We are not just consumers. We do much more than just buy things.
Our lives are not just personal. The decisions we make for ourselves have an effect far beyond our own lives.
Each of us is an adult, and we we make adult decisions in our lives, and these have effect on the people around us, and in the communities around us.
Each of us has a job, and the decisions we make in that job have an effect in the economy and society around us, even if only in very small ways.
In your capacity as a working adult, you can−−
−−help the environment. Reduce waste. Use quality things that last. Arrange your life so that you have enough of what you need and less of what you don't. Give away what you don't need instead of throwing it out. Eat quality food when you can.
−−help change our economic system. Find alternative ways to exhange value, making sure that everyone in the exchange, including producers, traders and users, gets what they need. Make sure that producers recieve fair value for their work.
−−help change our school system. Talk with teachers and other parents about what works and what doesn't work. Find out what children, parents and teachers really need. Talk about positive changes that could be made.
−−help change racism & sexism. Look at people different than you, and see them as real people just like you, people who have their own concerns, and have things that make them happy and things that make them upset, just like you. If we see each other as real people, we can treat each other with the respect each of us deserves.
−−help change restrictive social standards. Come out as your real self to the world. Give others the courage to be their authentic selves. See how the world sparkles with all the variety and amazingness of authentic human beings.
You don't have to do everything. You don't even have to do anything. But if you see an opportunity to make change and act on it, you're not only helping yourself, you're helping everybody. And that's worth doing!
