Fair change
In the last few days, I've really got a boost. I took part in a competition on Facebook organised by Fair Queen, a shop for fair and ecological business and lifestyle fashion took part. You had to say why you like fair fashion and then ask your friends to vote for your comment. Dozens of people, 260 to be precise !!! supported me, many wrote me kind words. It was soooo empowering and encouraging. It was so good to feel that so many people wished me well and were willing to give me a bit of their time to make it work. Even a woman who I outpaced congratulated me from the bottom of her heart.
Last week I wrote about how shipbuilding, with all its challenges, is like running a marathon - and that I could do with some encouragement to keep going - in the tough middle section, where the initial euphoria is over and the finish line still seems a long way off. Experiencing the love, care, appreciation and support of so many people has done me a world of good.
And I won. Yesterday I was at Fair Queen The advice was super competent and honest. We rated the clothes on a scale of 1 (flop) to 10 (top) .... and the ladies in the shop were honest and told me what they liked and what they didn't like. I was there for three hours - and just enjoyed it. What I also found great is that they make fashion that is ecological and fair, but doesn't look “eco“. It's chic and elegant.
It got me thinking again. I'm already pretty eco-friendly in some areas.
- At the publishing house, we print our books climate-neutrally and with solar power on recycled paper.
- We print with non-toxic colours and avoid unnecessary packaging.
- I buy quite a lot of organic food and fair trade products
- I use things for as long as I can and recycle as much as I can.
- In summer I grow lettuce and tomatoes on the balcony.
In other areas, I am not yet as eco-friendly as I would ideally like to be. Because you can't change everything at the same time, I'm going to tackle the following areas next.
- Shop at the market even more than before to avoid unnecessary packaging, which is common in supermarkets, e.g. mushrooms in plastic trays wrapped in foil.
- Pay attention to fair and ecological clothing when buying clothes.
Later on, I want to tackle electricity and energy consumption even more - but probably not until I'm living on the boat, because I can control it better there. But there's still a long way to go before then...., for which I'm completely encouraged.
One day later: Today I was delighted to find loose table candles - without packaging - in a shop. As I really like candles, I will probably shop there more often.
On a marathon like the one you are running, dear Kerstin, you are allowed to look chic and savour the new clothes you have bought (from friends and people who are well disposed towards you). That was the plan.
You are a gold digger and on your way you have already made a hidden vein of gold accessible to many people - brought pearls to light and encouraged them, lovingly confronted them - and through the impulses in your books, your blog, Quadros and impulse booklets you have enabled a rethink.
I once asked myself in the middle of the forest - when I pulled one of your impulse booklets out of my photo bag... can I also see it this way - that boundaries, my boundaries are something good?... YES, I realised, because they show me what it really looks like, this area in my life that I can and should shape on my own responsibility.
You look very smart, really great - and I have the impression that you feel the same way on this wonderful day.
May the Lord bless you and let his face shine upon you...
To-bi-as I am.
Dear Tobias,
Thank you for the encouraging words.
Boundaries - I believe you can really only find peace within your boundaries. You can't find peace where you would like to be...but only where you are.... doesn't mean that you can't and shouldn't expand your boundaries. I am passionate about encouraging people to do this. It's also my job as a coach.
Thanks for the flowers for the clothes...the team at Fair Queen was great, extremely pleasant atmosphere, I just enjoyed it...apart from the fact that it's great fun to shop without having to pay anything. I floated out of the shop.... and was then flirted with at the market...warmly and charmingly wooed...which confirmed my theory that men (or women) react more strongly to charisma than „just“ looks.
In short: it was fun and did us good...
God shines on me...and I shine back.
Thank you!
Kerstin
Hi Kerstin,
my contribution to living more economically or being „eco“ is the :
I buy a lot of clothes in second-hand shops or at flea markets. And I'm always really happy when I find a real bargain, e.g. a denim skirt from Eddie Baur for four euros - yeah !!!
:-)
Kind regards Karin
Dear Karin,
I think that's great too. Many second-hand shops in Berlin often have a musty smell... not a pleasant place. That's why it's not so easy for me there - but I think it's great. And you can also wash the clothes. I think it's great when I get things from friends who have „outgrown“ their clothes. Then everyone is happy too.
Other things like books, for example, I buy almost exclusively second-hand - if I don't read them as ebooks straight away.