Sustainable Living from the Heart: Meet Tiffany

Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life.
~Herbert Otto

Following my heart has led me to different countries, people, and life experiences. Yet my exploration of sustainable living has stayed consistent throughout my journey. I had the opportunity to live in the Queensland rainforest in northern Australia near the Great Barrier Reef. This majestic place has birds that sound like humans and an entrancing landscape that is beautiful to the eye, but poisonous to the touch. Most recently, I obtained a Masters in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability in Sweden, arguably the most sustainable developed country in the World. It was an incredible experience to view sustainability through the lens of my fellow students from around the World alongside Swedish leaders. Now I am back in my home country, the USA, sharing knowledge and working on transformational change with individuals and organizations, including all of you reading.

Throughout my own personal journey of trial and error toward a more sustainable lifestyle, I am constantly humbled by all there is to learn. Sustainable living can take on different meanings dependent upon culture, society, economics, and location. Yet at its core, perhaps it has a simple and universal meaning. Could "sustainable living" be as simplistic as separating your wants from your needs and acting upon these differences? Every person's path toward leading a sustainable lifestyle will be different, but we can all gather around the idea that we want to play a role in creating a desirable future. Through this opportunity at Justmeans to write about Ethical Consumption, I hope to not only educate but also empower our global society.

Why consumption? Because it is at the heart of our decision-making. Ethical consumption does not only refer to what you buy, but it is also about what you choose not to buy. It is about striking a balance between our wants and needs, and not feeling limited but instead empowered to participate in a society and economic system that matches our ideals. Ethical consumption is not limited to regulations, eco-labels, and economics; it is about supporting our society's future. Whether it is banning plastics from your household or adjusting your eating habits we each have decision-making power to be discovered.

Personally, I have always appreciated encouraging and action-oriented suggestions as opposed to apocalyptic messages. So I look forward to providing new, accurate, and empowering information to help us all make meaningful commitments to sustainable living. Secretly, or not so secretly once this is published, I hope to also learn from all of you about the positive things you are doing across the globe to create an incredible future for all of us.

Let's create more sustainable patterns within our own lives, so when we ask others to join us, it comes out of passion and personal dedication. If the future truly is in our hands, are you up to the challenge?

Inspired,
Tiff