I consider myself to be someone that cares about the environment. I recycle. I bring my own reusable bags to the grocery store. You get the idea. But I had a moment recently that really made me stop and think about my convictions.

I was ordering a pair of new running shoes online and when I got to the shipping section, I was presented with a choice. Did I want to go with express shipping and have my shoes arrive in two business days (with no extra charge)? Or, did I want to go with standard shipping and have my shoes arrive in four to six business days?

It was seemingly an obvious choice. Of course, I want my shoes to arrive in two days. Only… the company presented the following message:

“Help reduce our impact on the environment!

If all our customers selected Standard Shipping, we could collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving approximately 600,000 miles per month – that’s the same distance as 22,900 marathons!”

Suddenly, I was conflicted.

I didn’t actually need the shoes in the next two days. Yet, I wanted them. I’m not proud of how long this decision took me.

To be clear, I don’t think getting your shoes in two days makes you a bad person, just like I don’t think getting them in four days make you a good one.

But I’ve found this has raised an important question for me: Are you walking your talk?