Cobalto Life
Live a Balanced-Simple-Happy life
A New Journey because it finally CLICKED
I started a new journey when I turned 60 years old. I was not sure what I wanted to do but I knew that I needed a change. Today, 2 years into my journey, everything came together and it clicked. I was completing a survey for the United Nations related to women's development, and after I was done, I realized the true meaning of First World Problems. I have lived a very happy life. Like most Baby boomers, I grew up during the 60's and 70's in the middle of social changes, especially for women. I received a great education, went to college, got a great job in finance. Then I got married and started my family. I migrated to the United States and switched careers to a more 'family-friendly' profession. I became an Educator and went into teaching. I raised two wonderful human beings. I live in a No-Zone conflict. I have always had access to good food and water. I have access to health care and live in a safe environment. Today, after completing the survey, I realized the kind of privilege I have, and, I promised myself that I would start and launch this blog idea even if it was not perfect.
I want to invite whoever is out there to be grateful, give back and, live a Cobalto Life!! Enjoy the Journey!!
WHERE DO I START?
Whatever it is that you want to accomplish just start. Start here. Start today. Start by giving thanks for anything good you have in your life. Start by being grateful that you have access to and can read and understand this post. Just start!!
A Cobalto Life is a life lived with no drama. It is a simple life lived in balance. It is a life lived with a purpose. It is a centered life. Whatever that purpose is, it is what gives meaning to our lives. To find our purpose is an invitation to look deep down and use our intuition to find what is it that we were meant to be. Some people are lucky and find their passions and purpose very early in life. For others, like me, it is more difficult to pinpoint it and/or changes. That is ok. Start working on it. Ask yourself some questions, explore and, eventually you will find or create a life purpose that will make sense to you.
I started by exploring my IKIGAI (Japanese word for life purpose). IKIGAI is varied and it changes over one's life journey. It depends on the stages we are in life and I set out to explore and find my new IKIGAI.
Finding your purpose is key to give your life direction and stay centered.
Influencer=Digital Billboard
Daily reflection: Are influencers generating more overconsumption? As always, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Influencers are the Businesses response to Internet marketing, or digital marketing. It is a new Business models where the 'influencer' makes money by pushing the product they like. My generation used to watch those commercials on TV. So in the middle of our favorite show, we would watch a Coca Cola TV add and, more likely than not, we would go to the kitchen and get one. Anyone remembers? Well, and influencer is basically the same but on steroids because they have the power to algorithms. If you click on one of their products once, you will see it again and again in your feed. In addition, you will receive similar products information. From the marketing perspective, it is genius. Companies sell products and earn money and influencers make money. Everyone is happy. The problem lies in the fact that it is us, the consumers, the ones that pay the bill. According to Tidio, a statistics company, we spend an average of $3200 on online purchases. Gen X is the generation that shops more online.
The purpose of good marketing is to generate sales. Influencers make the product they are pushing personal. But at the end of the day, they want you to buy it. And, as always, the answer lies somewhere in the middle, and the choice is yours. If you need it, buy it. If you are unsure, leave it in the cart and revisit later. Be aware of your spending habits. Overconsumption is good for businesses, but is bad for your wallet and the environment.
The last few years have seen a lot of Sustainability talk. The term usually refers to climate change and environmental issues, but I invite you to reflect on this term in general terms. I believe that this is a powerful concept that can allow us to achieve balance in our lives.
As a noun, sustainability is “the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level”. The key term here is ‘to maintain’. How many times do we embark on extreme journeys only to fail miserably? I will talk about one of my struggles to explain what I mean.
I have struggled with body image my entire life. When the scale gives me a weight I don’t like, I go on an extreme diet that gives me fast results. (Or at least it promises to). Of course, I always fail. I might lose the weight, just to gain it right back at some point. I know that this issue resonates with many of you out there. All of these diets and programs fail because they are not SUSTAINABLE in the long term. We each need to find what works for us. Deprivation does not work for me, so I need to find a different way of eating that is sustainable. In my case, the answer is balance and smaller portions, because, after much reflection, I know that my problem is overeating. I also know that if I want to be free and in balance, I need to find ways to live a sustainable lifestyle.
We can apply this reflection to everything: clothing, the environment, our trash, etc. Many of us cannot eliminate plastic, use only organic materials, and compose all our trash, but we can all find something that works for us. We can all find a middle way that will allow us to be in balance. When we do this, then sustainability is sustainable.