Everyone has been a hypocrite at some point in their life
There are times in our life when we contradict one or more of our core values. Perhaps we despise big corporations, but end up shopping at Walmart or Amazon. We hate big oil, yet we still drive our car everywhere. We detest pointless consumerism despite still feeding into the holiday shopping frenzies.
The truth is, living up to our ideal vision and values can be quite difficult, especially in the age of convenience. It's challenging to always buy local, to never use oil (basically impossible), or to not splurge on something we don't necessarily need.
We aren't going to be perfect. To live up to some idyllic version of ourselves can end up with unnecessary self-judgment and a neurotic mindset.
But aligning with our values should still be a priority
I'll admit, I've made some mistakes in my life. I've worked for companies in the past that I vehemently disagreed with. One in particular still haunts me to this day, though I've worked to forgive myself for doing so in recent months.
Perfection is impossible, but that shouldn't limit us from doing our best to align ourselves with our values. When we engage in activities that fulfill these beliefs and values, we innately feel saner. We know that we are doing exactly what we need to be doing, both for ourselves and the world we want to manifest.
Living a life removed from cognitive dissonance feels pretty damn good. Living out the things we espouse makes us feel genuine and accountable to our words.
Remove contradictions as much as possible
Acknowledging that, sometimes, we don't always live up to our beliefs can be immensely helpful in reducing judgment. But it's also important not to succumb to a 'fuck it' mindset. Our actions do matter, no matter how small they seem.
Most importantly, they impact our own personal psychology. Living life as a walking contradiction can feel pretty miserable sometimes. Believing that nothing matters is a self-defeating attitude, one that will inevitably bite us in the ass.
Plenty of things matter, and the most important aspects of our life is often the small, everyday actions that we decide to engage in.
If you want to be more self-sufficient, grow a garden. Care about reducing your waste? Try composting. If you're concerned with excessive corporate control of our lives, localize your purchases as much as possible. Hate big oil? Bike or walk whenever you can.
Small actions matter, often much more than we realize. By taking small steps to live according to our values, we take big strides towards living a life that is in line with our values.
All uncredited pictures from pixabay.com or my personal account
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