by Christyl Rivers

Created on: July 26, 2010   Last Updated: July 27, 2010

Little everyday things that can help the environment:  Don't just change a light bulb, change your mind.

How we live, and what we do is programmed into our minds from the day we are born. By far, the greatest thing one can do to protect ourselves, and our planet, is to change attitudes from apathy, to appreciation, of every life sustaining gift on the planet.

An attitude of gratitude holds many rewards.  The first and foremost one is that when you arise in the morning and find yourself breathing air clean enough to breathe, say a silent thank you.  When you find water from a faucet to wash up, remember another silent thank you to earth, and all those living beings and hydrology systems on earth that protect water and make it safe.  Remind yourself at consumption of every gift, and you will find tremendous insights into just how much value and beauty we have to maintain.

Several articles are presented each and every day to tell us all the little tasks we need to take on.  However, these tasks have no merit and no reward if we sense they are thankless chores.  Yes, you should:

1.  Drive less by combining errands.

2.  Recycle, and/or stop buying plastic bottled drinks of every kind.

3.  Eat local and healthy when you can, eat less meat.

4.  Reduce, reuse, and recycle.

5.  Change all bulbs, appliances, gadgets. When used up, invest in energy effective ones.

6.  Insist that corporations make efficient, durable items, like cell phones, IPods, etc.

7.  Shop less, and always take canvas bags.

8.  Buy second hand out of love of self and earth: free cycle, precycle, and up cycle.

9.  Use less soap, shampoos, detergents, insecticides, everything.

10. Turn off that mind zapping machine and take a walk!

It is important to find the psychological rewards of doing these things.  If we do not recognize the psychology involved in our connections to earth, we just find repetitious chores.   We even build resentment against those that produce all this waste, and those who do not realize we hold the power to live better in our hands.  Think of other living things that have a right to exist, from rare butterflies, all the way up to Amazonian jungles and impoverished nations where children starve and species are going extinct.

We were raised being told and sold that the newest, trendiest, coolest, is always better.  This is not true when you add love of your self, your

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