Small actions
I believe that small and even micro sustainability actions and practices matter so much. This is not because I think that my personal actions will stop ecological degradation. Surely they will not. But such actions and practices allow me to consistently develop a different way of relating with objects, to take part in changing culture. By different I mean more respectful, more gentle, caring, loving, mindful, honouring embodied non-humans (such as trees and plants) and embodied human labour, fellow humans' skills, energy, time.
In the picture above are food leftovers. I could thrown them away but I decided to keep them. In the picture below is a gift I received from a fellow human. I always let others know that I practise extreme minimalism and zero-waste and that I do not want any gifts. If they really want to give something, then I propose alternative ways of giving, such as giving to a charity or a cause I support, or giving to someone in need. I live with very few items and perhaps to many it would look like I am in need of something, but I certainly am not. The fellow human I just mentioned gave me local flowers and branches, and a vase from her own collection. I felt deep gratitude for the thought that went into this gift.
My loved one gave me flowers recently (below). Perhaps it is difficult for him to avoid expressing his feelings via gifts, as it's such a normal thing to do. Over time, he gave me some objects but I gave them all away because they will serve some fellow human better than me. This might be controversial. But this decision does not come from a lack of appreciation and gratitude. It comes from a desire for a better distribution of objects in society and a desire to live with what is lagom for me.
