Two Easy Steps to Living More Sustainably
Plastic ban, carbon emissions, recycle-- some of the sustainability buzzwords- but what do they mean and how does one get rid of them? Or are we trying to increase them? HELP!
SUSTAINABILITY AS A MINDSET
Let’s back up. What does sustainability mean? It’s simply the ability to endure, taking note of the dance between social, environmental, and economic dimensions.
Many people ask me “ what can I do— I don’t even know what to do or where to start or what methane gas even does to the planet but clearly it’s a thing cause it’s what people are talking about.” To quell your panic, although NOW is go time— I want to get a little spiritual with this one as many find the science and social aspects of this topic overwhelming. Let me propose 2 ideas:
Idea number 1: Sustainability as a practice in gratitude for the abundance in our lives. We have so much! While we’re conditioned to marinate on the things we don’t have, training yourself to cherish the things you do have can transfer into more sustainable practices. Reflect and glorify your personal relationships, your accomplishments. Recount found memories, times you’re overcame adversity. Be charmed by your curiosity, your quirks. Seeing how rich you are may help diminish your desirers to look for satisfaction outside of yourself.
Ideas number 2: Sustainability as an exercise of creativity. In order to thrive, humans need to be challenged— challenge is essential to flourishing and critical to our wellbeing. Look at the things you have and try to give them another purpose. That twisty tie from your bakery bread now helps you keep your electronic chords organized and compact. That nursery grow pot you brought your new pathos home in, once replanted, that grow pot may become a plant water reservoir for your thirsty garden plants to help slow the rate of evapotranspiration. The scooper from your protein powder is now the perfect measure for your fancy salts bath. And the list goes on and on as you become your own problem solver and low key Einstein. You enrich your creative self. Even better than having a solution for a problem his knowing that YOU created it. How’s that for self-efficacy?!
Seeing how rich your life is and what a creative genius you are, you may start becoming a Sustainable Royal without looking at it from a scientific perspective. The double bonus, your actions not only have beneficial effects on your person, but extend to your grater community. Now THAT is a MAJOR WIN.
IT’S ALREADY IN YOU.
