I don’t openly discuss the fact that I’m a tree hugger because it makes people uncomfortable. See, Mother Nature reminds us a lot of our own mother; we believe they’ll always be there for us no matter what. So I don’t talk about being an environmentalist. It would be like reminding the other person that they haven’t called their mom for two weeks. And no one wants to be reminded of their mother during happy hour.
That’s a mistake, however, because I get miffed when others claim to be environmentally concerned, and are blatantly not. Like the people who shop at Whole Foods, and think that gets them a golden ticket to the garden of earthly delights, even though they have a SUV parked in the lot. You may be one of those people. That’s okay. Just stop saying you care about the environment. Because you don’t.
Don’t act like somebody you’re not. It’s annoying. It’s frustrating. People will see through it, and you will have no credibility. The most powerful brands don’t have to broadcast themselves. They are simply true by example.
Besides, it makes your life harder to keep up an image that’s not authentic. You spend a lot of time doing a lot of things to convince a lot of people that you’re something, something big, something that you’re not. That’s depressing.
You may recycle every water bottle or take an entire morning to replace all of your light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Worthy steps, sure. But they’re high-input and low-value. Like, none of those steps will land you in bed with Leonardo DiCaprio.
If you’re going to define yourself a certain way, then go for it. Use meaningful action. Don’t waste your time on little things that provide little value according to your goal. Set priorities to create the most impact, and avoid getting mired in the insignificant.
Environmental products often cost more in the beginning, but pay off in the long run. That’s how life is. It’s going to be hard in the beginning to take the first big step after years of baby steps. Your legs won’t seem long enough. But you have to stretch yourself beyond your limits. It’s worth it. Anything less isn’t authentic.
I’m an environmentalist because I don’t own a car. I don’t waste time worrying about recycling every single piece of junk mail. I don’t feel guilty for not going to the Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning. I’ve already done the biggest thing you can do for the environment. I don’t own a car. The positive impact of that decision is so huge, that while I do the small stuff, I don’t sweat it. I’ve got my golden ticket.
Small steps are a good start, but when you’re ready to play with the big kids, you just have to commit. Going any slower would be painful. Sometimes you just have to rip off the band-aid.
33 replies on “Prioritize your authenticity”
I claimed to be an environmentalist? ;)
Well, your exact words were: “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very concerned for the environment,” which I argued wasn’t true. But that’s okay. Kind of ;)
I changed the wording from “environmentalist” to state “environmentally concerned.”
I like your perspective on this. It’s important for some people (who aren’t as environmentally aware) to take the small steps. But, eventually, for a larger impact, we all need to take the bigger steps.
I should have known this about you when you jumped down my throat about action day ; )
Any “golden ticket” suggestions for people who need a car (besides upgrading to a hybrid of course)? Some people need to drive. For instance, success as a saleman pretty much requires it.
Sam could probably lend some advice on this one.
Ryan, there’s always the hot air balloon. Parking can be tough, though.
@ Sam – Yes, I agree. To get people to buy in you have to start small, but I think people get so wrapped up in doing those small things sometimes that they don’t see the bigger picture.
@ Chuck – I did not jump down your throat. I challenged you. Big difference ;). But yes, although being an environmentalist isn’t part of my “brand,” it’s still an important part of my life.
@ Ryan – There’s a realtor in my city who recently got rid of his car and was front page news. A realtor! Both he and I use communitycar.com when we need a car. It can be done. It’s about your values and what you’re willing to commit. You make things happen that are important to you.
I think that’s great. Keep it up, and I was only kidding about the throat jumping, by the way. We’re cool like that.
I like this mode of thinking – it’s rather like personal finance. Other big golden ticket items – occupy a smaller domicile. Save meat for rare special occasions. Fly rarely. Conceive only one child. Don’t buy new stuff. Publicize your values. Convert your landscape to edibles.
That’s a pretty sweet idea (CommunityCar.com). I just can’t imagine it working in the commuters world of NJ. How would we run our shady mafia business without an Escalade? (just kidding)
Thanks to Sarah I don’t feel so bad. Minus my work gear, I buy a lot of great clothes at Salvation Army and I also take advantage of “the Garden State” and employ my green thumb to my backyard on the weekends.
Maybe one day I’ll be a part of a smaller community where I can definitely give the no car situation a shot. Kudos to anyone who can pull it off, I respect that.
@ Chuck – Well, I’m cool. Kidding! ;)
@ Sarah – Yep. Those are all great ideas. I live in 450 sq ft in a downtown apartment so I can walk places and be in a small footprint. My new condo is 650 sq ft and is an urban infill project, also downtown and minutes away from whatever I need. I consider car and house decisions the biggest environmental decisions you can make. Indeed, they’re often the biggest financial decisions as well. Thanks for sharing other things people can do!
@ Ryan – National chains such as Flexcar.com and Zipcar.com are popular in larger cities. Zipcar.com had five cars located in Princeton, NJ and Hoboken, NJ and Jersey City, NJ and many more in surrounding areas. Use mass transit (!) to get to the city and if you need a car in NJ car share it.
PS- Did you know there are hybrid SUVs?!
Can I also say to everyone that while I’m pleased this post has brought environmentally awareness, my intent was really to show that the bigger decisions in your life matter more, and that’s where you should spend your time and energy…
I can personally tell you that it can be done. I am that Realtor who sold his car, and I love life without it.
lol Rebecca,
the best sticker for an SUV
“My other car is electric”
An even bigger dilemma is:
“Disposable nappies or not”
Either more landfill or washing machine on overtime
It didn’t occur to any one that it would be environmentally friendly to ‘breed’ less humans. After all what is the lifelong carbon footprint of an average human
Great post, Rebecca, going to link over to it in my blog!
Very mature thoughts on authenticity. I love when you say, “The most powerful brands don’t have to broadcast themselves. They are simply true by example.”
Authenticity and being true about your brand is what creates loyalty…and that’s powerful.
1. There needs to be real delivery behind the brand. You can create the personal brand, market the personal brand, and talk about it all day. But, if you don’t walk the walk, the brand fails.
2. We live our life on the front page of the Internet. How’s your behavior?
Good article, Rebecca. Thanks for writing it.
@ Brent – Hurrah! Thanks for stopping by.
@ Alexandra – Great, I’ll look forward to it! Thank you and I appreciate it.
@ Adam – You are the personal branding guru, so I’m happy to hear that. I like linking that authenticity to loyalty- that’s really important because otherwise what’s the point in having a brand if people don’t follow? Good thoughts.
@ Scot – Yes, that is what I was getting at. You need to deliver on what you say, and in a big way. And you do need to be conscious of how you behave because you never know who is watching.
I like your blog a lot and subscribed to your rss feed.
Just one remark, your blog points internally to the wrong feed (http://feeds.feedburner.com/rebeccafyi). You can fix that in the wordpress header.
liked ur write. Simply awesoem and how true .
:)
tht’s my site
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