Change yourself first if you want to change the world

I have made a decision to go vegan (vegetarians for Andy and Georgia) this April for the better of my health and also I believe that I do not need to take another life to fill my stomach.

Along with that, we have also make great changes to my lifestyle. We buy organic and use organic as much as we can.

Change all the toxic chemicals laden home products to environmentally friendly ones like Seventh Generation which uses plant base ingredients. We buy products that are not tested on animals as their lives as as valuable as us!

We buy less as frankly, how many shoes, clothes or bags does one person need! So when you buy less, you spend less too.

We recycle most of our stuff like cereal boxes, drink cartons, old towels are reused as bathroom mats, etc.

Bring your own shopping bag everywhere you go. Make your own shopping bags in different sizes to fit into the bag that you will be carrying on that shopping trip.

We drive less too. Use public transportations more.

We watch TV only twice a week. Why watch so much TV programs when most of the time they are commercials and these are the ones that ask you to spend and buy and also telling you that you look awful, you smell awful and etc? More time are spent with family. We are away from each other for more than 8 hours a day and we should spend every effort to communicate with each other and love each other more rather than spending senseless hours in front of the TV with all the jargons. You'll be amazed after a while that you don't need TV at all! Hey it also saves you some energy bill dollars!

Turn off all electrical appliances if you don't use them. Don't put them on standby mode as that consumes energy too!

We travel only once in a year or two and usually around the region.

The list goes on and on and if you are also inspired by us to change your lifestyle, bravo to you! Spread the word but of course you have to be a good example to show to others.

You will definitely be faced with a lot of resistance like we do when we change our diets and lifestyle. You'll get comments like what's there to eat, it's somebody else's problem and blah blah blah. There's lots to eat. Vegetables, fruits, grains, good complex carbohydrates, tofu, and many more. Also somebody's problem is your problem too as what comes around goes around.

TIP: Before you buy something, ask yourself whether do you NEED it or WANT it. If you need it, then go ahead. If you want it but don't need it as you have other similar stuff at home, then don't. You will not only reduce your spending power and also not have to work extra hard to pay for all the unnecessary spending.

Live well and stay well.

P.S. The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard is a short film about where our stuff came from and where it goes and everything in between. Go to the website for more information.