Small things add up to a big difference

Perhaps this is the year that you have decided to make a difference. You may have decided to cut your environmental footprint by going organic, walking more, buying sustainable wood products, or whatever.

The saying goes, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Loosely, I'd like to change that to, when one is ready to live a conscious lifestyle, a company with that same philosophy will appear. OK, 100 years from now, nobody will remember that last line ;). However, I would like to talk about a company which I discovered about 10 years ago and how they have influenced my purchasing decisions. That company is Gaiam.

I find their corporate philosophy refreshing. The name Gaiam is a fusion of Gaia - an ancient word for Mother Earth - and "I am", symbolizing the connection between the Earth and all living things.

Philosophy is great, but unless you can express it somehow, it becomes another idea to banter about and then shelve when you've made your point. So Gaiam walks its walk and talks its talk. You will find hundreds of items from organic cotton clothes and bedding, to meditative and stress relieving devices, exercise and yoga equipment, numerous hand made, sustainably harvested items that are made by fair trade artisans around the world.

When I discovered Gaiam, I was beginning to realize how my choices affected our country and countries internationally. My purchases were only that of one man, yet I shared the same ideas as millions in this country. What that had meant to me was if change was going to happen, it had to begin with me. I have enjoyed the products from Gaiam, yet more importantly, I enjoy my place on the planet.