Compassion is the key

A few years ago a group of people at Greenbelt set up the Year of Living Generously. This project is a good way to help people think about how their lives impact others and the planet we live on, but this doesn't always help me to strike the right balance in my life.

I support Fairtrade, but realise that this means goods have travelled a long way to get to me, and so contribute to carbon emissions and general pollution of the planet. There are also local producers to consider, especially as these are often becoming a hard-pressed minority.

I try to live a more 'green' lifestyle, but so far I continue to use the car far more than I really need to, and if I stop buying Fairtrade, then third world producers may suffer in the short term.

It seems to me I cannot live without causing damage to the planet nor without helping to make the world a hotter place with more hurricanes and flooding, all of which will effect the poorest people first.

But I need a varied, balance diet, clothes, heat and a roof over my head. All of these use the Earth's resources and people are often exploited in the production of the things I need. Sometimes there is no fairly trade alternative, and sometimes there is but it is out of my price range.

I also have responsibilities to my family, to make sure their needs are met.

All of the above are concerns to bear in mind when we choose what to buy and how to live, but if we love ourselves as well a our neighbour we will find a way to balance these concerns with our own needs. So, it seems to me that my best bet is to aim to live compassionately. If we learn to be more compassionate in the way we live we will be compassionate to ourselves as well as others. We will not strive for the impossible, but look for ways to be more compassionate that are possible.