Every day of our lives, we cast votes.
For example, we vote at the grocery store with every purchase but often times our vote is not aligned with our beliefs.
Let’s say that you believe that supporting local farmers is a great thing and much healthier for your family but you buy fruits and vegetables that are grown by big agricultural conglomerates who use vast amounts of chemicals and genetically modify the foods, then you are casting a vote for that practice to continue. You could choose to support your local farmer’s market instead.
If you are opposed to animal cruelty yet you buy cosmetics that are tested on animals, inflicting horrific pain and suffering on them, you are voting for that practice to continue.
Similarly, if you buy veal for example, you are using your wallet to condone the systematic torture of calves by the meat industry.
What about the movies we pay to see? Shell out $10 for a ticket to the latest violent Hollywood blockbuster then movies that traffic in that genre will continue to be made and the planet’s evolution toward compassion will continue to be thwarted.
These are only a few examples of the many opportunities to vote we encounter daily.
The problem with not paying close attention to the choices we make and how they relate to our beliefs is the incongruence it creates in our unconscious mind. While we may not be consciously thinking about the choices we are making when we are making them, some part of us is very much aware that we are violating our principles in the name of convenience, vanity, entertainment, etc. and that creates a breach in our spirits – a breach that will greatly contribute to an undercurrent of stress and unhappiness.
You deal with it the way you would deal with any breach, you repair it. And that is done by voting in accordance with your values.
So the next time you cast a vote with your pocketbook, ask yourself the simple question – does this purchase support or violate my beliefs. The answer may cause you some inconvenience, cost you some money or time, or deny you a personal desire but if you take the high road and honor your principles, you will find yourself to be MUCH more happy and at peace. In the long run, that is more than worth the price.
~Edward G. Dunn
Check out the podcast episode…
Check out the Happiness 2.0 Podcast – https://podcast.edwardgdunn.com/
