Of all the challenges last year brought, turning 60 wasn’t one of them. Combined with other life events, however, it did bring urgency to “live more purposefully.” But what does that mean? I asked myself. Taking stock of my values brought both relief and discomfort—they haven’t changed that much. So I took a deeper dive: “What could ‘living with purpose’ look like?” The honest answer was simple if not humbling.
A four-year lookback
After the bona fide panic of COVID subsided, I found myself a kid in a candy shop. As a marketing writer for corporate clients, my workload became instantly manageable and I had a laundry list of intentions. I would work out and sleep more routinely, eat more discriminately, reconnect (virtually) with friends and family, volunteer, and get back to writing about something not work-related. I can’t say I abandoned the list entirely, but life-changing it was not.
A month of sleep and Whole 30 diet checked the self-care box (or so I thought) and happy hours by Zoom were fun … but short-lived. With all that rest and spare time, fostering puppies seemed like a reasonable next step, complete with writing responsibilities to market my babies. Then we adopted Cleo and I foster-failed. Oops.
The forced free time and fostering stint also inspired a closer look at my impact, however—on puppies, people, and planet alike. Paying closer attention to labels and home delivery of practically everything was a wakeup call; I was violating my principles at every turn.
Big baby steps
I quickly cleaned up my housekeeping by replacing chemicals with vinegar, salt, lemon juice and baking soda—voila! I upped my investment in even better dog food and fufu cat litter. I got serious about vetoing Styrofoam in restaurants and lettuce packaged in clamshells, and took action on my big-box retail addictions.
We even relocated from our beloved yet secluded, frosty cabin in the woods to a home drenched in passive solar and within blocks of locally-owned core staples—triple bonus.
The glass and the guillotine
Then I looked in the mirror, literally and figuratively. (You knew the 60 thing would come back to us). Not only was I using personal care products riddled with ingredients I couldn’t spell or pronounce, but very few claimed to be cruelty free. Ouch.
Admittedly, I could overlook the unknown chemical risks of my shampoo and skincare potions in the face of self-preservation. But testing on animals? That’s a bell I can’t unring. What’s worse, the promises made in defense of unsafe, inhumane practices were most often empty and baseless.
The resident holy grail
The good news? My true purpose has been hiding in my soul all along. I decided creating meaningful, value-based changes within my own circle of influence—which is often me, myself, and I—is the most wholehearted and generous thing I can do for the Universe.
The better news is I have no more excuses to not write for fun. The purpose of this blog is to expand my knowledge base, share what I learn and offer practical resources. My journey is about moving my own needle on things that I know matter to many others.
Here you will find insightful articles, useful facts and information, and relevant resources pertaining to my personal passions that affect and connect us all: environmental stewardship, respect and equality, and consumer safety.
My new and improved mission is to stay curious, be better informed about my talk and more mindful of my walk. If I spark positive change in others, in any direction, all the better.