KindSpring 21-Day Challenge

Every moment of light and dark is a miracle. -- Walt Whitman
Day 1: There are many ways to be more energy-efficient about how you light
your home. Take some time to reflect on those different options today and take a
step towards implementing one of them. Perhaps you'll decide to install motion
sensors, or experiment with having a candlelight dinner. Maybe you'll learn more
about your own usage patterns from your power company, or replace a bulb with
CFL or LED light. This site offers more information on the topic!
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change
ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -- Leonardo da Vinci
Day 2: Over 1/3 of the energy use in a building is due to the HVAC (Heating,
Ventilation and Air Conditioning) system. Today, explore small changes you can
make to how you heat and cool your home or office. Consider smarter use of
windows and shades, or a more intelligent thermostat. Or perhaps you could
incorporate some nature-based insulation. Think of the possibilities and commit
to implementing one of them today. This article offers some useful information.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change
ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put
together that overwhelm the world. -- Desmond Tutu
Day 3: What does it mean to eat local and seasonal right now? Make an effort to
maximize this approach today. It creates more connection with your community
and with nature. Ask questions of your supermarket, plan your own community
garden, or reflect on how you can get better nutrition locally on the same
budget. This website offers more information.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change
ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves.- David Orr
Day 4: Wherever you live there are bound to be small, grassroots organizations
that are committed to conserving the environment. Today make time to learn
about existing efforts in your area. Then make a commitment to participate in
their work in some form or another. Maybe you will lead a clean-up effort
alongside a local water body, or join a team of volunteers in helping remove
invasive species of plants. Or maybe you will contribute your time and skills to
help with program administration or strategy. Remember, every little bit helps!
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least
not try to defy them. --Paul Hawken
Day 5: Plastic is everywhere - but what is it? Plastic is actually an oil by-product,
which takes millions of years to degrade. Where do you use plastic every day?
Find 1 place today to cut out plastic in your life -- it could be a bottle of water, a
plastic fork, a plastic bag, or a wrapper. You might have to try a bit to make it
happen, that's part of the learning! This article shares more about the staggering
financial toll of plastics on the environment.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Every little action creates an effect: We are all interconnected. --Yehuda
Berg
Day 6: Today look at all the purchases you make on a daily/weekly basis and see
how just one of those spending habits can be shifted to change it's environmental
impact. It could lead to conservation of water or another non-renewable resource,
or maybe it is a gesture that protects and enhances life. Time to use your
creativity! For inspiration to change you may like to learn about garbage and
where it goes.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Water is the driving force of all nature. -- Leonardo da Vinci
Day 7: Water is a renewable resource, but our society doesn't seem to use it that
way. Learn more about water usage in our society here. Use today to see how you
can reduce your water usage by at least 3 gallons. Maybe that's a shorter shower,
or a change in food consumption, or a reduction in product purchase, or a different
washing machine. Remember, almost everything we do is connected to water use -take a minute of reflection time today to think about how so many of the activities
you perform are directly or indirectly connected to water. This article shares more
about the amount of water that goes into making some of our every day products.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have
a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to
protect man. -- Stewart Udell
Day 8: Nowadays, most forms of transportation are motorized. Today, make one
decision to reduce your use of motorized transportation by at least 1 mile. The
benefits include slowing down our fast lives and increasing our self-reliance. That
could mean walking to your workplace, or one less trip to a shopping center.
Invitation for reflection - how has motor transport changed the way you experience
the world? Learn more through this article about how you can make a green impact
by changing your transportation habits.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have
a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness. --Dalai
Lama
Day 9: A key component of eating healthy food is having high quality water and soil
as building blocks. Today, lets focus on soil. If you'd like to learn more about how
soil plays a role in healthy food, this article is a great place to start. The challenge
today is to find one thing you can do to serve the soil. Perhaps that means finding a
local compost location, or buying specific local/organic food, or watering your
garden or your neighbors! Learn more about what makes up a healthy soil food web
in this article.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have
a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
I feel more confident than ever that the power to save the planet rests
with the individual consumer. --Denis Hayes
Day 10: We are increasingly a society of online buyers. What exactly happens
when we click 'buy'? Can you take one more step to learn about the chain that
brings online products to your door? Learn more about how your favorite online
store treats its employees and environment. Read this eye-opening article for
inspiration.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change
ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest. --Peace
Pilgrim
Day 11: How are electronics made? Today, you may choose to learn more of the
electronics manufacturing process across the whole cycle, from production to disposal.
We are using exponentially more technology from year to year, but are not always
aware of its effects. Today, think of the phrase 'reduce, reuse, and recycle' - how can
one of those elements be practices in relationship with electronics? Maybe you don't
need that next gadget, or perhaps you will recycle an old one, or maybe you'll drop the
use of an electronic tool. Whatever you do, see if it can be done out of a sense of joy
rather than with a feeling of self-deprivation. This report offers useful information to
get you started.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have a
collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an small
act daily, share their stories and photos with the community.
