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The following post is from Emily of Live Renewed:

One response I hear a lot when talking to people about their green and natural living journeys is how overwhelming it can be. All of the information, changes to make, and toxins to worry about can really drag you down and even leave you feeling paralyzed, unsure of what step to take next, or ready to throw in the towel because it’s all just too much.

I understand and totally get the overwhelmed feeling. There is a lot of information to take in, and it can lead to a feeling of helplessness when you realize that there aren’t a lot of good regulations in place to protect you and your children from dangerous toxins and chemicals in the environment.

But, when the feelings of overwhelm threaten to take over and I’m tempted to just stick my head in the sand and pretend like green living is not something I need to worry about, I try to remind myself of these five simple truths to keep me moving forward:

5 Simple Truths About Green and Natural Living

These truths are simple, but powerful, and will help get you past the feelings of being overwhelmed and back onto the path toward healthier choices for your family and for the planet.

1. You can’t do everything, but you can do something

The reality of life is that we are never going to be able to do absolutely everything we want to do to live a greener life, protect our family from toxins, and remove chemicals from our homes. We cannot live a toxin-free life on this earth, so we need to start by letting go of the idea that we need to do everything. Perfection is not the goal, positive changes and moving in the right direction is the goal of our journey! 

So we recognize that while we can’t do everything, we do have the choice to do something. We can make changes that will move us and our family in the right direction toward the kind of life that we are pursuing.

2. Just start

So, once we’ve determined that we can do something, we have to just choose something to do, and do it. Whether it’s a big lifestyle overhaul or a very small and simple change, we can’t make the change unless we start. Every change starts with taking that first step. Choose one area of your life that you think is most important or even will be the easiest to change and start there. It doesn’t matter where you start, as long as you just do it!

3. Every change, no matter how small, makes a difference

As you begin the change you have decided to work on, you can be proud of the fact that what you are doing is making a difference. It’s making a difference for your family. Because everything in our lives is interconnected, any change that we make, even a tiny change, will impact our lifestyle as a whole, and can also have an impact on the world around us.

It’s up to us to make changes that will have an impact on our health, our environment, and others around the world. That’s how green living really can change the world.
~Green Your Life: A Guide to Natural, Eco-Friendly Living

When we make small changes and encourage others around us to make small changes, together we can change the world!

4. Let go of the guilt

Because you can’t do everything or make every change that you want to make, you may spend time worrying or feeling guilty about the changes you haven’t made. I want to really encourage you to let go of that guilt!

As humans, God has created our bodies to be extremely resilient. Our bodies can fight back against illnesses and toxins from our environment. Worry and stress can be just as bad for our health, so it’s best to just let the guilt go, and focus on the positive changes you are making, and the ways that you are moving in the right direction.

5. Use what you already have

I think sometimes green and natural living can feel overwhelming because we think we need to go out and buy new “greener” things to replace our old “non-green” things. But that is not always true. There are many ways that you can make green and natural changes to your lifestyle using things that you already have around your home.

Here are a few ideas, just to get you started:

• Save your glass jars and start using them all around your home.
• Find natural beauty products in your kitchen cupboards.
• Repurpose containers for toy storage.
• And when you sign up for my email newsletter, I’ll send you a free report on 5 Non-Toxic Cleaners you already have at home (and vinegar and baking soda aren’t even on the list!)

So, when you start to feel overwhelmed by all the information and changes to make on the journey toward greener and more natural living, come back to these simple truths, pick one to focus on, and move forward on your journey!

What are some things you feel most overwhelmed with about making the change to green and natural living? How can you apply one of these simple truths today?