What is waste is apparently a constantly running theme or moral I adopted. Now it’s under my conscious thought. My fight tends to be centered in, ‘not wasting.’ I’m sure I got it from my Mom and Dad who were the children of parents who lived through the Great Depression.

But, I own my thoughts now. It’s easy to see my parents' intent for me; not to waste food, time, things or myself. This, I believe, ended up being the creator of it in my life scroll. Not wasting is ever present for me. 

I don’t like the waste of things. My spouse always says, ‘Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.’ What that means is I use and reuse everything. Sometimes re-use means repurpose a box, table, poster or the like.

I use store plastic sacks as small garbage bags in bedrooms and bathrooms and donate the excess to people who make waterproof mats for the homeless. They do some type of tying process.

Sometimes it means giving an item to goodwill for someone else's use since my need is no longer present. I even found a place that will use my leftover construction materials since we are DYIers.

I give clothes, costume jewelry, home decor etc to others to whom I know want it. I sell certain items of value on consignment or in the classifieds. There are so many ways to reuse, wear it out and make it do.

I use my food waste to compost, or to feed my chickens (latest endeavor). I live in suburbia so no need to go picture a farm type environment. I use the grass clippings and leaves for the chicken coop and to compost my garden.

I collect rain water to feed my garden. I trim my own trees as possible and use the wood in our firepit. The fruit trees and garden pad my grocery wallet and I like to think that food is better for us. so is a good use of time and space.

I use old baking soda, vinegar and used copper to keep my garden more pest free. I won’t just throw something away. I do get rid of things, don't get the wrong idea. I just don't like to put it in the garbage unless it truly is garbage.

In fact, I also use our firepit to get rid of some of our daily garbage. I recycle paper, plastic and glass even. I’m telling you, it's a whole if then set up. By the time something hits my garbage, it's been through the gauntlet of my ‘waste’ protocol. 

Does it still have value? Do we still need/want it? Can it be moved or refurbished or repurposed? Does someone else want it? Can I sell it? Can I goodwill it? Is it recyclable? Firepit worthy? If not, then garbage.

 I don’t want to waste my time nor others' time. I teach my children to be intentional in the use of their time. Basically I want to use my time wisely. Internally, I need to justify my actions or non actions to myself.

If I can't, I don't do the behavior. And yes, sometimes I decide a nap is a good use of time, or relaxing at a movie. Sometimes I stop pursuing an argument because whether I’m wrong or right isn’t always worth the time.

I evaluate time by whether it's used well, not by how much of it is there. I also know I ought to make it a positive phrase… like, I use my resources well. It tends to be better to speak what we want than not want, that whole speak positive, speak your wants idea.

If I don’t want an El Camino (old car) then I’ll likely keep from buying one, but not having what I don’t want doesn't actually give me what I want either. To have what I want means I would say not what I don’t want, but what I do want. I want an Acura.

Both what I don’t want and what I do want are true and useful, but only one tells me what I actually can work toward. I even work to keep a balance of behavior in my schedule; time for me, children, spouse, work and fun so I am not wasted either.

This has probably been the hardest balance to achieve. Children, Spouse and Work all require the majority of my time so Me and Fun get lost, but because of my ‘don’t waste’ protocol playing on repeat, I’m also always working on it.

I’ve been doing this to some degree my whole life. I did it before it was cool or considered environmentally better. My motivation is that internal rule of ‘not wasting.’ I don’t have the motivation of, ‘Oh, I’ll save the planet, but am I doing what I ought.

I don’t want to contribute to filling up the landfill areas so fast. I don’t want to waste our land nor resources that others clearly need even if I no longer do. I’ve been the recipient of furniture, house, clothing gifts.

When I was younger I needed more support, even at the start of being an adult and now I want to pass on the resources. Using well what we have is ‘not wasting’ I figure. I think I use this internal engine to do good. I also know it gets the best of me at times because it takes time. What’s your ‘waste’ standard?