During some routine online research with synchronicity in action, I had the pleasure of coming across the Story of Stuff website. This website is home to the work of Annie Leonard and contains the little documentary made by Annie, called The Story of Stuff, which you can watch above. The video is about 20 minutes long, very simple, yet creative, catchy, and smart with just the right dose of humor. The film goes through the 5 steps of how our “stuff” is made from extraction and production to how it is distributed, ends up in our homes, and then how it is disposed of. On that website, you can also find other videos and articles dedicated to raising awareness about our materialistic society, out-of-control consumerism, and the trash it produces, and the impact all this has on our health, other people, and the environment.

The “Story of Stuff” film really resonated with me as it represents very well what it means to be an evolving being. It is one of those life-changing films for those who are ready to shift away from consumerism and materialism. Depending on where you are in your journey, it may be old news to you, and you may already be aware of all the ideas Annie talks about, or it may be eye-opening and lead you to change your shopping habits. Either way, it shines a light on what it means to be a conscious consumer.

While there is much green-washing and climate change guilt and propaganda going around in all media these days, my attraction to the message in the “Story of Stuff” comes from the negative effects that consumerism and materialism have on our mental health and spiritual evolution. Yes, stuff is cheaply and poorly made today. And yes, people are exploited on all levels, while corporations get richer. And yes, our environment is being severely polluted by the incessant production of too much stuff, disposable stuff, and toxic stuff. However, what we should not miss in the midst of these messages is that there is another way to live than to revolve one’s life around work and shopping. Our obsession with material items, shopping, and consumerism is preventing us from going for walks, spending time in nature, cooking our own meals, meditating, reflecting on life’s bigger questions, and spending time in person with family, friends, or community members. As such, I feel this is a video for our era, which could not have come at a better time, given all the environmental and health damage and injustice we have inflicted on our Earth and ourselves.

The film and its message support conscious human evolution and awakening for 3 main reasons:

1) It addresses the need for action when it comes to the environment, our health, our chemical-laden lifestyles, and our ever-growing problems of disappearing natural resources and inadequate waste disposal, as well as what it means to be a steward of the Earth.

2) It addresses how the emptiness we feel inside tries to fill itself and find happiness by immersing itself in consumerism and the pseudo-happiness we get from acquiring ever more stuff.

3) It is about waking up and bringing about change through our life choices and not about sitting back passively or being naïve or ignorant of what is going on. It sheds a spotlight on how consumerism and materialism destroy human dignity, our physical and mental health, and our environment. The way we have gotten accustomed to doing things is not serving us; rather, it is destroying the quality of our lives.

For your health, happiness, fellow human beings, and the environment, it is worth making changes in how and what we consume. We can sit back and blame governments or corporations for making things as bad as they are, but the truth is that we are supporting the sick system every time we make a purchase that is mindless, compulsive, or unnecessary. We are the ones who are feeding the consumerist monster, which is never satisfied unless we are buying and consuming something, and we can stop this madness. Challenge yourself and put this into practice next time you go shopping. Think about and consider the question at all times, “is this stuff really necessary?” Every person and their actions count and contribute to either being part of the problem or the solution to make this Earthly reality a better place to for all.