Pursuing Happiness

Obviously I have not been very active with Pursuing Happiness recently. But the other day I had a new idea. So far I have been telling you how to be happy. That is wrong of me. The best way that I can teach you to enjoy life more and look at each day as a new adventure is to lead by example.

So, from here on out Pursuing Happiness will be going in a different direction. Every day I will do one thing that brightened my day and brought my awareness to the good things in life, and I will highlight it here. Hopefully my actions will help you begin to see the positive events in your life no matter how small they are, because sometimes the smallest things are the most powerful. 

Let us begin this journey together and take the first step towards better awareness in our lives.

For those of you who don't know what Blog Action Day is, it is simply an annual event that encourages bloggers all around the world to post about a single issue in order to bring awareness to that issue. This year the topic was concerning climate change.

In recent years more attention than ever has been paid to the natural world and the its sufferings. We have found that we have put off this issue as long as we possibly can. But now it is time to act. Instead of focusing on all the imminent dangers that we face if we refuse to change our ways, I want to offer ways in which every one of us can help to become a solution.

1. Transportation - We have become increasingly lazy over the years. Many people (myself included) often drive to run various errands when the store, bank, etc. is only a few blocks away. Pull your bike out of the garage, walk to places within reasonable distance, save car trips for when you have no other choice. If you have no other choice but drive to work or school, organize a car pool. If you city has a reliable mass transit system, begin using it. There are many ways to get where we need to go without taxing the earth of its natural resources. Be creative.
2. Diet - Our system of food production is much worse than we know. I recommend seeing Food, Inc. if you haven't already. Or read Fast Food Nation. For a while, I was oblivious to how food got on my plate. As long as it was there, I didn't complain or ask questions. Informing myself about this process however, made me realize that it needs to change. Find out if your city has any local farmer's markets. The food is fresh, organic, and cheaper than I originally thought it would be. Or if you are feeling particularly ambitious, try growing your own garden. Or if you are even more ambitious, experiment with going vegetarian. 
3. Smart consumption - It is ultimately up to the consumer what businesses fail or succeed. Do some research before you go to the store and find out what companies are being the most environmentally friendly. Choose to support those businesses. It may mean a slightly more expensive product, but I think that the future of the planet is well worth it. Check out GoodGuide and Green Home for some help.
4. Invest - Along the same lines as number three, if we choose to invest in companies: researching alternative fuels and renewable energy, creating clean transportation, conserving water, or renovating the power grid, or those companies that have made the environment a priority. Check out the 500 greenest companies.

There are many different things that we can do to make our lives more earth-friendly and green. These are just a few ideas. If you have any others, feel free to share them in the comments below.

If you would like more information on things that you can do, visit:

Low Impact Living

Planet Green

The Green Megacity