Stop shopping- WEC- Day 5

Some 5 years back I learnt that this whole consumerism is driving the planet to hell. One thing I was clear of from the very beginning was that I want to be a part of the solution, not contribute to the problem. At that time I was working in a company, I was a part of the corporate environment. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't drop  "shopping" from my life. New job always meant new clothes, in fact a brand new wardrobe. I soon realised I was making money to spend on  clothes I didn't need ...I mean who likes formal clothes? Not me! Thank you very much. This was followed by another big realization , I was working my ass off trying to make a career that was in no way contributing to any sustainable solution. Being a corporate lawyer meant helping and assisting 'mostly' greedy people. It also meant spending a lot of time with the wrong kinds of people. These people were in no way interested in a cleaner environment or a sustainable lifestyle. They seemed only interested in making more money- whichever way that may be...Legal ways of course.....But not sustainable.

I realised that I can't be working with and for such people while believing in  other kinds of  values. That is fooling myself and I am not very good at it. I had to make a choice. There was  social pressure of course.....To so called 'Prove myself'. I had already 'earned' a higher degree for that purpose. I was told i should now buy my own house, my own car., Perhaps start my own company, make more money..More material gains is a sign of happiness. I already live in a big house, we have one vehicle each per member of the family. How much more should I lust for? When is this going to stop? Until I buy my own jet or I build a vacation Home on the moon?

I don't understand where we went wrong as a society when elders give such empty advice.

Bhagavad Gita ek baar padhna toh banta hai yaar!

Just because the Americans or the British don't follow the Gita don't mean we should drop what we have cultivated and mastered on home pitch for generations!

We Indians are so blinded by the west that we have become stupid. 

I decided - this stupidity has to stop. I can not choose to be stupid just because others make that choice. I have nothing to prove to anyone. Buying new clothes or making more money or being rich is not the goal of my life. I chose early in my life to become a good human being- may not be a successful human being, may not be a rich human being. But I want to explore and know what it means to be a mindful, thoughtful, down to earth, sensible human being who not just cares for her own selfish needs but can also think of other life forms around her, I choose to be more sensitive to my environment, I choose kindness, love, forgiveness over greed, cruelty, insensitivity and selfishness.

This has not been a difficult choice. It is any day preferable over feeling guilty about not doing anything about what's happening around. It is said- "Be the Change you want to see in the world!" The change starts with me. The change is possible in every single moment of my life. Last night I was angry with someone for saying something nasty to me (and that happens a lot since I am not following the social norm...So my own people comment ....And sometimes it hurts ), rather than being pissed off at her I chose to forgive her. she doesn't know what she is doing. She is unaware of her words , she is not mindful of her actions, if she knew what effect her words have over me, she wouldn't do it. Why would anyone want to hurt anyone intentionally? We hurt others out of self defence, out of our own insecurities. It is a choice we make. It is not necessary that just because you have been hurt, you need to hurt someone else. Once Oprah Winfrey was asked by a mom who had murdered her infant baby " Do you hate me? Everyone hates me." And Oprah said "no. I don't hate you. I can see what you have done and I can see you did that out of your pain. I choose to do something else with my pain."

We all hold that power of choice.
We are not aware of it.
Perhaps making a different choice needs a tid bit more courage...That's all. But imagine what we can achieve if we all show some courage...We could reduce the pollution, we could reduce the wastage, we could be more loving!