After understanding how my green journey affected my life, I have come to realize also that taking a green journey, and learning to live a truly green life can make a significant impact on the surrounding world. Throughout the course of this journey, I tried little things that didn't drastically affect the quality of my life, but could positively affect the environment and others.

Simple things, like using less water in the shower, turning off lights when leaving a room, and driving less (by maximizing each trip into town), expontentially affect the Earth.

All of these things actually made my life easier and more efficient, and in doing so, also reduced water consumption, energy consumption, gasoline use, and bills. I am now pulling less energy off of a grid, and sending less carbon emissions into the environment around me. The more little things I change, the more of a positive impact that has on the environment, and it is a good feeling to be doing something good for others by simplifying my lifestyle.

It reminds me of a story I once heard, of a little boy walking along a beach covered in starfish. He would bend down, pick up a starfish--one at a time--and hurl it back into the sea, knowing that they would die if left on the sand. But ahead there lay millions of starfish. Finally, he came upon an older man who saw him hurling starfish one at a time back into the sea. The man inquired, "What are you doing? You know that there are millions of starfish on this shore, you really can't make a difference saving these starfish."

The little boy smiled as he bent down, and picking up one more starfish, threw it out into the waves. "I made a difference to that one," he replied.

I made a difference to that one… My hope is that if I do small things to help the world around me, it will make a difference. Maybe it won't change the world, but each of us have the ability to make an impact on the environment and people around us if we simply try.