Quiet, reserved, exceedingly thoughtful and not stepping into the spotlight any time soon – all traits to be admired and appreciated in the realm of silent changemakers.
One may think, by the sheer clamor alone, that it is the noise-makers who fabricate greater impacts in the world, yet it often happens that their words fall short in front of their inspired actions. While the ability to speak volumes may favor an extrovert in being an activist, shouting and parading down the street for all the world to see, especially where the environment is concerned, it has been said that sustainability starts at home – the very place where introverts gather.
Introverts will quietly save the Earth
Introverts, empaths and highly sensitive people are contemplative beings, and we are very much in favor of the Earth. We recognize the need to love it and preserve it for future generations. Nature, like us, is quiet, calculated and patient, sometimes annoyingly so. It only flares up during a storm, then quickly settles down into familiar patterns. It doesn’t host wild parties with loud music and forced conversation, nor does it expect everyone to interact verbosely.
Nature, in fact, focuses its power on subtlety and prefers its own version of quiet time. It is only in the human world that we create a cacophony of noise from sunup to sundown, continuing straight through the night in most city-scapes.
Have you ever camped a night, twenty miles or more from civilization? No lights, besides the embers and flames of the campfire. No sounds, except for the creeping steps of a few night dwellers. Night, outside of the city is silent and dark, and it is an amazingly beautiful place to be – at one with the wilderness.
You may still be thinking, how does this relate to introverts saving the planet?
First of all, introverts inherently care deeply for the environment. They can relate to the lone wolf, just as much as they can to the nearly silent pollinator butterflies. Emotions run high in a natural setting, and we are able to notice them if we are quiet, and calm enough, to tune into their frequency. Patience. That is a recurring word both in the life of an introvert, and in the life of a tree. Patience takes us far and keeps us grounded at the same time.
Introverts are excellent at making individual, lasting changes to their lifestyles, due to the fact that we don’t always try to fit in. This allows us to try on new ways of thinking, within the privacy of our own lives. We may choose to create a capsule wardrobe that allows us to wear our favorite set of clothes, day after day. We may choose to mend, or even design our own clothes from sustainable materials – and silently be proud of them! – after all, we have the ambition to sit for long hours with knitting needles in our hands and an audiobook by our side.
We care for our personal health, just as we care for the wellbeing of others, four-legged creatures included. As smart consumers, we first begin to adjust our purchasing behaviors when we sense the muchness of the world and how it damages the landscapes and oceanscapes far away, then we act on them wholeheartedly. In the journey of discovering eco-minimalism, one may even decide to give up chemicals in favor of a healthier home, making their own environmentally safe cleaning products from essential oils and benign ingredients.
Once we realize what is good for us, is good for the Earth, and what is bad for us, is bad for the Earth, then we are in a great place to shift our paradigm.
A sustainable life is ours for the taking!
We just need to ask for it and we will be rewarded with the task to design it the way we choose it to look, all from the quiet and comfort of our own home. It is often the simple, everyday actions that are overlooked when it comes to calculating our carbon footprint. If we can work from home, rather than commute far distances, we are doing wonderful, it suits us introverts anyway. If you are not yet in that position to follow your passion from home, start thinking about how to create the ideal situation that would allow you to flourish and thrive from your private sphere.
What other simple actions can introverts take to start protecting the environment from the comfort of their loving homes?
- Eat locally, or grow your own – food miles quickly add up!
- Go plastic-free, even zero-waste, as much as possible.
- Walk, bike or use a car share when you do go out.
- Print as little as necessary, and handwrite the rest.
- Opt out of mail that ends up directly in the recycling bin – it may take a thoughtful letter, or your presence in person to end the wasteful correspondence.
- Conserve energy and water, open the windows and let in some fresh air.
- Plant a tree and/or invest in a reforestation scheme – the world can never have too many trees! Bring potted plants into your home to help clean the air.
- Get outside and walk/hike/exercise in nature to restore your spirit and your love for the natural world.
At the same time, it will be to your benefit to unclutter your home and get rid of all that no longer serves you. Gift items away to those in need, safely recycle or throw away the rest. A life that is full of space and light, allows for creativity to enter, it also fosters awareness about how much is enough. Once you realize that you have enough stuff, you can focus on the joys and experiences of a life lived well, closer to nature.
Introverts can save the planet as they do not stay silent on topics that they are passionate about. If you are concerned about the future of life on our planet, start taking inspired actions of sustainability today and become the #sustainablechange. The Earth is counting on you!
If you’d like to take your unconditional love for the Earth one step further, Cheryl is here to guide you for 3 months as a sustainable life designer dedicated to working with intellectual introverts. See if Sustainable Lifestyle Design for Intellectual Introverts is right for you and claim your spot today! Quietly change your eco-behaviors and inspire others to help save the world!
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