The Beginning
Before we dive in to the adventure of living a more positive and sustainable life, I think it is important for you all to know the meaning of The Positive Footprint, how it came to be, and why I think it is so important.
It all started back in college…well kind of. I knew thought I wanted to be a veterinarian…was literally convinced that was my calling. Looking back now, I laugh at how naive I was. College opened up my eyes to a whole new world – a world that was bigger than me. A sad, happy, complicated, beautiful world. Most importantly it opened my eyes to a place – specifically in the environmental sense – that was struggling. One that provided our very foundational needs, yet we didn’t view it as that.
Looking at my own lifestyle at the time and the lifestyle of (most) of those around me, I realized that we were not being very good to this life providing world. In fact, we were destroying it. We were polluting the very water we needed to drink. Emitting harsh chemicals into the air we breath. Degrading the soil that we rely on to produce food. All of this was happening at such as fast pace, and we weren’t doing everything in our power to stop it.
Now I am not saying that there are other problems in this world that are concerning and deserve our attention. Starvation, war, racism…the list goes on. But if you look at it as I do, we would not have any of these issues without the environment. Because, well, we wouldn’t be alive.
As I switched my gears to a focus on environmental issues and started my career, I realized that I (and most others) are connected to the environment around us in more ways than in just a source of air, water, and food. I started to see that my mental state and my physical self were influenced by it as well. This is when I started to see that three fundamental basics of life – mind, body, and our environment – were all interconnected. In many cases, the health and well being of one piece was influenced by another.
Our mind is influenced by how our body feels. If we are tired, sick, or out of shape we tend to have a negative mindset. The environment can help us gain a healthier mindset by us just spending time out in nature. The way we treat our body can have a positive impact on the environment by watching what we eat.
As I was starting to create a lifestyle with this idea in mind, I wanted to invite others to join me. To journey down this road and learn with me. To begin to live a truly sustainable life. So began The Positive Footprint.
The title of The Positive Footprint speaks to what this philosophy is all about. Working towards leaving a positive footprint on this earth once we leave. Not just in the environmental way by reducing our carbon footprint, but also in the spreading joy and positivity to those around us kind of way.
Take a second with me and think about what you want your footprint on this world to be once you are no longer here. Really think.
How do you want people to remember you?
What kind of planet do you want your children to live on?
What values do you want to teach and instill in those around you?
I have thought about this question a lot lately. I can honestly say I don’t have the full answer yet. But I do know I want my footprint to be a positive one. I want to leave the planet better than it was when I was born. I want there to be more joy and less negativity.
In order to accomplish this, I feel like I have to work on creating a sustainable and positive foundation within myself. This is where looking at improving the health of my body and mind comes into play. At the same time, I have to work on doing my part (no matter how small) to improve the environment around me.
If we all look to live in a more positive way, I believe this world will have more joy, peace, and our environment will thrive.
The next few blog posts will dive into each of the main categories – body, mind, and environment – a little deeper. I will give you an idea about what you can expect from each area and why I see all three as being equally important!