What Europe Gets Right (and why it matters for you)
It’s got to do with chemicals…
Europe and the US have two very different approaches towards what chemicals are allowed within their borders.
The US has an innocent until proven guilty approach: a new chemical can enter the market, and if it causes harm down the line, it is then removed.
Europe flips it: a chemical first has to be proven safe before it’s approved.
That’s why, for example, the US has only banned about 11 cosmetic products, while Europe has banned over 1,300.
Or why there are 72 pesticides used by farmers in the US that are banned in Europe.
And ultimately why you get two Fantas looking like this (Good ol’ US of A is on the left):
Here’s a simpler way of putting it…when it comes to things we consume, the US says YES before it knows what it’s saying yes to.
Europe says hold up, gonna need to make sure this fits.
Okay, so why does this matter?
Well, because it’s not just about chemicals. It’s about how we live. It’s about intention.
Back when I was in Yes Theory, people would always introduce us as the guys who said yes to everything, and we would always correct them: “No,” we’d reply, “we say yes to the things we want to do.”
An intentional life with direction is far more fun than a chaotic life of yes’.
If you’re always saying yes, you never know where you’re actually going. You end up on someone else’s map wondering why you don’t know yourself or your purpose.
I’m still guilty of this too. I’ve spent countless hours at events, meetings, lunches, and projects I never really wanted to be part of.
So how do we behave more like Europe?
Well, it’s as simple as a check in. It’s a pause. When someone or something is put on a plate in front of you, don’t scarf it down. Look at it and ask yourself whether it will actually be good for you.
This doesn’t mean you say no all the time. The EU still allows tens of thousands of chemicals. It just knows what substances they’re letting in and why they fit within their framework.
It’s like Marie Kondo’s rule for life: does it spark joy?
Look at your relationships, your work, your hobbies. Pay attention to how they actually make you feel. Look out for the classic knot in your stomach, the drainage of energy, the lack of enthusiasm.
When you check in, can you identify something that doesn’t belong? Something you said yes to but never actually wanted?
And when new things arrive, can you check in? Can you pause? Can you say yes with intention?
That pause is a skill that can be honed.
And ultimately, it’s what makes the difference between living on autopilot and living in alignment.
Love,
Matt
Meet your new friend :)
We’re about to launch the next round of penpals for Matt’s Friends Club! If you want me to introduce you to an awesome member from this community, now is the time ;)
New Book Club!
Also (I’m so looking forward to this) if you’re part of Matt’s Friends Club, we’re about to start biweekly Zoom calls together where we slowly go over one of my favorite books, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, and help each other tap into more creativity, more artistry, and more play. And of course, more connection.
Hope to see you in there!
Good stuff, Matt.
I was the first one in my family to step outside the safety net of the Continental U.S. and the Caribbean. In 2023, I boarded a plane bound for Sweden. From there I went to Denmark, then France.
When I came home, my mom asked the inevitable question: “How did you like it?” And I didn’t have a speech ready, just one word. Pure.
The people were pure. The food was pure. The air, the streets, the conversations, they carried that same unfiltered weight.
But what I’ve realized since is it wasn’t just purity for purity’s sake. It was life lived the way God intended , unhurried, unfractured, unpolluted by the constant noise we call progress. Slow. Calm. Thoughtful.
And maybe that’s the real invitation. To taste a piece of eternity now, not by flying across an ocean, but by learning to walk through our ordinary days with the same rhythm of grace.
I so agree with this Matt, this in particular : "it’s what makes the difference between living on autopilot and living in alignment". Sadly we have lost the ability to listen to our intuition. We seem not to be able to access it anymore. I love the idea of an inner compass that always points the right direction but with all the noise coming from society, culture and our own fears and doubts, it's gets difficult to access our inner compass and be aligned with who we truly are and want in life.