“The goal isn’t to make the perfect decision. It’s to make the right decision for you.”
A few weeks ago someone shared a graphic claiming AI is destroying the environment because it uses water.
The implication was clear:
“If you care about the planet, you shouldn’t use AI.”
For a moment, I caught myself feeling guilty.
Then I stopped.
Not because the information was wrong.
But because I realized I was about to make a decision before asking a much more important question:
What are my values?
Values Before Decisions
Most of us skip this step.
We hear a statistic.
We read a headline.
We see an influencer with strong opinions.
Then we immediately ask:
“Should I stop doing this?”
I think we’ve got it backwards.
Before we decide what action to take, we have to know what we’re optimizing for.
Because every decision is a tradeoff.
Always.
What Actually Matters to You?
For some people, the number one value is:
Environmental impact.
Every purchase, every technology, every meal gets filtered through that lens.
For others, it might be:
- Cost
- Simplicity
- Time
- Independence
- Community
- Health
- Innovation
- Privacy
- Family
None of those are wrong.
But if you haven’t identified your own values, you’ll spend your life reacting to everyone else’s.
My Top Values Have Changed
I’ve spent over a decade exploring zero-waste living.
I’ve lived off-grid.
I’ve taken three-gallon showers for three years now (as few as one per week).
I’ve composted food and human waste.
I’ve reduced consumption intentionally.
I’ve questioned convenience.
Environmental awareness absolutely matters to me.
But after spending the last month immersed in Digital Minimalism, I realized something.
My highest value isn’t simply using less.
It’s using intentionally.
That’s different.
Today, if I had to name my guiding values, they’d probably look something like this:
- Awareness
- Intention
- Minimalism
- Conscious action
Not perfection.
Not fear.
Not performance.
Not mindlessly consuming the newest thing—or mindlessly rejecting it.
It’s Not AI Drinking Water
When people say, “AI uses water,” what they’re really talking about is the infrastructure behind the internet.
Data centers.
Cooling systems.
Electricity generation.
Those same systems support:
- Google searches
- Netflix
- YouTube
- GPS navigation
- Cloud storage
- Online shopping
- Social media
We already live in a data-center world.
The question isn’t whether data centers exist.
They do.
The question is:
How am I choosing to use them?
Conscious Consumption
I gave up coffee this year.
Not because of AI.
Not because coffee is “bad.”
Simply because it aligned with where my health journey was taking me.
I still stream videos.
I still use GPS.
I still use online banking.
And yes…
I use AI.
Not because it’s trendy.
Because it helps me spend less time doing repetitive digital work I hate…
…and more time outside growing food, making medicine, teaching, and being present with the people I love.
That’s a tradeoff I’ve chosen consciously.
The Question Isn’t “Is This Good?”
The internet loves black-and-white thinking.
AI is either saving humanity…
…or destroying it.
Neither feels particularly helpful.
A better question might be:
Does this technology help me live more aligned with my values?
If the answer is yes…
Use it.
If the answer is no…
Don’t.
Simple.
Digital Minimalism Isn’t About Using Less Technology
It’s about using technology with greater intention.
That’s a huge difference.
I don’t want AI writing my life.
I don’t want algorithms deciding what I think.
I don’t want endless notifications stealing my attention.
But I also don’t want to reject a tool simply because someone else told me I should.
I want to understand it.
Question it.
Use it wisely.
Or choose not to.
Consciously. Intentionally.
Awareness Is the Practice
The older I get, the less interested I am in following movements.
I’m more interested in cultivating awareness.
Awareness before opinion.
Awareness before action.
Awareness before judgment.
Because once you’re clear on your values…
Most decisions become surprisingly simple.
You stop asking,
“What is everyone else doing?”
And you start asking,
“Who do I want to become?”
That’s a much more interesting question.
🌿 Between Plant & Pixel
Our workshop isn’t really about AI.
It’s about something much deeper.
How do we remain rooted in ancient wisdom while navigating modern tools?
How do we stay conscious in a world designed for distraction?
How do we choose technology—not from fear or hype—but from alignment?
Because ultimately, this isn’t a conversation about artificial intelligence.
It’s a conversation about human intention.
And that’s a conversation worth having. 🌿
This isn’t your normal Workshop. This is an Implementation Lab accompanied by a Conscious Gathering of Likeminds – aka Membership.
Get in before you get left behind.
https://andykennedyco.com/between-plant-and-pixel/
