zero-waste essentials :: 02 :: get into nature

Lots of zero-waste chatter seems to focus on tools like beeswax wrap, wooden dish scrubbers + glass straws. To me, zero-waste is not about a new set of things to buy. It's about a whole new mindset. It can be tough to remain focused within this new mindset, when the world around us bombards us with advertisements + social media full of people looking cute in their new outfits + coworkers discussing their new cars.

I feel that zero-waste essentials are less things than practices. Practices that focus our minds on truth...connection to our planet...the goodness of simplicity. If we are raising children, these practices inform their young minds too. ​

I love visiting the ocean + the desert, but I don't live near them. We've lived in lots of different places, and each has its own beauty. There are trails to be found, yes, but there are also just neighborhood walks that provide connection to place + creation. Our walks have allowed us to notice yucca plants in New Mexico + snowdrops in London. Sunsets + cloud scapes draw us outside often where ever we find ourselves. 

Getting into nature is about the most transformative thing I can think of in my own life right now. It feels like the most amazing cathedral (no manmade fortress could compare). There is grounding + connection + wonder under the tree canopy...at the edge of the ocean...between the boulders. Control is not mine here. Significance gains perspective. I emerge reborn, cleansed, energized.

Somehow I often require a reminder to prioritize the simple things...to notice the simplest things...to stay in the moment...and to act accordingly in the rest of my life. Nature provides a reset...a motivation...a passion to work toward as much harmony as I can muster with this glorious planet. Zero-waste (+ the fairdare too) depend more on motivation + passion than anything.

Getting into nature is not a ground breaking idea...simplicity never is.  ;)

Love,
Jane