In the grand scheme of things, what I do is entirely unimportant. But what if that's a false statement? What if the small things I do have the power to create big change? What if what I do, say and share doesn't just drown in the massiveness of the world? Or what if it does, but before it does, it plays a role on the world's massive stage? Maybe it is only seen by a handful of people, but maybe it affects one of those people, and inspires them to play theirs?
It's easy to think that the actions of each individual are unimportant and even useless, but that is a disheartening, if not a straight up destructive way of thinking. The big things are a build up of little things. I've found myself doubting the effect of the small things I do, like using a bamboo toothbrush and a stainless steel razor, carrying a reusable water bottle and coffee cup. I cycle and take a train when possible. And I'm privileged to be able to do these things. Considering the bigger picture, these gestures can be seen as insignificant in the face of fossil fuel consumption, food production, fast fashion, deforestation and global politics and one could argue that there's no point, but I just don't believe that to be true. Every little thing each individual does to fight for the environment, brings us one step closer to winning that battle.
Maybe it's hard to believe that we will win it, but why not try? Why not do everything we can to reduce our impact? Why not make the simple, and often more economical, changes that make our lives that little bit more sustainable? I've considered leaving it. I've considered giving up, but at the end of the day I refuse to have to tell the next generation that I went down without a fight. I need to be able to tell them that I did what I could to make a difference when it mattered. Because it always matters.
Doing small things, does not get in the way of doing big things and the small things can add up to big things, if we give them a chance. Saying no to plastic straws or bringing your own bags to the supermarket, does not get in the way of activism, writing to businesses and politicians, or voting green. There's always more that can be done, so why not start small? We all matter, we're all important and we should never undermine the significance of our actions.
Reduce, Refuse, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle. And have a look at my "This Month" page on sustainability. It's a work in progress, but it's a start.