The ‘personal is political’ is an empowering statement that allows us to reflect on our daily actions and see how they have an effect on the greater whole. Individual lifestyle changes can most certainly lead to a fuller and more engaged life. Every time you consume or participate in modern life, you are making choices not only for yourself, but for the planet. Whether you decide to walk or drive to work or whether you choose to buy organic or support your local farmer’s markets… these are all ways in which we can peacefully protest against the current paradigm of mass consumption. Recycling, up-cycling, reducing and re-using items not only gives our ‘waste’ a new purpose, but we can find joy in expressing our creativity by making our own clothes, gifts, candles, jams, etc. Shout out to Leah who makes her own super cute clothes out of old fabrics that would otherwise be thrown away. You rock! <3
We can discover new things about ourselves through these creative processes, it doesn’t have to be a chore. Being kind to yourself and to the earth is one in the same. Over the past few months I have transformed my life slowly and found a way to make a difference that works for me. I did plenty of research into the ingredients of my common house-hold products and beauty products and have replaced many things with natural alternatives. In the Spirituality & Globalization class, my little group made our own toothpaste and ever since then I was like wow, what else I can make? Turns out; pretty much everything! Body wash, deodorant, laundry detergent, etc. These personal choices I’ve made by switching to a chemical-free lifestyle has not only made me feel better, healthier, and more vibrant, but I know that i’m doing the earth a favor by no longer buying plastic shampoo bottles and washing poisonous sulfates down the drain. & By choosing to live a vegan lifestyle, and buy organic, non-GMO foods I’m giving a big middle-finger to the large corporations that are destroying and degrading this beautiful earth as well as contributing to rising cancer rates among people and factory farms that mistreat and abuse animals severely.
I’m certainly not a saint, I have much to learn and still a lot I need to work on, but small changes like this can certainly improve one’s well-being. By having the opportunity to engage in conversations pertaining to these issues is empowering as well, knowing that we’re not alone and we all are striving for a better quality of life for us, our neighbors, and future inhabitants of the earth. We are responsible today not only for what we do but for what we don’t do. So thank you class & presenters for your continuous inspiration and insights, I need you guys, you make my life better and give me hope.
YES! Bree I’m really amazed that you’re able to make so many of your own items. Toothpaste?? I would like to do a poll of the class to see what other amazing skill sets we have out there. As I was reading about Leah’s amazing sewing skills and your home made alternatives, I had this vision that if everyone in our class suddenly needed to switch to full-on survival mode, that we’d have a pretty rockin’ tribe.
Thats so awesome that you have clued into this Bre! It is self responsibility and the shift within that will create the shift outside…thinking on the big spectrum and finding ways to communicate that clearly to others I believe is key!
haha what an awesome vision, i swear if there’s ever an apocalypse i’m kidnapping all of you and we shall live in harmony on takota’s farm. :b and yes kate! taking responsibility is the first step, it’s so easy to blame others for the crappy conditions of the world but WE need to be the change.
Quite amazing how toothpaste and shampoo can be political; but they are indeed!
Thanks, Bree!
indeed! i liked how leah mentioned in her presentation that the choices we get to make are a privilege denied to many others, and therefore should not be taken for granted as well.
Thanks for your lovely post!.. and the shout-out 😉
The highlight that I didn’t end up hitting during the presentation is that it is a privilege to act in a way that’s ethical, which means there is power that is involved in it that we do hold, making it political, which we certainly should execute if we have access to it. It’s also important to recognize many do not have access to that power though. I hate to refer to myself as a ‘consumer’, BUT what I recognized this summer is that even consumer power in the West is better than NO power to self determine your life or actions in the global South at all. Although I think we all need to continue forging ourselves into a great presence in the political process, rather than simply having consumer power (including the choices to both spend and not spend) because that would leave us eternally in the status quo of consumption, we do need to recognize even the small amount of power we hold as consumers is something that many people do not have.
In reference to the Globalization and Spirituality class, the emphasis that’s placed on SKILLS in that class is imperative. What can you DO, what can you GIVE? What gifts or skills do you already have that you haven’t recognized that you have?
Thanks for sharing your skills and gifts with us!