Mackenna: It’s the little things!

Editor's note: We challenged all of our finalists to "Tell us about a current topic that's of importance to your generation."

Hey Young and Free Ontario!!

Every generation has a cause. It is something that pulls us together and gives us something to fight for. I believe that sustainability is important to our generation.

Wikipedia defines sustainability as the capacity to endure. We need to be sustainable in the areas of environmental, economic and social dimensions in order to survive.

This is so true! It is about being aware of your place in the world on a global scale. It is understanding that your actions have equal and opposite reactions! (Remember grade 10 science!) Some days it feels like we are just a little ant in a big world and no matter what we do that day it wont really matter. BUT IT DOES!!

Everything matters!

Living a sustainable lifestyle is possible and can have great results! Not only for yourself but for the people around you!

Being environmentally sustainable means you are aware of the resources you use and want to conserve them. It is more then just recycling; it is reusing and reducing your waste.

Social sustainability encompasses our human rights, labor rights and corporate governance. It is the idea that generations should have access to the social resources needed to better themselves. It is things like Tim Horton’s Camp Day Coffee Day (can you tell I’m a big coffee fan yet!?) The company wants to provide access to children to go to camp.

And finally economic sustainability, both on a personal level and a global scale. We all felt the effects of the recession for the last couple of years, and it really wasn’t a good time. We need to learn how to manage our finances to be able to live in a sustainable way. Which is basically not living beyond our means, racking up huge debt or not playing an active role in what is going on with your money.

Out of these 3 categories of sustainability, many of us don’t want to talk about economic or financial. Why? Because it is personal!!

But come on!! It is just as important and affects us on a daily basis! You can learn to become sustainable with your finances in just a matter of time! It something you can change and make better! And there are great people at Libro and United who want to help you!

Being a sustainable person starts with the little things; reusable shopping bags, walking or biking to work, saving up your change and making choices that will help you on your way.

Emily Dickinson has an amazing quote that comes to mind when I think about the small things -  "If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves. You can gain more control over your life by paying closer attention to the little things."

Thinking about the small things to make a difference while trying to live a sustainable life style is what our generation really finds important. 

It is why we call together Vote Mob Rallies to have our voice heard.  It is why we ride our bikes to school in the pouring rain, instead of driving. It is why we care about what is going on with our money and we want to be a part of the process!

Until next time,

Mackenna