Like everyone else, we were not born with knowledge. Everything we write about and talk about is things we have learned and still learning all the time.
To begin understanding and implementing a different, more eco-friendly way of life you need first to start asking questions, mostly asking ourselves. What do we want? What are we willing to do for that? What are we willing to give up while changing our lifestyle? And what we will not change no matter what? What are the priorities of each of us? And countless more questions that are constantly updated and changing in the process.
The Covid-19 pandemic that started in 2020 has taught us all that both planning and spontaneity can change in a blink of an eye regardless of our control or our plans so what is important is the present which of course will also affect the future.
Somewhere in 1997, we founded our company and named it Rain Forest already knowing which way we are going. The company was initially involved in the field of communications and even then, we had a small part in our mind (which was inactive for many years) that pondered in our head and made sure we do not forget that our planet has limited resources and in the future, this issue will become a significant issue in human life in all aspects including political and economic
Over the years we realized that the changes had to come at a local level mainly in the western world where there is insane consumption surplus, so we started asking ourselves why and how we can change that, changing our personal consumer behavior was the first change we made.
Like everyone else in that time I ordered a lot of products online that are nice to have that I do not really need, I did not think about collaborative driving, saving energy, and bought more food than needed, I saw in the material surplus that surrounded us (excess clothing, products, bigger car, bigger house, etc ...) a measure of my success and abundance
In time I learned that in order for abundance to be real it needs space, and the ability to choose (deliberation is a good thing), and of course asking questions
Part of the process and change was from the very preoccupation with economic issues that are part of my education (I am an accountant) as well as from a lot of meetings I had with families in the organization where I volunteer that takes care of budget-balancing for families in need.
In almost every meeting with a family, I have discovered that people's fear is from the feeling that downsizing is associated with lack of success and lack of abundance. Saying no to something unnecessary brands you as "frugal or stingy". And I realized that change is first and foremost a change of state of mind for all of us. That "less is sometimes more" and that the enjoyment of what is and not of what I do not have is the main thing
And for starters here are some questions we ask.
- Do I buy and store much more than I need and want?
- Do I want to live more freely both economically and in terms of social conventions?
Am I afraid of change?
- Do I feel I am "enslaved" to my consumer culture?
- Also this one: If I had to give up one electrical product I have at home what would I easily give up? (Like a coffee machine, iron, etc ..)
Am I willing to try and change something in my lifestyle? for a week or even a month??
(Like for example a week where you go shopping at the supermarket only once or alternatively every day you buy what you need for that day on;y, or a month without buying clothes, or going to a restaurant, etc ...)
In recent years, Izi and I have been trying to live our existence and actually live the simple life of abundance. We do not have red lines and we do not have sweeping prohibitions because we do not believe in it, what we have is a lot of knowledge and questions that help us instead of deliberating to decide what is right and appropriate at that moment
And you know what? we are missing nothing, we, you might say, have it all
Here in this blog, we will share with you part of our life, thoughts, tips, questions, and everything that interests us in the process of living the way we live.
welcome to join our journey You are