One small step at a time, we change ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
The simple act of stopping and looking at the beauty around us can be
prayer. -- Patricia R. Barret
Day 12: 'Biophilia' is a term which acknowledges how humans have more
well-being by being around elements of nature. Today, think of one way to practice
that and make sure you put it into action in the coming week. Maybe you bring in an
extra plant for your home or office, or maybe you play the sound of a river over your
earphones, or simply take a few moments each day to lean out of your window and
take in the fresh air and the sight of the blue sky. For inspiration learn more about
biophilia here.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have
a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
The proper use of science is not to conquer nature but to live in it. --Barry
Commoner
Day 13: Buildings are complex! We use many different materials just by virtue of
living in the 'civilized' world. However many pieces of that infrastructure can be
harmful to the environment. Today, learn more about building materials and how
various practices of 'green building' are possible. Today's seed intention is this: How
can you bring one aspect of better building into your life, anything from a shift in your
toilet flushing habits to how air flows through your space to perhaps rethinking what
type of building you'd like to live in completely! This article provides some terrific
information.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have a
collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Waste not the smallest thing created, for grains of sand make mountains,
and atomies infinity. - E.Knight
Day 14: Recycling is seen by many as an important activity in theory, yet there's
still a gap in practice. Today, take the next step in your recycling habits. Perhaps
that means learning about exactly what can be recycled in your area and how to do
it, or it could be setting up a process to make it easy to do so, or it could be shifting
product use so that you can recycle the waste rather than sending it to landfill.
There are many possibilities! This article offers thoughtful perspectives on the
past,present and future of recycling.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have
a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
What you see depends on how you view the world. To most people, this is
just dirt. To a farmer, it's potential. -- Doe Zantamata
Day 15: Similar to yesterdays practice, there are many opportunities for us to
reuse products in our lives more effectively. Today, think of one particular way
you can do that. Examples could be reusing clothes as rags, taking organic waste
to a compost center, or purchasing used materials. There are even people out
there that build houses and other products from repurposed materials! Learn
more about the practice of 'transforming trash' here.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten. -Rudyard Kipling
Day 16: Stories are powerful ways to share one's values. At some point today, see if
you can share a story of an eco-hero, or perhaps how environmental values have come
into practice in your own life. See if you can tell the story in a way that builds
possibility and inspiration. Even if the story is only a minute long, your personal
alignment with the story will make it powerful. Remember, small is beautiful - the
pathway to changing the world begins in our own hearts along with our small
communities. If you really feel like pushing it, research and join a community that
shares your environmental values and listen to their stories! For inspiration watch this
powerful video about a community experiment that's blossoming in East Oakland.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have a
collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an small
act daily, share their stories and photos with the community.
One small step at a time, we change ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest
appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. -- John F. Kennedy
Day 17: How do the things we consume end up in front of us? Today is a day to
learn about that process as best we can. The seed intention is to reflect. At least
three times during the course of the day, look at the object or product you are
currently using and try to visualize the process that brought it into your hands. Be
as detailed as you can. On each occasion, practice gratitude for all the links in the
chain. This article on supply chain sustainability may be of interest.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll
have a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts
from other people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the
right thing. -- Oscar Wilde
Day 18: The word 'sustainability' is difficult to define. Commonly, it seems to mean
'less harmful' than other options pound for pound. Today is a day to reflect on what it
will take to go from 'less harmful' to 'not harmful.' Imagine the possibility where there
is no waste from your consumption. Given what you already know from this challenge,
think of one way to walk in this direction. Think of one area of consumption that is a
'want' rather than a 'need' and see how you can replace it with an activity that has zero
waste. For example, a trip to the mall may be replaced by a walk with friends, or a
chemical used in your life may be replaced by a fully biodegradable alternative. This
article on cradle to cradle design may provide some inspiration.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have a
collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an small
act daily, share their stories and photos with the community.
One small step at a time, we change ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
I can't imagine anything more important than air, water, soil, energy and
biodiversity. These are the things that keep us alive. --David Suzuki
Day 19: Modern day living is cavalier in its attitude towards the use of paper
products. Today look around you at the different ways in which paper is being used
by you and those around you. See if there is at least one way in which you can cut
down this usage. Whether it's taking less print-outs at work, bringing your own
bags to the grocery store or refusing paper napkins at your local restaurant -every small step you take has an impact and will help create a greener world for all!
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have
a collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's
greed.- Mahatma Gandhi
Day 20: We've all heard the phrase 'One man's trash is another man's treasure.'
Consider how many items you have that you have outgrown or no longer need or use
that could be of benefit to someone else. Today make time to give one of your
possessions a new lease of life by passing it on. You may choose to clean your closet
and set aside clothes for your local Goodwill store. Or maybe you have some extra
kitchen appliances that a friend or neighbor could put to good use -- notice how this
kind of giving makes you feel. There is a special kind of joy and lightness that comes
from putting our idle resources into use for others.
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have a
collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other
people and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an
small act daily, share their stories and photos with the
community. One small step at a time, we change ourselves
and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21
Anything else you're interested in is not going to happen if you can't breathe the
air and drink the water. Don't sit this one out. -- Carl Sagan
Day 21: Today is the final day of the eco-footprint challenge! Each day of this challenge
was an opportunity to take the time and effort for shifting our habits in small ways. To
keep this up, we may find that it does indeed take a little extra time or money. How to
embrace that? Today, think about what you can do in your life to create the extra little
bit of time and/or money to actually focus on these things you care about. Perhaps that
means a little less TV/entertainment, or group activities with the family/office, or
thinking about streamlining your work a bit more. If you're feeling like pushing
boundaries, perhaps larger life shifts to create more time and resources are possible.
The possibilities continue to be infinite - thank you for taking the journey with us!
REFLECT AND SHARE
Share your reflection on our private feed on KindSpring, and by the end you'll have a
collection of beautiful entries in one place! You can also read thoughts from other people
and browse through additional resources and inspiration.
KindSpring Challenge: For 21 days participants do an small
act daily, share their stories and photos with the community.
One small step at a time, we change ourselves and the world.
© BY-NC-ND 4.0 | www.kindspring.org
On social media:
#KindSpring21