Rafiki Would Be Proud

Starting today, I'll be in Georgia with my family for the next couple days. My sister is graduating from OCS! Congratulations! :)

In any case, that means that I spent a significant portion of the day either on an airplane or alone in an airport. You may or may not believe me, but I'm something of an introvert at heart. So, though I find most of flying uncomfortable, I like to take advantage of traveling as an opportunity to think. That said, as my world-bettering action, I wrote a personal mission statement today. I think a person needs to take the time to self-reflect and evaluate her purpose in the world. Think about what you personally care about and where your passions lie. Think about what you hope to accomplish in life. For me, this type of 'meditation' focuses me and energizes me. It also ensures that my actions are not simply robotic replicas of something I've been told to do but are actually sincere manifestations of the things I believe in. When this concept is applied to altering one's life habits to make the world a better place, even small changes are more likely to endure if they are spurred on by true conviction rather than merely a feeling du jour. So, look inside and consider what principles you believe in and feel passionate about. Then, think of ways to live out those beliefs.

My mission statement is this:
I endeavor to hurt nothing unnecessarily and to, day by day, champion the causes of those who and that which cannot speak for themselves so that the world might sustain and that life might improve for all those living now and for generations to come.

Additional Thoughts:
I respect and understand that everyone has reasons for doing the things they do.

The world is not ours to abuse and destroy. Arrogance created this idea, and selfishness perpetuates it. The refusal to use the creativity endowed to us as human beings to find and use methods of living and producing that are at most minimally harmful merely because it is at present cheaper and easier is, ultimately, not even self-serving but is merely and detrimentally lazy.

It's a work in progress! :-P

Mudpies not Mudslinging!

Woot! This blog hit a new record high for daily reads! Making a positive difference in the world is gaining in popularity! yay!

Tonight, I'm watching the Republican presidential debate. Regardless of one's personal, political leanings, the world can only become a better place when its citizens are aware of what's happening in the world around them and become involved. Today, I'm involved by listening.

Also, it's important to listen to all sides of an issue. Don't write off everything a Republican says just because you are a Democrat, and don't write off everything a Democrat says just because you're a Republican. Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, Christians, Muslims, Jews, CEO's, workingmen-Few people are all right or all wrong, which means that everyone has something to offer. Fighting, name-calling, and mudslinging are not the paths to a better world-even preschoolers learn this concept. Sharing and listening to ideas is how solutions are found, and all change starts as an idea.

Also, voting is our opportunity to influence the future of our world. It's important to be an informed voter. I intend to listen to what the candidates have to say and vote for whichever candidate's ideas most closely match my own. True that I'm only one vote, but I won't be the only person to vote for my favorite candidate. If we all choose to believe that our votes are "only one vote" and therefore have no influence, then we all really won't have an influence. So, it's a good idea to vote! You've got nothing to lose!

Litter is for Catboxes

Trash is inevitable. Litter is a choice. As much as it pains me to admit it, I don't think it's possible to live a completely trash-free life. Well, it is possible, but it would require significant lifestyle changes. This blog is about first steps toward a better world. It's not a master class. For example, I'm sure that I'm not alone in saying I'm not ready for the mooncup (skip this link if you're a man.). I firmly believe that we should all do what we can to create a better world and then build on that. The important thing is to do something. When people do nothing, then nothing gets better.

That said, we can all put our trash in a trash can. Today, I saw some litter in a parking lot, so I put it in a trash can. Picking up litter does make the world a better place, but I must admit I'm annoyed that it had to be done because putting trash in a trash can in the first place seems like an easy thing to do. Why didn't the person who dropped it dispose of it properly to begin with?

Landfills are made to contain trash and its harmful effects, but parking lots and roadsides are not. Trash discarded carelessly as litter becomes more than just an eyesore; it becomes a harmful part of the ecosystem. It destroys water systems, suffocates wildlife, smothers plant growth, carries germs, attracts disease-carrying pests, etc...Plus, it's expensive to clean up. Litter has become such a problem that the Pacific Ocean is now home to what's known as "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch"-a swirling column of garbage twice the size of Texas that weighs appr. 3 million tons. An estimated 80% of this aquatic mess came from land-based sources, that is, our litter.
Everyone thinks that, if they drop just one water bottle in the parking lot or throw just one cigarette butt on the sidewalk, it's not a big deal. And, it's not as long as you are the only person discarding your trash in this way, and as long as it only happens once or even twice. But, what happens if all 6.8 billion people in the world all have that same train of thought and all drop a water bottle in a parking lot? "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is what happens.

Sound bite of the World!

I've noticed that my blog has been reaching a wider world audience lately! I'm really excited about this, but I also feel like I need to step up my game a little bit so that "Nothin' but a 'G' Thang" isn't a disappointment. lol

To make the world a better place, I supported street musicians today. By that, I mean that I heard music I liked, so I put money in the tip jar. This seems minor, but never under-estimate the benefits of art on the world. Art expresses the human experience. It also plays a significant, if not primary, role in preserving our cultures. For example, being midwest-born and raised, I feel a sense of home and a connection to my heritage every time I hear bluegrass music. When people listen and feel these sensations together, they also connect with each other. Furthermore, when we listen to the music of others (e.g. african drumming, punk rock, euro pop), we can start to understand and connect to others.



Though music, and art in general, is different around the world, it all expresses human experiences, and those are surprisingly universal. Maybe, if we all understood that our similarities are more significant than our differences, then we would be able to see all people as people. And then, maybe life could cease to be us vs. them, and just be 'us.' Admittedly, it's a long range goal, but I think it's a worthy pursuit nonetheless. It'll never happen without art.



