Material Innovations

I am a Hindu woman living in the state of Assam, India and would like offer suggestions based on my life experience to reduce the consumption rate of mass produced goods in the United States.  Although my country is becoming an important global economy and modern ways are affecting our life style, I am aspiring to live primarily by hundreds of years of tradition, ritual, and cultural heritage.  Our lives are enriched by less stuff, less work, less stress, less debt and, thus, enriched by a life of more time, satisfaction, more balance and security.  You Tube:  The Quest for Eternal Bliss (from The Happiness Project) was filmed in India.

The concept of reducing material things in one’s life, espoused by Bruce Sterling, makes good sense and I try to live this way in India.  He suggests living with only beautiful things; things with sentimental value and meaning; important tools, such as appliances to assist with living; and get rid of everything else.  This is a good place to begin and you can become your authentic selves without unnecessary possessions.

With scarcity looming, Americans need to JUST SAY NO to random purchasing of goods and buy only what you really need.  Write down every single purchase for three months and study your purchasing patterns.  Become part of the JUST SAY NO movement, influencing a paradigm shift, ultimately altering policy changes in government and corporate behavior.  A materialistic lifestyle is a depth-less world of mass produced goods.  JUST SAY NO to unnecessary goods and live a sustainable lifestyle by reducing consumption and waste.

A Steady-State Economy is one of zero population growth and consumption within the limits of that which can be regenerated and assimilated by the environment.  Pollution and resource depletion are driven by consumption.  http://www.steadystate.org.

Look at what others are saying about consumption:   Harvard Business Review http://blogs.hbr.org/es/2010/02/more_for_less_for_more_how_to.html. This discusses more value for less cost for more people.  You Tube: “The Most Important Video You Will Ever See” is Herman E. Daly educating about the growth factor and its exponential effect.

Dance, fairs, festivals, arts and crafts, agriculture and cuisine are some of the traditions and rituals we experience as a community in Assam.   Being engaged with these practices with my family and friends leads to a satisfying life.