Reduce, Reuse, Rejoice: A Spiritual Guide to Waste Management

Several months back I published a post about the waste we humans produce due to our eating habits (Click Here To Read). A lot of what I learned while writing this piece has stuck with me, influencing the way I think and feel, and consequently, the way I eat. At times I'm overwhelmed by this knowledge; I struggle with guilt brought on in part by my own, and in part by my fellow species, decision to exist in a way not consistent with nature. But as I continue to ponder these decisions, I'm beginning to realize something quite extraordinary.

Eat To Live & Live To Give

Now that I have cable again (uggh!) I've been bombarded with cheery commercials all promising unparalleled holiday joy. As a wise woman once sang, “I am a material girl” and it’s painfully obvious that I am “living in a material world”.

Every year we spend billions “making merry”. As a culture we tend to overdose on materialism. I think it's okay to enjoy the finer things in life, but in moderation. After all, what are we working for if not to be happy, enjoying food and gifts with our loved ones? 

With that being said, I still empathize with those that have grown disenchanted by the holidays, those that look around and see selfish, instant gratification-obsessed, unhappy people. So while I think nothing wrong with the enjoyment of giving and getting the material things in life, it’s no secret that for many people, the holidays have become the least wonderful time of the year.