Consume Consciously

Clothing Labels

I don't usually do a lot of preaching, because I hate being preached to. But I hope you'll forgive me for addressing this one topic that's really close to my heart. This is a message I really want to share with you. It was a real eye-opener for me, and it changed the way I live.
I realized that as a 'consumer' (although I detest that word!) I'm asserting who I am through the choices I make.
With everything I buy, I'm either agreeing or disagreeing with the way something was produced, grown and distributed.

When I buy fair trade, I disagree with the exploitation of cheap labor in Asia and Latin America. When I buy local, I disagree with the outrageous costs of transportation both financially and environmentally. When I buy grass-fed meat and organic, I disagree with the practice of CAFOs and pesticides, and the threat to human and animal health that these practices pose.

But what if I'm not an activist? I don't want to make it my life's work to think about these decisions every day.

You can still make a difference by raising your consciousness step by step.
What you buy says a lot about who you are.

Next time you're out to buy clothes, see if you can find the label on the piece of clothing you're buying. Where was it made? What was it made of? If you think it's expensive: think of how many hours of labor would go into it, how much a person should earn per hour, how much the fabric costs and how much the company has to make on top of all that to be profitable. Still looks expensive? When you buy cheap clothes, chances are someone's paying that extra bit somewhere.

When you're grocery shopping, don't be fooled by pictures, read the ingredient labels. See a lot of stuff that you don't know? Does that really sound like food to you? If you buy foods without ingredient labels (vegetables, eggs, grains, etc.), at least you KNOW what you're eating, and you're saying 'NO' to processed food.
Try to imagine what kind of system this food comes from and if that system is sustainable in the long run. Part of taking care of our planet, is to make sure that we provide food for the billions of people that will come afterward. That means we have to make sure the natural balance is observed.

I know this isn't easy to do, and it's very difficult to let every single purchase depend on these decisions. But every little bit helps. Every time you spend money on sustainable, fair trade or second-hand items, you're asserting yourself as someone who cares about the planet and the people on it. And that just feels absolutely wonderful!

It only takes a minute to think about it.