A pledge: To do more of the good stuff

I like to consider myself a conscientious human, as in, I give a shit about stuff, humans, animals, mother earth, that kind of thing. There are many things I know very little about, therefor my care factor radar may not be quite where it should. Actually, I would go so far as to say I have a certain naivety about particular issues, like wars abroad, Australian politics (yawn), Trump (boo, hiss), the British Brexit (no idea), and embarrassingly, even the Adani coal mine (this seems a no brainer though?). I care, but with the barrage of negative news and propaganda that we are fed when we jump online, turn on the telly, listen to the radio or open a newspaper (do people still do that?) it can all feel a bit overwhelming, like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. How can one tiny change, by one woman in a small town, in a country that feels so far removed from the rest of the world make ANY real difference? You hear me?

Negativity and naivety aside, I know in my heart as long as I keep on giving a shit, showing up as a conscientious human, making small changes in my life that have a ripple effect on my environment, my family, the people I surround myself with and the world at large, I know I’m doing okay. And I am totally fine with that! There are crusaders out there fighting the bigger fights and that's their path, this is mine. Collectively though, I rekon what we all do individually adds up to a lot of good!

And isn’t it just the best feeling to do good for the sake of good, with no expectation of anything in return!? Or on the flip side, that the return is bigger than you, it's something future generations will benefit from. Big, small or somewhere in between, showing up as a good mother trucker and taking some type of action (in line with what's important to you), rather than no action at all, really is the least we could do! And why wouldn't you when it feels so darn good?

I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” – Mother Teresa

Despite knowing I'm an okay sort of human (PMS week aside), I still think there is room in my life to do more, and over the coming months I want to kick things up a notch, get a bit #extra. And to make myself accountable, I’ll be documenting it here in my blog. A pledge if you will, to do more of the good stuff.

Maybe this rings true for you too? Feel like you have the capacity to do more of the good stuff? Well, join me then! Here’s a list of things I want to tick off in the months to come:

• Plastic free July – I’m the recycling Nazi in my household but I still think we could improve on our efforts to ditch the plastic. I’ve signed up to the plastic free July challenge online and am keen to discover new ways I can contribute to this plastic epidemic that's taken over the world.

• Living with less & practising conscious consumerism –I like to think we live a pretty simple existence and don’t have too much ‘stuff’ crowding our home and lives; however, I am positive there is more to be done in this area. My wardrobe in particular! And, when it does come time to buy things, my aim is to do it for necessity and with mindfulness at the forefront. And, that the odd indulgence is honoured & enjoyed to the full!

• Volunteering -this is something I have done very little of and from what I hear, it can be both challenging and rewarding. I’m on a mission to find an organisation I can give my time to, but I feel it's important for it to be the right fit. I may need your help for this one!

• Choosing a charity to give to on the regular. Yes, I give to charity, but it’s sporadic and often based on whatever is pulling at my heart strings at that particular time. I can’t give a lot, but I would like to know what I am giving is going to make a real difference. With so many charities out there, how do you choose?

• On a more personal level, documenting gratitude and making someone's day are high on my priority list too. More on this later, maybe you might like to join me in a month long challenge for this one?

So, welcome to Earth & Embers blog, thank you for joining me. I’d love to hear from and about you too. Comment below or send me an email, let’s connect.

Peace out homies,

x Kara