sustainability tip #1: be yourself.

okay - i seem to be the winning bidder in this ebay dress auction, but we can't be sure for about 15 minutes. are you on pins and needles? sustainability tip #1: be yourself. you don't need to call yourself an environmentalist, or a hippie, or a treehugger, etc., to use fewer resources and live more lightly. you don't need to tell people you're "going green." you don't need to call your entire family together to explain why you'll be embarking on a journey toward a lifestyle that's lighter on the environment ( you just have to tell them how to sort their recycling). you don't have to become a new person; you just have to change some behavior. and not even make a lot of changes at once. a little bit at a time is just fine. don't be discouraged if you find yourself regressing to your old, less-sustainable habits. just recognize them, call them temporary setbacks, and get back on track. so. maybe YOUR problem is your office has plastic-wrapped candy around (not my problem at all! *cough*) and you know that you shouldn't be scarfing the refined sugar then tossing the wrappers. candy is good. i forgive you. now start bringing paper and foil-wrapped organic chocolate to the office. you may wish to keep this in a separate room, or on another floor if necessary. when you want chocolate, you get the good stuff! isn't that better? by the way, you should feel under no obligation to share your chocolate with co-workers, though you might want to explain a little about fair-trade if so inclined. hey, i won a dress! whooo! problem solved! now, for new used shoes...