Radicalism is dangerous. Just like extreme consumerism is at the heart of many of the problems afflicting our world today, it doesn’t mean that we should stop consuming all together. There is nothing wrong with enjoying the beautiful things in life, including the amazing results of humanity’s collective scientific and technological advancements.

There are many calls for consumers to reflect on how they consume, what they consume and how much they consume. Unfortunately, most of these efforts are bathed within a context of corporate profit; the best example would be that of companies who had resisted environmentalism for years jumping on the ‘Green’ bandwagon when it became fashionable so as to continue making a profit. And since many of these eco-friendly corporate changes are only cosmetic or superficial at best, they put consumers into a self-satisfied lull, disempowering them from making the real changes than an increase in awareness of the environmental toll of our current consumerist habits.

Which is why I often hesitate to endorse products that seem eco-friendly.

However, it was recently pointed out to me by a beloved friend and fellow overthinker that the first step towards big, sweeping changes are little ones. Little changes can, when used in a cycle of action, reflection and consultation, give way to bigger and bigger ones as individuals realize that they can use the experience and knowledge acquired through the application of these little changes to bigger and bigger one. It becomes an ever-increasing and self-perpetuating loop, where one little change feeds into the empowerment of the individual and the community, which in turn allows them to make a bigger change that will feed into a bigger sense of empowerment. This self-perpetuating cycle will help communities tread the path of reflection on how to further humanity in its spiritual progress towards a global, peaceful and united future.

Which is why, when I found a dated Maclean’s article about “Boots that are easy on your conscience“, I decided to post the link, not as an endorsement of a product, but rather as a source of reflection on the choice consumers can make regarding the purchase of a vital winter staple. Please share your thoughts below, as this is, as mentioned above, only the first step (pun totally intended) to the creation of a united and peaceful world.