Being sustainable is not an easy as ABC kind of task in Singapore. Having been into sustainability for the past 8 years and finally seeing a real change and movement happen in 2018, it has been a long, unbelievable and rewarding journey.
Without a doubt, there is still so much to work on within Singapore environmental scene and change is still a work in progress. “You cannot save the earth.” “Why are you trying to so hard?”. “It is for the next generation to worry about, not us.”
These might be some phrase that might hear while trying your best to be sustainable and be in this zero or low waste journey.
Yes, sometimes it gets slightly depressing when you see all the climate disaster happening around us, with everyone not taking action.
How did I overcome them and what did I take away from it?
Well, here is my 25 cents opinion and what I believe in. Plus, I hope it continues to motivate you to do something for mother earth.
Be motivated, not dejected
Does this sound familiar? You are holding your reusable bag in a supermarket and everyone else around you are taking as many plastic bags as they can to bag their items.
More often than not, people have come to me and shared that they feel dejected. Are their actions really worth it when everyone around is contradicting their efforts?
There they are trying so hard to conserve the environment but the actions of others are offsetting their efforts.
Well, the most important takeaway is not to be dejected and give up your journey. Instead, be motivated!
Be motivated to spark questions in their mind and make a change. Be motivated to show people why and what are the reasons for conserving the environment.
It shows how much work needs to be done in Singapore. How much change needs to be made in the mindset of others. How much effort we need to put to let others be aware of the issues.
Do not get harsh and preachy with them but instead try the gentler approach.
If you have a spare reusable bag, why not lend it to the person standing behind you at the counter? If you are with your friends, why not lend them your reusable cutleries when they need them?
These small and simple actions might actually spark more questions in their mind, cause them to reflect and encourage them to start their zero or low waste journey.
Change will happen, be patient
Transforming someone’s lifestyle is not something that can be done overnight. Switching to a sustainable lifestyle will definitely take a lot of time, convincing, effort and dedication.
So, you might not see the immediate effects of the change. But you have to believe, change will happen. Take this from a girl who waited 8 years for change to finally happen 😉
It just depends on the rate of change – slow or fast. Be patient and continue encouraging those who are on this journey or about to start this sustainable journey.
Wait for it, and one day, you will realise how much change has happened.
Trust me, when you observe the change that happens, it will motivate you to carry on and continue to inspire others!
Never underestimate your power
As an individual, you must be wondering, how much power do I have to influence others and make a change?
Well, as individuals, I believe we have 2 form of power in our hands.
Purchasing power is one of them. By purchasing items from companies, you are using your power to decide who you support.
Whether you purchase from an ethical company or unethical one, it makes a difference. Your purchasing power builds as a motivation for the company on what they want to continue doing for their customers.
The other form of power we have is the power of influence. When you start being more conscious about your actions, more often than not, you will realise that those around you will make small changes too.
For example, your friends telling you they did not take a plastic bag or straw because of you. All these are small changes they are making. What is the logic?
It is simply because they remembered your actions and words at that point of time and it was strong enough to make an impact on their minds to do it too.
From there, it might start their sustainable journey when they realise that making these small changes are not too difficult.
Ultimately, never underestimate your power to do something for mother earth.
Leading a sustainable lifestyle definitely has its own ups and downs. But do not worry, most of us face the same situations most of the time. Do not give up that easily.
One way to make your sustainability journey smoother is to have a group of close knit friends who are on their own sustainability journey as well.
Share with them your experiences and heed their advice when you face various situations. We are here too to help you. So if you have any questions, feel free to drop us an email anytime and we will be happy to help!
Have a little patience, believe in your power and be motivated to inspire people to make these waves of change! 😊
With the year coming to an end, take this time to reflect on what has been done right and learn from the mistakes made during the year. Here is to 2020 the year whereby we continue working towards conserving the environment for us, for everyone and for the future generation.