mind shift

sometimes, as simple as it seems or sounds, i personally find it painfully hard to shift my thinking away from a me-centered realm to one of universal compassion. by universal compassion i mean a deep and active concern for people i don't know, people i won't meet or see ever.

what i mean is... when i think about consumption, most of the time, i think in terms of spending money on stuff i don't need and how that affects me. so i buy something. then the money is gone. and i have this thing (whatever it is, it's mostly all the same) that in a few months or a few years i don't want or need anymore and i have to throw it away. then i feel a little guilty about making garbage. sometimes though if i'm feeling low, i figure, fuck it, it makes me feel better and life is short. and i want it. so i'll buy it. the cycle is consume->guilt or don't consume->feel like i'm missing out

but if i simply shift my mind to the other side. and ask myself- where did this come from? who made it? how was it made? how did it get here? what environmental and social issues were created or perpetuated by the creation and transport of the product? what is life like for the person who sewed this sweater or painted this hoochamathingy?

because, when the affect is not mine alone- my guilt or my gratification- when i consider the affect of the people- yes, fucking people make the shit they sell at targetwalmartbedbathbeyondme- along the way, then i can clearly see i don't want this cheap (or expensive, as the case may be) piece of junk.

www.storyofstuff.com

awesome, eye opening movie. 20 minutes long. give it a view.