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THE POWER OF HABIT

Habit is strong. It is so strong that oftentimes people only do things because that’s the way they have always done them. Wake up, hit the alarm clock, get in the car, pick up coffee, drive to work. But, at what point do we stop and think, “change or die?”

Ever thought of bicycling? Taking the bus? Making your own coffee? Individually the benefit to the environment would be minimal, but multiply it by a million and you’d get real change.

Greenpeace is using this same philosophy to help China protect their diminishing forests. China uses 45 billion pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks annually, eliminating an appalling 25 million trees each year. If this astounding consumption continues, in 20 years, China will become a forest-less nation. The good news is, this deforestation is completely unnecessary. We have reusable alternatives to chopsticks, just as we have green alternatives for just about everything else. The bad news is, we refuse to use them. There Habit goes again, closing out minds and driving our actions.

To encourage the use of these alternatives, Greenpeace created a petition for people to pledge their abstinence in using disposable chopsticks. They also assembled a ‘disposable forest’ in the heart of Beijing to raise awareness of the dangers that can come from following Habit blindly. Stark, leaf-less trees, constructed entirely of used chopsticks, created a message that would not soon be forgotten- Change or die.

by Robert Shaw West Brand Futurist The Republik Companies Chairman/CEO

Photo Credit: © Greenpeace

SEEING IS BELIEVING

This week we embraced another opportunity to implement our philosophy – change or die – in a very deep sense.

We met with members of a very small Southern town to discuss the dynamics of their community. Upon arriving, it was evident that the majority of property/roads were run-down and unkempt – a sight for sore eyes. The community members voiced not only their resentment for the poor physical conditions, but an overall mindset held within the community barring proactive measures to do something about it – ‘don’t rock the boat’.

At an all day session, in the morning we heard mostly disheartening stories of discontentment in quality of life. When we reconvened in the afternoon, however, we shared our experience with changing perceptions and that critical catalyst of a vision. The group began envisioning how their community could actually develop positively. And what it really comes down to – mindset. The ability to change others’ perceptions begins with first changing your own.

While they can’t immediately change the reality of their town’s conditions, the group realized that if they were going to change anyone’s perception of reality, it was going to have to come from them first. To me, the whole experience was truly gratifying. Being able to inspire these weary, skeptical community members to envision a better life reminded me why I love my job and living our philosophy of change.

by Marisa LaVallee Brand Futurist The Republik Corporal Strategic Ops

Photo Credit: Laitr Keiows and NASA via Wikimedia Commons – Licensed CC-BY-NC-SA