What if sustainability was a lot easier than we tend to think? Not requiring “more action”, as most activists keep shouting at our leaders, but just enough of the right kind of action… and, in fact, a lot more rest? What if, by really paying attention to our bodies, we find the ebb and flow of work and rest that simply aligns with our nature? It’s there! We all possess that compass naturally. We ARE nature. We can BE sustainable.
A contact of mine said recently that it will require “tons of work” to clean the earth from plastic waste. Perhaps. Perhaps there are solutions to make that work easier. Also, not all human beings, not all organizations, must be involved in it. We all have our role and our specialty, by nature. We must also, and in fact primarily, just stop adding to the problem.
Getting rid of plastic waste is another great example of a human problem that also requires, in fact, to stop working (producing, consuming) excessively. We must stop what’s not needed. Sustainability is about fulfilling needs strictly. So, let me say this again: we must stop what’s not needed.
I mean, the “tons of work” that are needed certainly include cleaning the mess and changing the tech, but we must fundamentally change our structural ways. We must replace a gigantic portion of our stressful activities with activities like sleeping, resting, reading, dancing, contemplating, reflecting, walking outdoors, etc. – basically, in themselves, regenerating activities. The tons of work and the tons of money necessary to clean our mess could be avoided in the future by not creating the mess in the first place.
We must BE regenerative ourselves. We must BE fallow more than productive ourselves. We actually naturally need more rest and recreation than stress to live longer, healthier lives.
We have been second guessing nature, with huge negative consequences. We must just BE sustainable. Not much to DO here. We possess this ability. It’s natural. It’s already here, provided we allow it.
What about freeing yourself, dear sustainability leader? Tell us one thing you will stop doing, as of now, in order to BE what you want the world to be.
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