Conscious consumerism can shape the world around us. Thankfully, more and more people are waking up to a new way of buying gifts, one that is contrary to the attitudes of “grab what you can as fast as you can.” Welcome to the world of conscious consumerism! It’s one big step forward on the path to living in a balanced way that truly lines up with a sustainable and spiritual lifestyle. We can create a better world through choosing where and how to spend our money - and that’s what this blog post is all about!
We’ll be sharing some information about Black Friday, insights about conscious consumption, and conscious gift ideas that will support you in getting through the season of giving without compromising your morals.
Parody or Tragedy?
It’s almost a parody at this point - Thanksgiving Thursday followed by Black Friday. Families join together on Thanksgiving to commune over a shared meal, they express gratitude for each other and their many blessings, then early the next morning they race to the mall or store to join the throngs of eager buyers. People regularly get into fights and sometimes even die in the pursuit of items that are on sale! Where’s the gratitude and love in that?!
Black Friday has reached dangerous heights of consumption-driven madness. The aggression and neediness displayed by individuals on Black Friday is a small scale version of how many Westerners interact with the world at large. The underlying theme is “give me what I want without regard to how it’s made, who or what is being harmed in the process. As long as I get what I want I don’t care.” Although there never seems to be a sense of satisfaction achieved either. There’s always more desired. We all could benefit from taking a break, taking a deep breath, and bringing awareness back to our consumption.
Fair Is The New Black
Black Friday got its name from being the day of the year that most corporate stores go from not making any profits AKA being in the red to bringing in profits. Global Groove Life believes in a world where companies, makers, and the planet are all able to thrive - year round! We're dedicated to walking a fair trade walk. One that benefits everyone, creates true abundance, and contributes to a sustainable world.
GGL also wants to support all of our customers and followers in co-creating this thrivable world with us. An important way we can all step up to do this is by becoming conscious consumers. Conscious consumerism allows us to flex our spending power and shift humanity towards a more just and flourishing global society. It means becoming as aware as possible about the products and companies we're investing in.
Awakening Conscious Consumerism
Becoming a conscious consumer also includes the very personal journey of getting very deeply in touch with one's own values, desires, and motives. For example someone who values environmental sustainability and maintaining biological diversity may be more motivated to purchase products only from individuals, collectives, and companies that have proven a strong dedication to these values.
Most of us were raised in the midst of a consumerist society that uses subliminal messaging and bombards everyone with a blitz of overt and subtle advertisements to pressure people into making purchases. Buying things can become an almost mechanical part of daily life. We may not even know why we want something, we just want it and believe it will somehow make us feel better so we buy it. Unfortunately most of the things that we're being pressured to buy aren't well made, or we already have something similar but it's from last season so is somehow no longer relevant, or we don't even actually want or need the item. So we end up throwing it away or throwing last season’s whatever it is away.
Unplugging from the Consumer Matrix
This toxic robot consumerism cycle needs to stop! And it is! There are plenty of other options out there! You can unplug from the “matrix” of consumer-driven society and wake up in a world of fair trade shops like GGL.
When you buy a product from Global Groove Life you’ll always know where it was made, sometimes you’ll even know who the individual artisan was! You can also rest assured that each and every artisan who works with GGL is receiving a fair living wage for her or his work. These artisans are enabled to support their families and the circle of care continues on! Sharing our wealth with awareness creates more abundance in the whole world and in our own personal lives. Buying fair trade empowers you to build a thriveable world. (GGL believes that we, humanity, can create a world that is beyond sustainable which implies maintaining what we have - we can create a thriveable world that is better than the one we live in today!)
Conscious Gifts
Yes, we understand that consumerism has an ugly side and a dark history and yes, we still want to give presents to our loved ones for the holidays. So what can we do? Buy conscious gifts from fair trade companies! This will ensure that whatever you’re giving your loved ones is well made, ethically sourced, and that the people who made those gifts are being treated with respect. Conscious gifts keep on giving! Read on for our suggestions for conscious gifts.
Still looking for just the right gift for your yogini friend? GGL has your back with stylish and ethically made yoga supplies! Check out our selection of yoga ball covers in tons of colors and patterns to create more ambiance and comfort wherever they use their yoga ball - at home, in the studio, or at the office. Pro-tip: yogis aren’t the only ones who use yoga balls. Many people use them as office chairs to support good posture and promote core strength while they work. These designer yoga ball covers are crafted in Thailand from 100% woven cotton.
If your friend is a yogi on the go check out our yoga mat bags. Our most popular designs are the flower of life and sri yantra. These bags are already world travelers - they’re embroidered by artisans in Nepal then stitched in Thailand! Made from sturdy faux suede, these mat bags are built to last many trips to the yoga studio and back.
From dragons to unicorns, and owls to the letters of the alphabet - GGL has all the bases covered when it comes to fluffy, felted, adorable kids room decor! These cute, fuzzy goods will absolutely add something extra special to any child in your life’s space.
A perfect gift for men and women who care deeply about animals the environment is GGL’s Vegan Nagaland Attache Case. This bag is the perfect combination of durability, functionality, style, and sustainability. It’s got a special internal pocket for your tablet, a couple of external pockets for your smart phone and sunglasses, and is artisan made out of woven fabric from the Nagaland region of northern India. GGL has a beautiful collection of bags here (though some of them are felted and not vegan).
GGL’s fun Kerala 3-in-1 Necklace is a beautiful piece that can be worn in a variety of ways. She can create whatever style she wants and wear it as a long necklace, a short necklace, or even wrapped around and around her wrist as a bracelet. If that’s not her style, no worries - GGL has a lovely selection of jewelry here where you’ll be able to find the perfect piece. She’ll be sure to love your gift and how thoughtful you are to consciously choose to buy fair trade!
Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to view the world through the lens of conscious consumerism also have a responsibility to spend our money in alignment with our beliefs. Thank you for choosing to do that and we hope you’ll find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list here at Global Groove Life!
Amara Evans is a vibrational healer, collective consciousness-raiser, writer, and devotee of the Goddess. She loves to connect with her global community through writing and speaking about important topics like the environment, spirituality, and fair trade.