I’ve been thinking a lot recently about improving my life and becoming more aware of my unconscious bad habits—and their significance within the collective unconscious as a whole.
A lot of the time, we drift through life unaware of the situations we’re experiencing and how to improve not only ourselves but also the world around us. There are so many small, automatic actions we take every day—things that barely register in our minds. One of these struck me recently when I spit out a piece of gum onto the street.
In that moment, I paused to really think about what I was doing. At first, it seemed so minor, something that didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. But as I stood there I began to notice the countless gum stains embedded in the pavement, each one a mark left behind by someone else who likely thought the same thing. That’s when I realised—this wasn’t just about a single thoughtless act. It was a reflection of how easily we dismiss our own actions, how often we move through life without recognising the impact we leave behind.
There are currently 8 billion people on this planet, many of whom move through life unconsciously, caught in what feels like an "insignificant" reality. We convince ourselves that our small actions don’t matter, that they disappear into the vastness of the world. But the truth is every one of these unconscious choices accumulates—whether it’s littering, neglecting kindness, or failing to take responsibility for our impact.
Instead of becoming stains—mindless marks left behind without thought—we have the power to be something else. We can choose to be conscious, to act with intention, to leave something meaningful behind rather than just traces of carelessness. Every action, no matter how small, is a reflection of who we are. And when we begin to recognise that, we also begin to change—not just ourselves, but the world around us.
