If you’re anything like me, you probably jam out to John Mayer every morning to get inspired for the day. If you’re even more like me, you listen to “Waiting on the World to Change,” so ridiculously loud that you could probably wake up your neighbors.
Until recently, I didn’t quite understand how easy it was to begin living a sustainable lifestyle. See here’s the thing, we’re always talking about waiting for the world to change but the honest truth is, the world isn’t going change without initiating any type of change.
I always had this preconceived notion that living sustainably requires an immeasurable amount of effort and a dramatic life change.
Let me be the first to openly admit that my assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth.
I am afraid of change, big or small. I like sticking to current circumstances and being comfortable. But what if I told you that stepping out of your comfort zone could be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
After our very first class, I realize how similar I was to my classmates. See I also struggle with using plastic water bottles instead a permanent water bottle. I also drive myself to class or the gym on occasion. I also have way too many unnecessary lights turned on at one time and my biggest secret: sometimes when I’m cold I heat up my blanket in the dryer.
My first step was switching over to a permanent water bottle provided by the lovely EES department at Furman. At first it was hard, I’m not going to lie. I had to keep up with my water bottle and wash it and refill it. On the other hand, I am saving a fortunate on not buying plastic water bottle or the gas to go buy the plastic water bottles. My second was to make sure all my lights were turned off. When thinking about it, that saves so much money too.
But at the end of the day, its not about the money or the lifestyle we should be worried about. It’s all about this beautiful planet called Earth. See, I dream about having a big family with kids. What if the decisions I made yesterday, today, and tomorrow affect the environment that my kids will grow up in one day? Well they do. It starts with us. It starts with taking that first step: big or small. I still struggle everyday, but it’s worth it. It’s worth starting this “new lifestyle.” Take your first step today, it’s the only way the world changes.
Fabby Gonzalez, 2019