When women learn about AWE Partners and our mission to encourage, inspire, and empower our community to make their AWE-thentic Impact in the world they get really excited. They imagine what it would feel like to use their resources to effect real change for themselves, their family, and the planet.
Yet every so often I’ll hear a woman say, “But I don’t know if I have anything to give.” What she means is she doesn’t think she has enough money to be able to give at a level that would make a difference. And maybe that’s true. Maybe she is at a point in her life where she needs every dollar she brings in to support herself, her family, and her growing business.
I get that! It’s absolutely imperative that we get our own financial house in order first.
But giving isn’t the only way to make an impact. You can make an impact on the health of yourself, your family, and the planet today by the choices you make when you shop. And it’s getting easier and easier to do just that.
You can make an impact by the choices you make when you shop.
I’ll never forget years ago having a discussion with my husband about my desire to begin shopping for healthier food, cosmetics, and cleaning products. He looked at me and said, “I don’t know if I can do this.” He thought it was going to be hard.
At the time our children were young, and we had just discovered that our 1-year old son could be completely healed of ear infections and the resulting over-use of antibiotics by switching him from cow’s milk to rice milk. It was that simple. This awakening led me to completely re-consider our choices when shopping for products we use every day.
Not long after I discovered the website for Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org). Their mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. It has become my go-to place for purchasing anything from cleaning products to beauty care to sunscreen.
But now I’m committed to going even further. Don’t tell my husband, but I’ve become fascinated with sustainable fashion and lifestyle choices.
Recently, I saw a Ted Talk by Aparna Mehta called “Where do your online returns go?”. In it she reveals that instead of ending up back on the shelves, billions of pounds of goods are sent to landfills each year!
Billions of pounds of returned goods are sent to landfills each year.
This led me to the Netflix documentary called “The True Cost”, which shows how the fast fashion industry depletes the earth’s resources and leverages slave labor to pass along a “cheap” cost to the end consumer. Companies such as Forever 21, H&M, Topshop, and Zara, are being called out for producing low quality merchandise at high volumes that don’t last and end up being thrown away. Add to that the toxic chemicals, dangerous dyes, and synthetic materials which seep into the water supply during production and when the garments are washed in our homes.
Lucy Siegle, author and journalist says,
“Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone, somewhere is paying the price.”
To counter this, slow fashion is a movement towards mindful manufacturing, fair labor rights, natural materials, and lasting garments.
Wouldn’t you like to feel good about the clothes you buy for yourself and your family?
Wouldn’t you like to ensure that nobody’s life is being threatened so you can have access to cheap, trendy outfits?
Of course, you would!!
So, I’m excited to share another resource that I’ve recently discovered called The Good Trade (https://www.thegoodtrade.com/), a digital media brand covering sustainable fashion and lifestyle. Created for those seeking to live an inspired and intentional life (and who among us isn’t???), The Good Trade was built on the fundamental idea that consumers are capable of driving significant social change through their everyday purchases, consumer preferences and lifestyle choices.
“Consumers are capable of driving significant social change through their everyday purchases, consumer preferences and lifestyle choices.”
YES! YES! And YES!!
You can be inspired and intentional!
You can be capable of driving significant social change!
You can make your AWE-thentic Impact each and every day by the choices you make when you shop!!
Now just in case you’re feeling a little like my husband did that day I sprung it on him that there were going to be some changes in the way we shopped…don’t worry. You don’t have to do this all at once. You can take baby steps.
Just choose one area of your life where you want to begin making shifts and feel good about any progress you make. Trust me you won’t look back. Just begin!
Be AWE-dacious!
Lis
