While I will definitely miss writing emails, looking up new recipes, finding new music, drooling over running elevation charts and stumbling upon wild tidbits of information, one specific song comes to mind when I look at this goal. RE-EVALUATING TIME has been such an important part of my year. Spending less time doing things that make me unhappy and don't fall in sync with my goals and spending more time doing the exact opposite.
How much time do you think you spend on the internet? How much productive? How much wasted? How much of that time would you rather spend outside? You've only got one shot at this thing and do you really want to spend it looking at a screen? What is that feeling you have when you stare at a computer screen for two hours straight? There sure is nothing natural about it. These are the questions I confronted myself with last November. I don't think the internet is a bad thing, if anything it is absolutely wonderful. Limitless information and the ability to read and acquire knowledge in your own home that used to be only available in advanced college courses or the ability to be inspired by a video at the click of a finger. Nothing wrong with that. I want to take a step back though. I want to see the internet as a privilege and stop viewing it like a readily available breath of air. I'm going to go the next two and a half months without it. It's going to be a challenge indeed, to be more creative, use a phone book (if I can find one) once in a while, and figure out road names and directions on maps to name a few things. My roommate Jordan has agreed to scan a written entry of my blog for the rest of the year and post it for me on here for anyone that would like to continue following along. This will be my last post and last time online for the rest of 2014. Goodbye interwebs. Last week really hit home the importance of what I put into my body on a daily basis and I can only begin to imagine the things I will learn about myself from the rest of the year from continuing on without sugar. It is pretty cool to be able to evaluate every single step of the day down to how eating a handful of grapes can effect my energy. This brings me to week 40 and the importance of the things that we constantly use around ourselves and come in direct contact with. The goal for week 40 was to no longer use chemical or synthetic cleaning agents but in writing the title I realized there was a way to put a more positive spin on it. This means I'm going to have to go through everything in the house that I use from dish soap and laundry detergent to bath soap, toothpaste and shaving cream. Deodorant? Who needs it? Just kidding, I'll have to look for another option for that too. Reaching week 40 is a huge milestone in the year even knowing the huge hills still left to climb. I am very excited to get started with this goal and although it may hit the wallet a bit hard I can't wait to use some Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap! So for the rest of the year I'll only use natural cleaning products. Goodbye Colgate, Irish Spring, Tide, Ajax etc. . .! End of Week Update
The switch has been made. The picture above shows my new supply of cleaners from the shower to the kitchen sink versus the ones I was using. Dr Bronner's plays a big part in the new scene. I found a common theme among most of the new products was that they were not tested on animals, which was a pleasant surprise as I was unaware that I guess all of the ones I had been using are tested on animals? I came into this week a little weary of the new products I was going to be using and how effective they might be and came out of the week feeling a bit upset that I hadn't discovered some of them a long time ago. I've been using Dr Bronner's to wash dishes and take showers and I don't think i'll be going back. The products on the right side of the picture here are actually not any more effective as I've experimented this week, they just spend millions of dollars convincing people that they are (enter, fancy packaging). Dr Bronners actually encourages people right on their label to not buy a new bottle but get a refill from a local distributor selling it by the pound, pretty cool. As a closing note, IF YOU HAVE NEVER WASHED YOUR FACE WITH PEPPERMINT DR. BRONNERS, DO IT! On to week 41! |