I've been avoiding this question - I think reflection is hard for me, because there's always SOMETHING to do, and I get caught up in the immediate here and now needs of my day-to-day, and am not good at stepping back and looking at the big picture. I can plan ahead for events or goals, but big picture thinking causes me anxiety. I think those are the things I probably should be reflecting on more, but I'm disinclined to do it. This was the daily challenge that I did the least, despite it only taking a few minutes a day. I do think this was a hard month to have this challenge in, as it's my busiest of the year, but I could still make the time for 5 minutes of reflection and meditation... I just didn't want to. 

It helps alleviate stress, which I think it the hardest part of working in the modern era, so much of my daily life and work is indoors, and on a computer screen. My eyes get tired from screen time, my posture suffers and I get back problems. Walking outside gives me fresh air, much needed movement, and a visual rest for my eyes. Greenery is visually restorative. 

I get to enjoy the flowers and trees so much more, the smells and the fresh air. I very rarely open the windows when I'm driving, because of exhaust fumes. I don't get enough fresh outdoor air unless I take daily walks. 

It's hard to quantify. I know I have more systemic health issues when I'm under stress, because it weakens my immune system, but also when I'm stressed I tend to eat more processed/ready-made foods. Things like plastics leaching chemicals and smog in LA is harder to measure or know the impact of because they are slow and gradual build ups over time. I do think it's important to minimize exposure to toxic chemicals and materials as much as possible, though I still have a good deal of synthetic clothing and tupperware. 

Stopping the fracking in the Inglewood Oil Field - it's so close, and has the potential to negatively impact the health of our community. Support the 2500' buffer zones for schools and residential near oil wells, it would make a HUGE difference in oil practices in LA. 

I'm going to try to purchase things with less packaging, and bring my own packaging for bulk items purchases.

I think the disconnect between purchasing, waste, and impact is because of our culture of convenience, the normalizing of plastics and packaging everywhere, for everything. We have a culture not only of speed, excess, and convenience, but also of disconnect and compartmentalization. Our products are prepackaged, pre-compartmentalized into discrete units, and that is a reflection on how our culture and awareness is compartmentalized. Unless we are actively seeing the impacts of our waste, particularly in connection to the point of purchase, we don't make the connection, or it's "not our problem" in the moment, it's a "societal structural" problem. If we had a landfill right next to every shopping outlet that openly displayed the waste produced by the purchases, maybe then people would think about the impacts of their purchases on a daily basis. 

I think the concept that our primary purpose is celebration is interesting - what would it be like to truly celebrate each day? One of the rituals I really love at an intentional outdoor music festival is that every day, there are people who sit and watch the sunset, or people who watch the sunrise (mostly having stayed up all night, but still!) and when the sun rises above the horizon, or the moment it fully dips down below it, everyone lets out a loud, joyous, primal cry. There are whoops and cheers and whistling. It really is a celebration of the passing of that day, the celebration of the coming night and completion of that day, or the start of a new one. 

In a big city like LA, it's harder to feel that connection to nature, to the rhythms and cycles of the earth. It takes a lot more effort to be mindful of the earth, to remember it, to remember the seasons even, since the weather is so consistent. Watching the sunset is definitely a way I can remind myself to connect with nature in the city. Tonight, when there was the unusually loud and intense thunderstorm (something we almost never get here!) we opened our screen door and just stood and watched the rain and lightning for a while. It was lovely. 

Practicing gratitude reminds me of how many good things there are in the world, and in my life. How much I have to be joyful of, and how much harder I want to work to protect, care for, and grow the things I love.