There’s only a few places that make me feel at peace. One is sitting on the earth, on a cool summer night, soaking up the radiating heat of a crackling fire. It opens a connection to all the beings who came before me and all the beings who will follow. I get lost in the dancing flames and flickers and follow the whispers and whines of the embers.

When I think about all the things in this world that I want to change; cruelty to animals, the demolition of forests and delicate habitat, the absurd amount of garbage I see everywhere, the cultural acceptance of inhumane farming, the electronic device take-over, the alarming rise in depression & suicide, the tunnel vision ignoring most things not impacting us directly (the list is so, so long).

I get overwhelmed.

I want to change it all, but I don’t know how or where to start, I feel so overwhelmed.

So I don’t change anything...

I close the animal cruelty videos. I skip the heart-wrenching videos of homeless people in a city less than an hour from my home. I look the other way when I drive past the cows & pigs on the highway in a trailer on the way to the slaughterhouse. I keep buying from companies that I know don’t give a shit about the earth, the people who work for them or the people who use their garbage-filled products.

I started asking myself, “What can I change right now. What are the things that I have control over right this instant.” My shortlist consisted of:

So I decided to make a few changes that I could handle, that only involved me.

Not my family or my partner. Just me.

First: I stopped using pads and tampons and switched to the DivaCup. I became part of the #halttheassault revolution. No more toxic chemicals and absorbent products directly in my body (right next to some seriously important parts). I don’t have to continuously buy more products that are packaged in plastic and I am not contributing any more waste from the used product. Ya...it’s kind of gross when you really think about it.

Second: Every morning I brew my own coffee at home and pour a to-go..ahem, jug, for class. Until I know the coffee giants are ethically sourcing their beans and not destroying the planet for palm oil, they will not get 1 more toonie from me. Plus, now my coffee supports Canadian companies like Birch Bark Coffee Co. who are people like you and I trying to make a difference in this world.

Third: I use bamboo utensils. Yes, I’m totally a nerdy gear-loving-eco-freako (HA Nina!) that loves getting sideways stares from strangers when I bust out my bamboo fork or chopsticks. What? You just jealous. Eating off plastic is bad enough, but I can’t stand the side serving of guilt knowing it’s going to end up in a “landfill” for 5 gazshillion years after 5 minutes of use. Interested? Here

So there you have it. 3 simple steps I took to quickly and positively impact my body, my conscience, the earth and my wallet.

And basically, “It’s All Good” is what I want in all the products I use. Good for me, good for the people who produced it, and good for the earth. Simple. And since I tell everyone about the DivaCup anyway, so it’s the product I chose to carry first. Stay tuned for more.

Thank you for listening to your heart, you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t feeling the need for change. Keep searching & asking.