Many are tapping into the convenience of door-delivered trinkets, goods and even food these days. Sold as a time-saving option, some of us are looking behind the curtain of online shopping and finding much less than a magical wizard at the helm.
The initial rush experienced after a knock at the door and the package resting on a mat usually only lasts momentarily. What are we truly seeking when we click the shopping bag checkout button?
It’s a slippery thing separating out motivations for why we do what we do. It can be exhausting micro-evaluating every decision we make in a day, so the path of least resistance may lead us to spontaneous purchases both online and amid our errands about town.
The pressures to consume are at times difficult to withstand. The megaphone of industry is loud and pervasive.
Advertisements, limited sales, specials, peer pressure and innocent conversations with friends all influence our purchasing decisions. Our cravings for new, improved, or unique get stimulated by the messaging we expose ourselves to.
If you’ve ever gone off-grid on a camping trip for a few days or longer, or travelled out of a backpack, you have likely had the experience of releasing your grip on what is a “necessity.” At the same time, your connection to the natural world’s abundance of beauty, health-inspiring activities, opportunities for learning and entertainment increase exponentially.
It’s fascinating how simply we can actually live and how much of what we may be bringing into our lives comes from the seeking of feelings that are not satisfied by things. Many times, our purchases are an attempt to answer a deeper call for what can’t be bought - connection, joy, purpose, peace and emotional wellness.
There is, inevitably, a time and place for bringing something new into our lives. Some simple filters for evaluating when can help us uncover if we are buying for our ego-system or if we can hold off and instead consider the ecosystem.
The art of sharing resources needn’t be lost. Asking a friend or neighbour to share tools or even the classic cup of flour can feel awkward at first, but once some basic trust has been established, it can be a wonderful thing. Practising returning items in an even better state than when we borrowed them is a great standard to aim for.
So much of our time can be spent nose to the grindstone working extra hours to buy things we could actually have avoided. What if we instead invested time in building the skill set to repair clothing, bake bread or tweak our electronics?
Offering to share or trade your skill set with others is an incredible gift to them and the planet, too. Teaching a family member how to garden can improve their connection to the earth, and their place in it, far better than preaching at them about the challenges of heavily packaged food delivered to their door.
We can all improve our filters for evaluating how we use the earth’s precious resources. No matter where we are at in our journey, there is always an opportunity to take our awareness up to the next level.
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s (qRD) waste-reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
