Simple, Green, and Sustainable Living.

Like many people, I've been struggling with the consumerism in our society, and the push over the last couple of years to live a simple, green, and sustainable life. It's gotten way too trendy for me, personally.

I'm not so sure buying 100% organic everything, sustainably harvested, or made with solar power is truly the way to go. See, you're still buying. You're still feeding into that consumerist society. Sure, what you are buying is better for the Earth, but you are still feeding the monster.

There's no simple answer, however. Buying from sustainably-minded businesses is a good idea. But sometimes, buying nothing at all is the best idea.

Most of us already own everything we possibly could need in any given year. We are so used to excess that to do without something for the simple sake of not needing it seems alien.

So I took a step back, and reconsidered.

What do I truly need to live a simple, green, and sustainable life?

Wants are easy, and of course I want a lot. I want a bread oven in my backyard, for example. I don't need one.

But what do I truly need?

I broke it down to basic generalities:

Currently--

--I need clothing for work and for at home.
--I need transportation to and from work.
--I need some sort of internet access.
--I need a place to store food.
--I need a place to sleep, and eat, and create, whether it be making jewelry, spinning, sewing, or writing books.
--I need a sense of community, or family that I can call on in times of need.
--And yet, I also need to be more self-sufficient.
--I need silence, and quiet, and peacefulness.
--I need space for a garden, and trees.
--I need a dedicated space for meditative exercise.
--I need a place to relax and do nothing, if needed.
--I need books for the knowledge they contain.
--I need space for new hobbies-to-come.
--I need time to do all of these things.


I do not need--

--More crafting supplies.
--More fiber.
--More kitchenware, including mixing bowls and/or bowls in general; I seem to have a particular weakness for bowls lately for some reason.
--More stuff in general.
--More shoes, especially boots. The only pair of shoes I actually need is a new pair of sandals for next year.
--More animals. While I dearly love my pets, now is not the time to add any additions to my household.
--More obligations. See that last need, above.


To me, truly living a simple, green, and sustainable life means that unless it's worn out, it doesn't get replaced. And even when it wears out and/or breaks, do you truly need to replace it? And if it absolutely needs to be replaced, find it used*. And if it can't be found used, then buy it new--from a sustainable source.


*And if it's an electric item, can it be found hand-powered?



But with that in mind, there are things I like to have that I don't particularly need and never really needed at all. And that will be in another post.