Avoiding the Greatest Waste in Life

“Many a little makes a mickle” is a life principle embraced by successful people like Oprah Winfrey and George Soros. They lived through difficult times and in places that were challenging for growth and development. Their success has inspired many people, but it has also stirred envy in those who, for various reasons, did not have the privileges that enabled them to become as successful.

We may judge such people however we like, but ultimately each person is responsible for their own life. Other people's lives are separate from ours and from our families, so what they feel about our actions is not our responsibility. Either 'yes' or 'no', which one of these that truly comes from the deepest part of your heart?

I see this attitude as a form of waste, perhaps the greatest waste in life. Why? Because it rarely produces lasting happiness. More often, it generates emotional garbage: sadness, annoyance, anger, hatred, shame, and many other negative feelings.

On the other hand, physical waste is one of humanity's greatest challenges today. Instead of sending nuclear bombs, one country could cripple another by sending waste. This does not only mean dirty, foul-smelling trash, but also waste in the form of by-products, such as plastic, which is derived from oil and natural gas. 

Illustration: Punden Mojorejo, Dau, Malang.

Use everything to the last drop

The Ket Indigenous Faith believers of Siberia, Russia, depend on nature for every aspect of their lives. Forests provide building materials, while rivers and lakes provide fish for their families. Taking from nature is not forbidden, but it must be done thoughtfully so the future can be welcomed with confidence rather than anxiety.

Besides performing rituals to ask permission before using natural resources, selectively cutting trees, and hunting responsibly, they uphold one crucial principle: everything taken from nature should be used as completely as possible so that nothing is wasted.

From the Ket perspective, the animals and plants they use are gifts from nature. Wasting any part of them means failing to appreciate both nature and their own hard work. Even the skins and bones of bears or deer are turned into tents, clothing, or knife handles.

Long before people in my village began collecting plastic waste to exchange for small amounts of money at recycling banks, the Ket people had already discovered how to live with almost no waste. To them, creating unnecessary waste is an act despised by their ancestors. Ironically, many of us only understood the wisdom of this belief after mountains of garbage caused deadly landslides.

The easiest waste to recycle

In this regard, you can see why emotional waste is the easiest kind of waste to recycle. Economic hardship leaves millions of people vulnerable to stress and emotional pressure. There is a very high chance that we encounter one of them every day, whether on the street, at school, at work, or in the market. Although we are not responsible for what others feel, regardless that every human being is born alone and dies alone, without bringing anyone else along. (dswas).