7 WAYS … TO AVOID BUYING NEW STUFF

Buying something new requires the extraction and destruction of a lot of resources, not to mention the destruction of our environment in extracting, hauling, manufacturing, packaging and shipping the item.

So if we want to avoid buying new things, what should we do if we need something? After all, there are always times when we feel we need something — not just want or desire, but need it for a real purpose. We might need new clothes, or books, or a bike so we can cut back on using a car.

One woman decided to buy nothing new, which is an interesting solution, but probably not for most people. But while you might not want to put such a drastic moratorium on yourself, here are 7 things you can do before even considering buying a new item.

1. Reconsider your need. Do you really really need it? Or is it a want? Or can you change things so you don’t need it? This should always be the first thing you do.
2. Borrow. You might only need it temporarily. Borrow books from friends or the library. Borrow a dress for a special occasion. Borrow a tool for a short-term project. Be sure to lend things in return, when you can.
3. Ask friends and family. Sometimes people you know might have the item you need, but not need it any longer. Instead of loaning it to you, they might be glad to give it to you. You only need to ask. I’ll often send out an email (or tweet) if I need something that others might have.
4. Freecycle. Same idea, but using a wider network. There are Freecycle networks in many areas — people who want to give something away, or who need something, post to the list and very often exchanges are made — for free.
5. Buy used. It’s infinitely better than buying new, because when you buy used you’re not having new resources taken from the earth and manufactured, but rather extending the life of resources that have already been used. Try thrift shops, charity stores, yard or garage sales, Craigslist or Ebay.
6. Make your own. This won’t work in every case (if I had to make my own clothes people would laugh at me more than they already do), but sometimes you can make something that’s just as good as buying, with inexpensive materials or materials you already have. This works if you’re good with crafts or carpentry especially. It can also be fun to get the family involved.
7. Go without. I know this seems the same as the first item on the list, but actually it’s a bit different: say you decide you really do need something, but can’t find it anywhere or make it. Should you buy new? Well, maybe you can go without it for awhile, until you do find a used version. Maybe you need it but don’t need it right now. Often things will turn up when you keep your eyes open — someone will happen to mention they have the item, or you’ll see it on Freecycle or Craigslist after a week or two. And sometimes, the need for the item will go away, and you’ll be glad you waited.

Sometimes you might have to buy a new item, even after exhausting all these options. But if you can run through this list first, often you’ll find you didn’t need it new.

7 WAYS … TO AVOID BUYING NEW STUFF by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits. Visit Leo at www.zenhabits.net

Photo courtesy: Brave New Films

Widening the Circle

A girlfriend of mine pleasantly surprised me with an unexpected visit last week. She was on her way to Mexico for a conference and during a layover found out it had been cancelled due to swine flu. She rerouted her trip to the next warmest place, LA.

She’s a psychologist, considers herself a hardcore scientist with “complete faith in mainstream science. If it hasn’t been proven, it isn’t true.” Need I mention she’s also an atheist? I’m none of those things. I enjoy an easy-to-digest book on quantum physics as much as the next layman, but I’m as skeptical of science as she is of spirituality. And I believe in a power greater than myself—a source of love. I call that God.

Nevertheless, my gorgeous friend and I do share plenty of common ground. For one, we’ve both been vegetarians for twenty years. She told me that one day she knew in her twelve year-old little heart it wasn’t right to eat animals and stopped. We also share a yen for hot weather, sunshine and swimming pools, so we hopped in the car and headed to Palm Springs. As the warm desert air breezed through the open windows and Kansas panted in the back seat, we got on the topic of spirituality, namely how “unspiritual” she is. I told her it didn’t matter whether she was spiritual or not. It only mattered if she felt something was missing.

She confided that one of her favorite childhood past times was trying to communicate with animals—squirrels, cats, dogs, and birds—but they never communicated back. I suggested that she can never really know they weren’t communicating. We laughed at the idea that perhaps it was the animals that told her not to eat them. I said, “To me, the definition of spirituality is really simple. It’s oneness.” She thought about it and replied, “That’s an interesting way of defining it.” I said, “And you exemplify that. I think you’re much more “spiritual” than you think.” She said, “Well, I do view the world as one interconnected organism.” Spoken like a true scientist.

Truth is true. As I understand it, all minds are joined. As she sees it, the world is an interconnected organism. The only thing true is that we are one. Nowhere does my energy end and yours begins. Einstein said separation is an “optical delusion of consciousness.” Well, here, I’ll just find his whole quote.

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.”

Everything is moving towards oneness though it may not always appear that way. This is true in our own lives as well as in the collective consciousness. There could be no Obama without Bush. Oneness doesn’t require that we perceive it in order for it to be true. As Einstein said, it’s very difficult to be aware of it. But this doesn’t mean it isn’t happening or that it’s a free pass to sit around. On the contrary, we all have a unique and active role in the unfolding of that creation. Each of us has a special part to play in the “task” of healing. In fact that’s kind of what I was trying to say in the previous post.

