Recently I’ve been contemplating the concept of what it means to change. I’ve been thinking about change on a small scale yet I’ve been focusing on ultimately making big changes. These are changes so big that from where I’m standing now, I can’t envision the outcome, yet I know it’s there waiting for me. I wonder about what these changes will do to my sense of self and my emotional well being. What good will they bring to my life? Will they finally leave me feeling happy and satisfied? And where do I even begin?

Needing to bounce some ideas off of a willing sounding board, I sought out a dear friend who has given me inspiration and motivation for action in the past. We discussed these thoughts over dinner and although my friend did not express any specific opinions, our conversation left me in an emotional tizzy! I felt like this was a conversation we’d had many times before yet even though months had past, I’d made no progress with the big changes I desired in my life. I felt incredibly frustrated, even judged, and I wondered why my current life just doesn’t seem to ever measure up. I instinctively reacted to these feelings of inadequacy by wanting to change everything about my life – instantly. I wanted my life to be grander, more meaningful, BIGGER, and I wanted it now! My heart was screaming at me to push though the process faster while my logical side slammed on the brakes and spoke of fear and regret. Frustrated, I tried to calm my thoughts and simply asked myself “What do I really want? And WHY do I want it?” I repeated these questions to myself until the answer came softly, and it said, “What’s the rush? Slow down. Enjoy the process, learn from the small steps, rejoice in the details, and smile at the subtlety. Your change is here now, in this present moment. Just notice.” And after sitting with this for awhile and absorbing the instructions, I understood that this is how real, positive, satisfying change happens.

Attempting to live a life that isn’t in sync with our own natural time table leaves us unsatisfied, crazed and feeling empty. Just as nature shows us in subtle ways how the earth is changing because of our choices and lifestyles, our emotions are subtle indicators of how sustainably we are living our lives. Pushing ourselves beyond our emotional capacities on a regular basis and carelessly wasting our emotional resources wears us down. We are left dried up, lifeless and numb, unable to express or even recognize our true selves. Moving too fast and constantly being distracted by what comes next – what we “should” be doing, what we “have to” accomplish, who we are “expected” to be – is living in a perpetual state of dissatisfaction. At the opposite end, getting ourselves wedged so tightly into a state of “comfort” that our desire for growth and progress completely disappears is living in a perpetual state of status quo. Striving to find the balance in our emotional environment is essential for living an emotionally sustainable life.

This life is not a competition it is a journey that is individual to each one of us. All of the small changes that occur in our everyday lives, most of which we don’t even notice, are imperative to the process of getting to our desired point of big change. We renew our emotional resources by taking the time to slow down, get quiet, breathe deeply, and become aware of the subtle shifts of change. Softly asking ourselves “What do I really want? And WHY do I want it?” When the answer is honest and emotionally sustainable, it naturally leads us on our life path to change at a pace that brings us happiness and deep satisfaction.

Like many parents who live in Chicago, you know that most of us somehow fit more into less space. For my husband and I, that is a conscious choice. We live in a loft where most of our living space (and our stuff!) is exposed, but we bought it for its 16′ ceilings, knowing we would have room to grow if and when we started a family. We proceeded to add a second floor, and my husband, an architect-turned-construction project manager, did almost all the work himself. He did a wonderful job, adding many square feet to our living space, but during this project, from framing to painting, we only made a few choices that could be considered “green”. My eco-friendly leanings were just beginning back then, right around the time I became pregnant with my first child.

Fast forward to 2009 – our son is now 2 years old and we have another on the way, so we needed to do a bit more construction to make more room out of what we have. His small bedroom has been just fine, but there’s no way we can fit a crib and a bed in there.  We decided to open up some enclosed space upstairs to make a little room for him up there, and the new baby will inherit his “old room”.

But this time around, we wanted to do it all as green as possible…where would we start? Did the default building store sell green options other than CFL’s? (They do, btw.) I guess we could have just continued to shop there like homing pigeons, but another thing we are trying to do now is buy local and support small businesses instead of the big box retailers. That’s where Greenmaker Supply comes in! I heard about Greenmaker from a like-minded friend of mine, and am so glad she shared their name with us.

Greenmaker, located on Pulaski a little bit north of Fullerton, is a fantastic mecca for eco-friendly home improvement options. They sell everything from drywall to countertops, including the kitchen sink. When you visit their store, you can shop for a new dual-flush toilet (which happen to be on sale right now), pick up some no-VOC paint chips to check out at home, and talk to someone about composting options. It really is a full-serve home-improvement store, but the employees are knowledgeable, helpful and thorough, and looking for the green alternative is a no-brainer.

Nearing the end of our project, I went in on a weekday morning with my son, and the staff were really good with him and tolerant of his inquisitive nature. I was able to talk to the manager about my paint choices and options, and never felt rushed or pressured. My husband and I went back a few days later when we had made or color decisions, and they were able to match a Behr color for us, as well as mix our other choices while we checked out countertop and tile options for future projects. We also picked up some recycled cotton roller covers and they worked great. I was happy to be able to paint too, since all their paints are no-VOC, and I didn’t have to leave the house with our son. There was no smell at all, and I have no worries about the room’s drywall, cork flooring or paint off-gassing into his little system as he sleeps there every night.

The best part is that the prices for everything we’ve purchased from Greenmaker have been either comparable or less expensive than if we had bought them from the major competitor. Don’t get me wrong, they also have some very high end options, but if you are working with a budget  (and who isn’t these days?) they can help you to find the most affordable yet still sustainable or eco-friendly option. Whether you are in the midst of building a whole new home, or just thinking about getting a new bathroom faucet, head over to Greenmaker and make a choice that will improve your space and conserve our environment.

Greenmaker Supply
2500 N Pulaski
M-F – 8 to 5
Sat – 9 to 4

Photo Credit: on flickr by salvadorgaller