Global Citizen

by Jaimy Weiler

Think twice before you buy something. The item you are about to buy has a history. Maybe a long history. Maybe a short history. Either way, it has a story of how it came into being. If you wonder about the journey this object you’re about to make your own has taken, you can more deeply appreciate the world and your own place in it. Ask questions as you wonder, as you think twice. What are the raw materials used to make this item? What part of our earth did they come from? Were they harvested, fished or mined? Who are the people who collected those materials? Do you think they enjoyed their part in creating this wonderful item? Who designed, manufactured and shipped it? How far has it traveled? Did it move here by plane, by train or by ship? Was it refrigerated? Did it come in a box or a bag? Maybe somebody owned it before you. So many steps this item took on its journey to you.… It is a beautiful thing to consider an item’s history, to touch in with a world of events outside our normal daily routines. It is a chance to see how supported we are by the efforts of other people across the globe and by the bounty of this earth.

Thinking twice before buying gives us pause to contemplate the nature of our actions and to consider our impact as a citizen of earth. Buying is like voting. We cast our vote for this type of manufacturing and this kind of work environment. We vote on other people’s wages. We vote for this type of farming, this type of pesticide. Or we vote for no pesticides at all. We vote on how people and the land should be treated. Every time we buy something, we cast our vote for many, many things in this moment-to-moment continuous global election. Considering an item’s journey helps us to be wise voters. After all, every vote counts in our global economic community.

Buying is also signing up to be a steward or caretaker. Do we use the item we have purchased well? Do we care for it and make the best use of it we can? Do we refrain from buying what is not needed so that it can serve where it is needed? Do we use what we buy to serve and increase the health, life, light and true happiness of ourselves and the world? Buying something, and the actions that follow, speak volumes about what we value and who we are. Think twice, vote your heart and love the world.

This essay is excerpted from the book Light through the Heart ©2005 by Jaimy Weiler

Jaimy Weiler is a speaker, author and simplicity consultant living in southeast Michigan. Her background in manufacturing, finance and organizational analysis are her intellectual tools, which when combined with the wisdom and integrity of her heart, bring simplicity and clarity of purpose to others and the projects they value. She is a deep spiritual seeker with a heart ever ready to serve and be a radiant source of light in the world. She can be contacted @ (248) 546-9904 or by e-mail at jaimy@oneheartwaking.com