My friend arrived at the understanding of connectedness through science. I came to it through more spiritual means of study. Someone else may learn it through worldly travel and another through volunteer work. Or golf. It doesn’t matter. We will all end up in the same place. My friend and I were brought together by the swine flu, and even that—swine flu—can be a means for shaking the sleep of separation from our eyes. Anything can be used to help us understand our oneness if we choose to see it that way.

We must change our worldview, as Einstein said, not only for the healing of the world but also for our “inner security.” The cruelty inflicted on a pig in a cage kills us as well. The child neglected by his or her parents and let down by a broken foster care system hurts us too. The question then isn’t how you reach that conclusion. The more important question is how you begin to experience everyone and everything as yourself. For quantum physics attests they are literally a part of you, only your “optical delusion” blocks that awareness. The answer lies in widening your circle of compassion. Within that is the liberation we all seek and the knowingness that there really is only one of us here.

Widening the Circle by Cynthia Morgan

An accredited and sought-after Los Angeles-based board certified hypnotherapist, Cynthia Morgan is known as a spiritual teacher by her extensive clientele. Not only has Morgan improved the lives of her clients, but her unique philosophy that “we don’t need to do anything to heal—rather we need to undo the thoughts that stand in the way of healing” applies to issues with weight, addictions, illness, pain, phobias, depression, and whatever else one deems as a “problem”. Her philosophy and techniques have proven to be highly successful, establishing her as true leader in her field.

Find out more about Cynthia here: www.cynthiamorgan.us
Read Cynthia’s blog here: www.theoverwoman.com

Highly acclaimed master photographer Peter Lik is supporting Concern Worldwide’s ongoing Haiti relief efforts. All Peter Lik galleries globally will donate a portion of February sales from Lik’s first 2010 major release, “Tree of Life” (above) to Concern, a humanitarian aid organization dedicated to eliminating extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Highly acclaimed master photographer Peter Lik is supporting Concern Worldwide’s ongoing Haiti relief efforts. All Peter Lik Galleries globally will donate a portion of February sales from Lik’s first 2010 major release, “Tree of Life” (above) to Concern, a humanitarian aid organization dedicated to eliminating extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Pathway to Prosperity

When Jessica Rodriguez stepped up to address the audience in Washington, D.C. along side of Hillary Clinton at the first Pathways to Prosperity Women Entrepreneurs Conference in October, it was a step that few would have imagined her taking just one decade ago–least of all, perhaps Jessica herself.

But the journey that led her to be chosen as an honored guest at the U.S. State Department’s Pathways to Prosperity Program, recognizing woman-owned businesses throughout the developing world, was one that Jessica set in motion many years ago, with the support of Indigenous Designs, a fair trade and organic fashion company, based outside of San Francisco, CA.

Jessica’s story begins in a small, remote community in the Andes of southern Peru, where she was inspired to make a difference in women’s lives.  Jessica’s artisan community was experiencing crushing poverty and hope for prosperity was as scarce as the jobs that never seemed to materialize. That is, until Jessica created a foundation to train women for job opportunities and connect the artisan knitters in her community to the U.S based organic fashion company, Indigenous Designs. Jessica committed herself fully to creating not only sustainable jobs, but a community connected by family, tradition, and commitment to mutual support and success.

Although there was no viable industry to speak of in Jessica’s isolated Andean community, it did possess a generations-old tradition of artisan textiles.  Among those plying this knitting trade were Mario and Maria Huisa. In their one-room, 8′x8′ house that doubled as a knitting space, the Huisas worked on a single knitting loom to create handmade works of wearable art. The income stream was small, but it was honest work, and it honored their heritage.  When Jessica met the Huisas, she saw a spark in them that deeply inspired her. “They had passion,” she explained, “and they wanted to make a difference within their village and family, but because of their distant location, the opportunity for work was scarce.”

Each night the cold high desert air would sweep through that room, leaving the Huisas concerned for their children’s health.

“Children are dying in the highlands during the winter months and it is a big problem,” Jessica said.  “It is not their fault that they were born in a poor area with no opportunity for work and such desolate conditions.  I met these people and I just wanted to do my part to bring them work and opportunity.”

One day in 1998, Scott Leonard and Matt Reynolds, two young social entrepreneurs and co-founders of Indigenous Designs, walked into the lives of the Huisa’s. They came with a unique, sustainable, fair-trade business model that respected both people and the environment. Jessica’s efforts to employ the women of the region appealed deeply to the young entrepreneurs, and the Huisa’s artful skill and determination was a catalyst for expansion.  Soon Scott and Matt made plans with Jessica to oversee the Indigenous Designs fair trade production model in the south of Peru so that she could hire more artisan knitters and in turn, pay them better wages.