Support street musicians. This is how they can afford to continue to be musicians, and it encourages them to continue being artists. Support art education and music education. Go to concerts. Listen to the music of others. Art is not a waste. It's a necessity.



Benefits of art on the Brain

Practical and more immediate benefits of music

Statistics on music study

Chocolate addicts for a Better World

OK, here's my plan. Writing a 'catch-up' post is going to take some time, so I'm going to write it later at some point when I have gobs of time. I promise I'll write it, but, for now, I'm going to move on as if I didn't miss 4 posts this week.

Today, I bought fair trade chocolate. It's delicious. You can taste the justice in it.
Fair trade basically means that goods go from the artisan to you the buyer with few steps in between and, most importantly, everyone involved in the creation and distribution of the goods is paid a fair and livable wage. Fair trade respects workers, provides a sustainable way of life for developing communities, supports preservation of the environment, and empowers women and minorities. It is also anti-slavery and anti-child labor.

Most people see slavery and child labor as problems of the past. In truth, however, an estimated 30 million people are enslaved worldwide today. This means that more people are enslaved today than there were when slavery was legal. Many commonly purchased goods, such as chocolate, use slavery and child labor at various points in the supply chain. The cocoa industry, including suppliers of companies like Hershey's, employs over 100,000 children thousands of whom are slaves. That's not to mention the workers who are simply forced to work excruciating hours and not paid a wage they can survive on. Purchasing these goods condones these practices.

Buying fair trade ensures that you are not supporting oppression of any type. Fair trade chocolate costs only $1-2 more than non fair-trade chocolate. Plus, it's delicious. By being willing to pay a little more for fair trade, we ensure that others can lead lives of better quality in freedom and that children can be children. Is saving $1 on chocolate worth enslaving others for life? Is my life worth so much more than theirs?

Note: Organic products are not necessarily fair trade.

Find fair trade products here

fair trade federation

Time to Game!

I haven't forgotten about you! Please forgive me for not writing for a few days, and don't think that I've given up on my 66 'g' thang goal. I, like most of you, work, and I've worked 11 hour days the past 3 days. That doesn't mean I'm not doing good. It just means I haven't written about it... I'm sorry. I truly am.

That said, I worked today also, and now, I'm going to relax and watch a movie. Tomorrow, I'll update you on the world improving deeds of the week! But, for now, I need to relax. Incidentally, it's important to relax because you can't make the world a better place if you lack the energy or are too stressed to do so. So, play video games and watch movies sometimes-it's good for your soul! haha Video Games aren't all bad it turns out. In fact, as a closet gamer, I'd say they aren't bad at all!

Check out this organization. I joined a few weeks ago, and my Green Pages just arrived today! I'm so pumped! Green America can provide you with the information needed to have a greener lifestyle and support others who believe in the cause, too. If you want to make the world a better place, join up with others who want the same thing! That's what I did. :) We'll create more change if we work together.

Drinking and Walking is Legal: Though not Endorsed as Safe by this Blog

Don't worry, my faithful readers, I didn't abandon you or my 66 day goal! My birthday was this weekend, and I didn't get a chance to write. However, I did do 3 'g' thangs-one for every day since last we 'met.'

1) Josh and I participated in a community event (Indiana Brewers Guild Craft Beer Fest!). I think that in today's world a lot of people feel isolated. By that, I mean that people used to know their neighbors and care about what happened in their communities. Even when people didn't like their neighbors, I think that they cared about each other because they felt connected enough to realize that they were all fellow human beings and that they were stronger together than apart. People were more involved in their communities because they felt a sense of ownership towards them. Why a sense of ownership then but not now? Decades ago people were born, bred, and dead in the same location for the most part. This made them connected to the location and, in turn, to the other people in that location. Now, people move for work and all sorts of other reasons, and they are often in one location for only a handful of years. This mobility makes any given home/community potentially temporary, and this feeling of "temporary" makes people less inclined to form attachments within their communities. This is unfortunate because all opportunities for connection, whether temporary or permanent, are valuable. They make life rich and fulfilling rather than empty and lonely.

Communities weaken when people don't invest (not merely financial investment) in them. If communities weaken, then so do the people living in them. For instance, one person spouting ideas to herself in the bathroom mirror can enact little change, but a group of 5 people spouting ideas has 5 times the influence needed enact change. Community events bring people of the community together. They make people feel connected to each other. Community events make stronger communities, and stronger communities make a better world. Plus, they're a great place to meet and make friends!

2) We walked to and from Beer Fest rather than drove. Cars create pollution. Feet don't create pollution. A good rule of thumb for reducing pollution caused by transportation is to always use the slowest form of transportation possible. Is there a bus stop near your house? Do you have time to take the bus with others rather than drive your own separate car to buy milk? If yes, then take the bus because it's going that way anyway. Your car, on the other hand, doesn't have to start at all. Was Beer Fest a mere 1.2 miles away? Yes, it was. So, we walked. Nevermind the 95 degree heat... haha It's nothing a good beer can't make you forget!

3) Josh took me shopping for my birthday! My birthday presents were purchased locally. I know I've written about local shopping before, but "goodgollymissmollie" shared a link about the topic with me that I think is worth passing on. :) The 350 Project has some great stats regarding why shopping locally is a better choice than national chains or online shopping. For example, $63 of every $100 spent locally returns to the community. In national chains, only $43 goes back into the community. Nothing goes into the community when we shop online.