By Gary Walker

     Now they’ve gone and done it! It’s gone too far! The overuse of the word, “green.” The other day I saw that a bank had a green checking account and that a department store had a green sale. Both had nothing to do with the environment or what the whole purpose of the green movement is, but they claimed that they had something to do with green just so they could cash in on the green wave. We need to move past green and start thinking “blue.”

      The New Color is Blue
      Yes, the new color is blue. Blue is about us, it is our health, our lifestyle and our well being. Blue is a lifestyle change that is a much bigger vision of sustainability. It is a complete culture change within ourselves to move toward living a life of health and happiness. We have to change our habits first. Understanding that it takes 21 days to form a good or bad habit, we can move forward to make the move toward blue. Our current priorities need to be building on what green already has started and then applying that to the new blue principals to include how we clean our environment, nurture healthy people, access health food, exercise, all of what Adam Werbach, president of the Sierra Club, calls a “personal sustainability plan.” Webach offers his definition of blue: “People who are part of the blue movement aspire to make a difference through the people and products that touch their lives. It encompasses green issues like protecting our last wild places and reducing our output of CO2, but it also includes personal concerns like saving money, losing weight and spending time with friends and family.”

      The education of the whole person is what needs to be brought to the forefront. The environment is very important, but if we don’t take care of ourselves, we won’t be here to take care of the environment. We have to stop taking about choices, the time has come to make changes. Are you going to take action in your life and the life of your family?

      Be the Generation of Change
      Why don’t we become the generation that breaks the cycle? We have it within our power, it just takes a few people to light a small flame that starts a nagging fire. Why not do it in the center of the nation? It starts by encouraging a few friends to join you in the blue revolution, before it just becomes an anti-green movement. When does it start? Well, why not right now?

      Buying Power is Key
      We can change where we spend our money, that is a very powerful change agent. If you want to see a company carry green products, request them. If they won’t, don’t buy from them. Start eating healthy by making smart choices. Enough with the fast food – start buying organic. Drink more water – and not out of plastic bottles. Try drinking from a glass. Just make a change, to make a difference.

      With all this said, I’m not going to change my name from the King of Green Cleaning to the King of Blue Cleaning, but I may just change it to the King of Clean. It might be a small change in our lives that makes a big difference. It may be right in front of us, we just have to open ourselves up to it.

      Gary Walker, the King of Green Cleaning, is owner of Magic Touch Cleaning, Inc. You can reach him at (816) 554-3366 or .