Jessica is now responsible for over 700 families, with each family earning good, fair living wages through Indigenous Designs’ production.  The Huisas are still producing for Jessica and Indigenous.  Through their hard work and initiative they have built a bigger, warmer home, and their workshop has grown to have ten hand powered knitting machines, providing work for more than 35 artisan knitters in their local community.  The commitment and vision shared by the Huisas, Jessica, and Indigenous Designs has led to their joint success. “We shared a fundamental belief that with opportunity and sustainable planning, positive change would happen,” Scott Leonard said.

It was precisely this belief that the State Department sought to recognize when they invited Jessica to speak and tour as part of its Pathways to Prosperity for Women Entrepreneurs. The program recognizes woman-owned businesses throughout the developing world that provide an example of entrepreneurship and empowerment that can help lead communities out of poverty and into shared prosperity.

During the conference, Secretary Clinton discussed how empowering women was integral to progress, prosperity, and peace in every country, and praised women like Jessica Rodriguez for having the courage and commitment to work for a better future.

Fifteen years ago Indigenous embarked on a journey that required creating a unique, one of a kind foundation with community and the environment as corner stones.  Sustainability, patience, passion and love define the seeds that took root to form Indigenous.  It was these seeds that forged the Indigenous path in remote cottage industry communities throughout Peru and Ecuador.

“Working one step at a time, the growth we have helped accomplish within our cottage industry communities has been transformative, empowering and uplifting. Today, we provide work to over 1,500 artisan families throughout South America,” Matt Reynolds said.

Indigenous has won awards for its ability to form networks that provide education, fair trade and organic certification, opportunities for advancement, and other vital forms of assistance to help elevate these talented artisans onto the world stage.  The company takes a sustainable approach to fashion, focusing on attention to style, detail, and luxurious eco fibers, while embracing fair trade principals and the time honored skills of artisans.

Indigenous provides shoppers with alternatives to conventional fashion by offering organic, eco-friendly creations and novel designs that result in a cohesive collection of go-to favorites for the modern woman, without submitting to a unethical manufacturing processes that are short-sighted and harm the environment.

“We design and produce fashion that honors both people and the planet,” says Leonard, “Our designs appeal to both the fashionistas and sophisticated consumers. Our customer is looking for premium quality ethical fashion with ‘go anywhere, always-appropriate’ styling.”  That’s what we do, and we are proud to bring our designs to the world through empowering production partners like Jessica Rodriguez.

GREEN TEA LIVING by Toshimi A Kayak

In Green Tea Living: A Japan-inspired guide to eco-friendly habits, health, and happiness, author Toshimi A. Kayaki shares timeless wisdom from her native Japanese culture through useful tips and anecdotes.

She recently shared a few with The Green Dove…

1 Create smoother, younger-looking skin with a green tea face pack. Grind up used green tea leaves into a powder, then mix with water and flour until it forms a paste. Wash your face, and then apply the pack for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water and follow up with your favorite lotion.

2 Drink green tea to lose weight. Drinking five cups of green tea a day can burn up to 80 extra calories!

3 Use wet green tea leaves to clean your house. Green tea is not only an eco-friendly cleaning option, but will leave your rooms sparkling and smelling fresh! Squeeze most of the water out of wet tea leaves, and then place on dirty floors or dusty surfaces. Brush the leaves back and forth in small strokes, allowing the tea leaves to pick up dust and dirt. Sweep everything into a dustpan when finished.

4 Use vinegar for even the most heavy-duty cleaning! Vinegar will shine up sinks and counters, as well as kill bacteria. Scrub the slime out of your bathtub, disinfect cutting boards; even combine 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar to wash your floors. Simple, cheap and most importantly, not harmful to the environment.

5 Mix your own vinegar conditioner for soft, shiny hair. In an empty plastic bottle combine 16 oz water, 4 tbsps white or rice vinegar, and 3 or 4 pieces of fresh rosemary or sage. Just as effective as expensive conditioner, but far more economical.

6 Make your sweaters look like new. Rub a sweater with the rough edge of a dry sponge to easily get rid of pilling fabric.

7 Repair dry or damaged skin with a soothing green tea bath. Steep one green tea bag in boiling water for 15 minutes, then pour the tea water into your bathwater. The vitamins and catechins in green tea will kill bacteria on your skin and smooth away imperfections, not to mention contribute to a relaxing bath!

8 Mix homemade sake lotion. This simple lotion and moisturizer only requires two ingredients and some time in the fridge. Mix 7 oz cold sake and 1-½ pints water, then allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few days. Dab onto skin with a cotton ball. (Make sure to test this out on your hands before applying it elsewhere!)

9 Drink vinegar and water for better health.  Just sipping a little vinegar every day can improve your digestion and skin complexion. Combine 1 part rice or apple cider vinegar with 7 parts water.

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