// live simply

Live simply so that others might simply live
Says Gandhi
Who are others?
People for sure
But others go way beyond that
Animals, plants, trees,
Smaller ones like fungi and lichens
Mountains, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, oceans
It’s everything

Every time we consume something
Something else gave their life.

When we eat meat, this is most obvious – the animal died
When we eat veggies – the plants and its fruits died
When we drink tea – the tea plant died
When we buy a new phone – the ecosystems where raw materials are coming from died
When we buy a new cotton shirt – the microorganisms and insects in the soil with pesticides died
When we drive in a car – the forests that were there before the streets died
When we ask ChatGPT – the planet dies, with the enormous amount of energy needed

This is not to make you feel bad
It’s not to make you feel guilty
You’re not the problem
But your lifestyle and habits contribute to the problem

And you have a choice.

Next time you want to consume something
Ask your heart:
Do I really need this?
Or is my mind thinking that I need this to do xyz?
Or do other people or ads make me think that I need this to do xyz?

Take a deep breath and then make your choice.

When you consume it
Enjoy to the fullest
Pay respect and gratitude
to whatever gave their life to nourish yours
Even if it’s tiny, little, almost invisible
It’s a gift, and maybe you can reciprocate it at some point
There is no “them”
There is only us
And we’re all one.