Rebel and question everything
Preface
This post is the fifth one in a series of 7 and is based on my pdf-guide ‘7 challenges to make almost everything a bit better’. You can download it from here. This guide is an attempt to show that living healthier, happier and caring about our future on this planet is not difficult. It does not call for fancy diets, prescription pills, hippie lifestyle or expensive ‘green’ gear.
There are a couple of rather basic but paramount things we can do that have a positive effect on several aspects of our lives. And in here, they are called challenges (because who doesn’t like a nice challenge?).
Challenge 5: Rebel and question everything
You might not realise it, but you have whole lot of choices. Every day you make a choice — be it conscious or unconscious one. Why are you doing what you are doing? Why certain things are the way they are in your house? Why is a TV taking a central stage in your living room? Is it because that is how everyone does it? Why do you own a TV to begin with? Because everyone does? What value does it serve so profoundly that all furniture is pointing at it and that you are willing to take a loan to get yet a bigger one?
TV obviously is just one example. You can question anything else, starting from your commute habits ending with how often you shower, your material possessions, the ways you spend your time and talk to people or the water you drink.
Bottled water example
If you are one of the people who buys bottled drinking water, keep on reading. Have you ever asked yourself why do you do it? Is it a habit or is it what ‘others do’? Why do you pay money to some multinational company for the essential which water is, instead of using what is already provided for a fraction of a cost? Tap water trumps bottled one in many aspects.
First, it is cheaper. According to some sources, even the most expensive tap water in EU costs around 0.005 cents/litre. That is 20 litres for 0.1 EUR. That is at least 100 times cheaper than bottled one. Price especially comes to play while commuting. Water at the stations (and airports) is ridiculously overpriced, while carrying your own bottle around is low effort activity.
Second, it is also generally safer than bottled water, as it is more regulated (within EU).
Third, it is easier to access. You do not have to go to drag all the weight from the shop back home. And if you drive to the shop just because you must transport these bottles, by starting to drink tap water, you can also start going by foot or by bike instead.
So, what is your reason?
Keep questioning
Am I going shopping every Saturday because this is what other people do? Is it the most valuable way I can spend my time? Is it worth paying the loan and insurance for the car that stands still more than 90% of the time? Do I own a car because that is what others do?
Does [insert anything] add enough value to my life to justify its cost (in terms of hours of your life spent to earn this amount of money)? Am I just hopping on the trend wagon, following what is expected, getting sucked into marketing trap?
It is not a call to anarchy. It is a call to drop what does not serve you. We often just follow a poorly thought through model and meet expectations set for us by someone else. It is your life, it is in your interests to re-evaluate the defaults you follow.
Actions
1. Make a list of ‘defaults’ you are sticking to. Add anything that comes to your mind — from default browser to how often you shop for clothes. See if you can explain the ‘why’ behind it and if it matches what you think is important. What would happen if you changed that default? Would you get more free time? More space?
2. Change them if they don’t serve you and see what happens.
