Progress not Perfection

Hi everyone! Today’s blog is going to be a bit different than the usual informative blog. Today I want to share how becoming more environmentally conscious is about progress, not perfection. Truly this concept applies to everything in life. I hope you’ll find yourself encouraged by the end of this blog.

My whole life I’ve enjoyed nature and have been especially drawn to the ocean, this influenced my studies and my calling to be a good steward of what God has given me. It was not until I was doing my master’s in England that I learned about how some of my actions were harming the environment. It wasn’t until that I began to go on a journey of being environmentally conscious. I felt convicted by the holy spirit to share what I’m learning with others. It is then that The Ocean’s Narrative began, and thus my learning about sustainability and how we make a big impact.

I realized after having conversations with different people that we are all at different levels of awareness. It is therefore so important to acknowledge the person on your right and left will have different habits and lifestyles than you, and that's okay. As someone who recently has become more aware of how my actions have consequences, I also know that building healthy habits take time. For example, there are moments I still use plastic, forget my reusable straw, or create waste. I realize that it’s okay, I will get better at finding ways to reduce this that fits into my lifestyle. Knowledge is a responsibility, so when I do use plastic I find ways to re-use it multiple times, or when I create waste I begin to learn about composting and how it works.

I have come across several people in my life who are not aware of how their actions are impacting the environment, that’s okay. That is where you and I can share our experiences. To do this we have to show grace and love. Recently, I started seeing more people on social media shame others based on their lifestyle. This is not okay. Even if it’s a gif where you are trying to make it a joke where they claim is not to shame anyone, it still invokes the feeling of shame. I know from experience when others showed me grace, love, and were patient with me that changed my actions. So I encourage you to do the same. I try to my blog share what I am learning while still leaving the door open for people to make their own decisions.

The times we are living in are unprecedented. How many times have you heard that word? There is a lot of separation because of polarizing topics. We know that climate change is getting worse and many want to advance the positive change we can make. I agree with this but not at the cost of hurting people's feelings. There is always a proper way to create change just take a moment to think about those who have done it. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Teresa, to name a few. They did great things with love and grace in mind while letting others ponder on their choices. I guess ultimately this is a letter to remind others that we grow better when we help each other through the lens of kindness and patience.

I encourage you as I've mentioned before on the blog and social media have a conversation with others about things you care and are passionate about. This can make a difference but make sure to give room for others to feel not judged but curious about your journey. So my call to action for you this week is to just be more aware of how you speak about things. I hope this blog has encouraged you if it has please share it with a friend! And if you’d like to stay connected please consider following The Ocean’s Narrative on Instagram. Till next time.