I Would Walk 500 Miles – And I Would Walk 500 More

When it comes to looking after the environment, the best chance you have of making a real difference is to try and do it in a way that’s sustainable for you.

Happy Friday friends.

In 1988 The Proclaimers sang about walking 500 miles and 500 more just to be the men who turned up at their beloved’s door.

My old mate Despondent Dave’s take on that was “sod that, I’d have found someone who lived a bit closer”.

You see, the Proclaimers obviously found walking vast distances to achieve their goal very easy, where as Despondent Dave hated walking anywhere, apart from taking his old dog, ‘Bob the Dog’ round the block every now and again so he could raise his leg up against a lamp post.

Incidentally, I once asked him why he always referred to the dog as ‘Bob the Dog’ and he explained that it was so no-one would confuse him with one of his mate’s, Bob the plasterer.

The point I’m trying to make this week is that you shouldn’t pick something you genuinely don’t like doing, or can’t do, to make a difference. This means you have already set yourself up to fail, doing something you don’t like is never going to be sustainable and you will inevitably just give up.

A prime example is my long fought battle to be less round. It’s a struggle that has lasted for nearly as long as since Yoda stopped seeing eye to eye with Anakin Skywalker!

I’ve trod many paths, the Juice Diet, the Atkins, Slimming World, Keto, plant based,  you name it, I’ve done well for the first few weeks on them all.

I’m a great believer in the stoic philosophy that says, “ the obstacle is the way” But all of them rule out bread and red wine in any enjoyable amount so I’ve fallen each time to my personal kryptonite’s.

Who doesn’t love a slice of warm buttered sourdough or enjoy a few glasses of Malbec whilst cooking the Sunday roast?

But it doesn’t stop me making small changes where I can to make sure I remain on the journey. It’s all about moving forward towards the end goal.

The target date for reducing carbon emissions to net zero is 2050. It’s the right target to set but for most it seems massively unachievable because it is such a daunting task.

I hear people constantly saying things like, “what can I really do in the grand scheme of things” “I’d love to walk everywhere but that’s not practical, I need my car to get to and from work” and sometimes things like “ what difference will it make if I change my behaviours, all the buildings on Canary Wharf leave their lights on 24/7.

I always refer to the famous old quote “Do what you can, with what you have, from where you are”.

Make smaller changes that you will be able to keep doing consistently and then you will truly discover the meaning of sustainability. The ability to do things over and over again without detriment to others or yourself.

And don’t forget to enjoy the odd glass of wine or some carbs now and again, after all, a little of what you fancy always does you good.

Thanks for reading, Have beautiful weekend.

Mike.