I suppose if there is an appropriate time to breathe life
back into this blog, there’s no better time to do it than on Blog Action Day 2012. It’s been four years since H
and I started this blog, and more than two years since our last post. Needless to say both our personal and
professional lives have radically changed since. H is now a proud owner of a neat little piece
of paper that certifies her academic prowess in mastering the science of
forensics. I have bid farewell to my first
work “home”; the five year tenure over both London and New York offices
nurtured a loyalty, unbeknownst to me, that lingers with faded sadness a year
onward still. I also turned down an
opportunity to move back to my beloved UK, a decision that leaves me in awe
when I think about it, so I don’t (because my defense mechanism says so).
Since my declaration of commitment to New York a year ago, I have become more active in exploring the pockets of social goodness so prevalent in this majestic city. A quick search on Meetup can fill your calendar in no time with corporate social responsibility panels, microfinance happy hours, or eco fashion conversations. It was at a meetup event on the future of eco fashion, where the panelists (most, if not all, were younger than me) took turns sharing their challenging but impactful journeys as social entrepreneurs. One panelist, Dave of Holstee, empathically stressed that while they are in the business of selling products (see line of wallets made from recycled plastic bags from New Delhi), it is also equally important to challenge their customers about consumption. So much so that they have incorporated the following message to pop up as online customers are about to make their purchases: Do you really need what you are about to buy? The exuberance of such passionate convictions was infectious, and to someone whose entire spending habit was centered on the thrills on scoring good bargains, to say I left the event overwhelmed would be an understatement. And so begun the shift on my values on consumption, which I look to revisit in future blog posts.
Since my declaration of commitment to New York a year ago, I have become more active in exploring the pockets of social goodness so prevalent in this majestic city. A quick search on Meetup can fill your calendar in no time with corporate social responsibility panels, microfinance happy hours, or eco fashion conversations. It was at a meetup event on the future of eco fashion, where the panelists (most, if not all, were younger than me) took turns sharing their challenging but impactful journeys as social entrepreneurs. One panelist, Dave of Holstee, empathically stressed that while they are in the business of selling products (see line of wallets made from recycled plastic bags from New Delhi), it is also equally important to challenge their customers about consumption. So much so that they have incorporated the following message to pop up as online customers are about to make their purchases: Do you really need what you are about to buy? The exuberance of such passionate convictions was infectious, and to someone whose entire spending habit was centered on the thrills on scoring good bargains, to say I left the event overwhelmed would be an understatement. And so begun the shift on my values on consumption, which I look to revisit in future blog posts.
On that note, I will leave you with the Holstee
Manifesto.
Posts
1 comment:
one thing that i used to do was, whenever i bought something, i had to donate/throw out something from my closet... not sure when i stopped, but now as i am bringing out my winter clothes and storing summer clothes, it's time to figure out what i want to donate!
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