Ignorance is NOT bliss!

Hey there! Welcome to spring!

So the theme of our lives recently seems to relate to the economic market in the U.S.A., which is seeping into the Canadian economy and the lives of millions by the minute. It's so difficult to be driven to be environmentally friendly and to put that extra cost, time, and energy into "being green." Sooo many people are losing their jobs and struggling more than ever before. Although we haven't truly been affected to the extent of those in the U.S.A., we have begun to see more and more of the effects of this crisis and recession in our lives daily! Our investments (monetary and not) have been struggling... and in this world uncertainty is bountiful. I believe that it is important to be aware of what's going on globally... contrary to popular belief, ignorance is NOT bliss, for that theory got us into the debt-ridden society that we are living in, and we seriously need to take a look at this and learn from it, or history WILL DEFINITELY repeat itself and lead us into more trouble, stress, and debt.

We need to assess how we exist in this world and learn from this. Green initiatives may seem trivial and insignificant in comparison to other issues we are facing, and that is completely understandable. What has made me feel better (helped me sleep at night) and given me the initiative to live my best life despite the market's downturn is to come together with you, our readers, and make these initiatives a priority. Doing my little part, (although I cannot fix everything that is going on,) is important in order for me to live my life feeling as though I have helped something, or someone, along the way. Recently, as I explore adulthood, I have become very conscious of the effect that my actions have on this planet and the people around me.

Our generation has come to expect an impractical and irresponsibly high standard of living at such a young age. What I see a lot of people forgetting, is that our parents worked incredibly hard to give us the life we have become accustomed to. To expect the standard of life that our parents and the generation before us are living in this stage of our lives is not only impractical, but also stressful! Let's think about this...

Material possessions have become so coveted in this society, that there is so much wastefulness and less appreciation for what we have. We, generation "x" (I think...), want what we don't have, and don't care for what we do have. I think this recession is teaching me to look at the the things in my life, material and not, and truly appreciate them for what they can do to help me be a better person, and live a better life (for myself and for those around me). Instead of wanting things we don't have (again, both material and not), why don't we spend this time thinking about what we have and using this to our advantage? That is my challenge to you this week.

Lots of love,

Chanel

Image from "www.dontwasteyourlife.com"