January 13, 2020

What Plastic-Free Living and Being a Contestant on the Bachelor Have in Common

I rarely watch TV. There are shows I enjoy, such as Big Bang Theory and Modern Family, but oftentimes I’d rather crank through the stack of unread books on my nightstand than sit in front of the TV. The only exception I make for this is The Bachelor. I have an alarm on my phone for Monday nights so I don’t forget.

I started watching the Bachelor during Brad Womack’s season in 2007 and have been hooked ever since. It doesn’t help that over the years the producers rope you in by making former contestants the new Bachelor or Bachelorette, so you’re already invested in their story!

Between the romantic dates, the budding relationships, and the drama in the house, it’s my guilty pleasure.

So, what does the Bachelor have to do with plastic-free living? To be successful at plastic-free living or being a contestant on the Bachelor, you have to:

Do it for the right reasons
Be open with others
Have Confidence
Not be afraid to make a fool of yourself
Remember, it’s not you, it’s them

The Right Reasons

If you watch the Bachelor (Bachelorette or any other Bachelor franchise show), you’re bound to hear “the Right Reasons” during the show. The right reason for being on the show is to find true love, with the leading man or lady of the season.

Since the show has millions of loyal followers called “Bachelor Nation“, it’s easy for previous contestants to leverage their new-found fame even if they didn’t “win”.

Inevitably, you have people going on the show to become famous or launch a music career. Thus, you continually have people accusing others of not being there for the right reasons. It’s easy to see through the people who aren’t there for love.

When your heart isn’t 100% into something, it shows. And plastic-free living is no different. Just like being crammed into a house with 20+ other people fighting for the affection of one person, plastic-free living can be difficult (but definitely less dramatic).

Being motivated by the right reasons sets you up for success.

Similar to cleaning your room as a child, if you did it because your mom told you to, it probably wasn’t done too often or that well.

Before I had kids, I knew plastics were bad for the environment and I did what I could. But I didn’t let it inconvenience my life too much. After I had kids and I really started paying attention to the state of the world, I knew that “trying” to live plastic-free wasn’t enough. When my kids grew up, I wanted to be able to look them in the eye and say I did everything in my power to protect the planet.

In order to make your plastic-free journey the most successful, really think about why you are doing it. We all know that guilt only goes so far. Finding a deeper motivation outside of ourselves is the key to sticking with anything difficult.

Being Open

Nearly every episode of the Bachelor there’s a girl or two who can’t express themselves and get to the heart of a conversation. It’s hard being vulnerable because there’s a chance you’ll get hurt. But since contestants get such little time with the Bachelor if you’re not open and willing to dig deep quickly, you fall behind.

By being open and honest with people it’s easier to build a connection and trust which is important in all aspects of life. If people feel connected to you and trust you, they’re more likely to give honest and helpful feedback.

I’ve found that some of the biggest responses I get are when I share my “trash audits“. Being open and honest about the trash I generate can make me vulnerable to criticism, but the positives of receiving helpful feedback and inspiring readers is worth it.

Confidence

In nearly every season I’ve watched the Bachelor or Bachelorette has found confidence to be sexy. Who isn’t attracted to someone who knows who they are and what they want?

Oftentimes, plastic-free living goes against the norm and having confidence helps.

Asking the butcher to put meat into a container you brought or going to a Chipotle and asking for ten tortillas wrapped in foil are both out of the ordinary requests.

Bea Johnson, dubbed the mother of the zero-waste movement, suggests saying something like “Can I have a pound of chicken? Please put it in here.” and simply hand them the container. In doing this, you’re acting like you do this all the time and the butcher shouldn’t second guess you.

If you say, “Can you put a pound of chicken in this container?” and sound unsure, it makes the butcher unsure of your request as well.

Don’t Be Afraid to Make a Fool of Yourself

It’s interesting to see how self-conscious people are especially when they’re on TV. You quickly see which contestants are the most insecure when they have to compete in silly contests.

There’s always one girl who ends up crying and sitting on the sidelines because she was too afraid to make a fool of herself. But in sitting out she singled herself out as someone who couldn’t go with the flow or maybe someone who the Bachelor didn’t want to spend his life with.

Similar to odd requests at the butcher, when you bring your own utensils to a fast-casual place, you might get a curious onlooker who notices. For someone who is really self-conscious, this could even prevent them from using their own utensils just so they could blend in.

Oftentimes at work, if there’s a lunch meeting, I will bring my own plate, utensils, cloth napkin, and water bottle. I stick out like a sore thumb and oftentimes I get comments from my co-workers. It’s generally positive because I work with awesome people. They usually say, “That’s awesome! I should do that!” Some people who I work closely with will give me a hard time and jokinly say things like “Geez Olivia. Some of us just want to fill up landfills!”.

Despite the attention, I don’t let the potential of looking foolish force me into the norm of using plastic.

It’s Not You, It’s Them

On any show with lots of beautiful and amazing people, you see individuals who can’t handle being around awesome people. They are too self-conscious, too in their own heads, too whatever to not feel threatened by the awesomeness of others. But that’s their issue and it’s very apparent to the others in the house and the millions of people watching at home.

In doing something out of the ordinary, you’re making a mini statement about what you believe. In bringing your own utensils, you’re saying I don’t want to waste plastic utensils. And sometimes others take this as a judgement on their actions.

When others see you using your own utensil while they’re using disposable plastic ones, they might feel guilty. They might even give you the side-eye, but just remember, it’s all them. It’s their issue.

Recap

When diving into plastic-free living, finding your true motivation will get you going on the right foot. When you’re in the weeds, be open, confident, and not afraid to make a fool of yourself. And if you run into some haters along the way, just remember, it’s their issue.

So, what do you think? You ready to watch the Bachelor with me tonight? Bachelor Nation, let me know who your favorite contestants (current and former) are in the comments! If not ready to join Bachelor Nation, will you use some of these tips in your plastic-free journey?

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