I was talking to a friend who considers herself more sustainable than most, someone who feels she cares. She said something many people say:

“I want to be more sustainable, but I’m not ready to start yet.”

This statement illustrates the problem with nearly every approach to sustainability: they’re based in book theory, not practical experience. Without practical experience, they don’t know that acting more sustainably brings liberation, joy, and reward. People who change our actual practice, not just read the ideas of people who also lack practical experience, wish we had started earlier and don’t want to go back.

When you do it, you realize the only time most people are ready to change is after starting, not before. Before you start, you look at it from the view of our culture, which is based in unsustainability which it creates rationalizations and justifications for. Those rationalizations and justifications become myths and unquestioned beliefs.

Change your behavior enough to find those rationalizations, justifications, myths, and unquestioned beliefs false and you stop finding yourself unable.

The only time most people are ready to change is after starting, not before. You might as well start now.

You’ll be glad you did.

You’ll wish you started earlier.

• ← A father littering in front of his kids. Should I say something?
• “You take care of things you found in the trash more than others take care of things they bought.” →