are inclined to buy those things that fit your personal style, even if they are pricier or excessive. That’s okay, though—that’s how our society works.

However, in order to continue living in such a way for the remainder of your life, you will, without a doubt, have to either become very wealthy or work until retirement age. There’s no other way to financially support your buying habits. Now, you can choose to live in an excessive, needy state of constant want and consumption (not that that’s a bad thing—if it floats your boat, go for it) or you can choose not to. You can choose to remove yourself from the consumer cycle and from the rat race by making a simple decision—to limit your needs and wants.

To do so, it’s basically a matter of determining your priorities—your basic survival needs, your loved ones, and your health (more on simplifying your life from a previous post)—then working, buying, and living primarily for them. Our society is so focused on the idea that we have to buy a nice big house and two+ cars and be able to vacation to all sorts of places every year and wear nice clothes—but the fact of the matter is, you don’t need all that stuff to live, survive, or even thrive. And, if you think about it, do you really even want it all? If your answer is yes, are you sure it’s not that artificial voice, implanted into your psyche by years and years of exposure to commercials, advertisements, and other marketing media, speaking?

Stay tuned for a future post, in which I’ll talk about specific ways to limit your needs and wants and alternatives to housing, clothing, making money, and the like that will allow you to remove yourself from the consumer chaos and return to a healthier, more natural existence.

Want to get a head start? Join the Compact.

the compact

Today, I both created humananimal and pledged to join the Compact, a sort of boycott of consumerism started by a San Francisco activist group of the same name. Here are the goals of the Compact:

1. to go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc. -- a step, we hope, inherits the revolutionary impulse of the Mayflower Compact
2. to reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-er)
3. to simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact)

Here are the rules:

1. First principle - don't buy new products of any kind (from stores, web sites, etc.)
2. Second principle - borrow or buy used.

A few exceptions - using the "fair and reasonable person" standard -- i.e., you'll know in your heart when you're rationalizing a violation:

• food, drink, and necessary medicine (no elective treatments like Viagra or Botox)
• necessary cleaning products, but not equipment (don't go out and buy the Dyson Animal, for example).
• socks and underwear (utilitarian--non-couture or ornamental)
• pajamas for the children
• Utilitarian services (plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, veterinarians, dog/house-sitters, fire/paramedics, dry cleaners, house cleaners, etc.) -- Support local and encourage used parts (rebuilt transmission, salvaged headlight unit, etc.)
• Recreational services (massage, etc.) & local artisanal items - Good sources for gifts, but should not be over-indulged in for personal gratification
• Charitable contributions (Seva, Heifer, and the like) - an even better source for gifts
• Plants and cut flowers - Whenever possible, cultivate from free cuttings or seeds. Ok in extreme moderation (yo, incoming oxy) when purchased from local businesses (i.e., not the Target Garden Shop)--and again, within reason
• Art supplies - First line of attack: SCRAP. When absolutely necessary (for the professionals and talented amateurs in the group), from local businesses
• Magazines, newspapers, Netflix - renewals only, no new subscriptions. Even better to consume online
• Video rentals and downloadable music files (non-material) -- freely shared and legal, please

And here is the pledge:

In light of the destructive effects of personal greed, we pledge to curb our purchases, cease frivolous buying, and choose to simplify our lives. Excepting only those things needed for work and the health and safety of our families, we pledge not to buy new. Further more, we will actively seek to pass on possessions we no longer want to those who are in need. In doing so, we hope to educate both friends and family about the corrosive effects of being in a constant state of want, nurture in ourselves the uplifting state of giving, thus reducing the load on the environment and creating a more sensible path for our lives. For these reasons, we join the Compact.

All of the information here about the Compact I've gotten from the Compact's blog.

I begin the Compact today, April 15^th, 2008 and am excited to see how it turns out and how it will change my perspective. Already I came to the realization how important and useful everything I own really is. Imagine a world where we can no longer produce the enormous amounts of consumer goods that we do today—all that’s left is what you have and what you can buy used. Pretty good preparation for the future in my opinion.

4 practices to simplify your life and minimize stress

Life is just not worth living if it’s complicated, stressful, and confusing—at some point, everyone needs to step back, look at the big picture that is your life, and simplify. But it’s not easy. While only some people hoard their physical belongings, almost everyone is guilty of holding onto unnecessary emotional baggage, unhealthy behaviors, unsavory characters, and recurring, unpleasant situations.

To help you in your simplifying, minimizing endeavors, I’ve come up with four life practices that have helped me simplify my lifestyle.

Stop and rest. Begin by taking some time out of every day, starting tomorrow—15 to 30 minutes. Devote that time to primarily doing nothing. If your day is always busy and hectic, then you definitely need to take a breather to rest and refocus. If your day allows for plenty of down time already, take advantage of it. Either way, rest your eyes for a few minutes, drink some water, take a walk, stretch, and let your mind wander. Think things through and open up some space for your brain to process everything.

Prioritize your needs. Now that you’ve opened up some space in your life, it’s time to sort through your needs. There are obviously your basic needs—food, water, shelter, and clothing—and in order to provide those for yourself and any dependents, you need to have an income (unless you live on a farm or in some other situation that enables you to provide these basic needs for yourself without money). Next on the list is most likely your family—while you may live far away from your relatives and only talk on the phone to your mom once a month, it’s nice to know that someone out there in this big world loves and supports you. Personal health/hygiene and social interaction are likely important to you, as well.

Live for your priorities. Beyond your basic needs (those discussed above), you most likely have all sorts of interests, activities, events, and responsibilities. Why not cut them out, even if it’s just for a week? If you live primarily for your priorities—your livelihood, your family, your health, and your friends—and minimize all other activities, disturbances, and time-killers, you will find that not only do you have more than enough time and energy to devote to the important things in your life, but you will also have loads of time to relax, unwind, and enjoy the simple pleasures that abound everywhere around you.

Savor simple pleasures. Having eliminated extra activities in your life and living primarily for your priorities, you will find an abundance of time to relax and enjoy life. As humans and as physical, animal beings born of and living in a physical, natural world teeming with sensual stimuli, one of the healthiest, sanest, most reenergizing things you can do is savor simple pleasures—sunbathe in the grass, walk barefoot on rocks, ride a bike on a cool night, take a walk when its raining, chase a squirrel, pet a cat, eat fresh fruit, curl up under your covers, sip a cup of steaming tea, run your fingers through your hair, make noises with a musical instrument, giggle with a loved one—do anything that excites your senses and connects you to your surroundings. Your physical, animal body is always crying out for sensual connection to the physical world, especially when you deprive it by focusing on stress, worries, and problems in your life. Instead of choosing to worry, choose to savor and enjoy.

By taking time out of every day to rest, by prioritizing your needs, by living for your priorities, and by savoring simple pleasures, your lifestyle becomes not only simplified, but healthy, natural, and sane. And while you will always encounter stress, complexity, confusion, and clutter, practicing these four habits will create a foundation to support you in tough times and an open gateway into simple, sensual bliss.