Sustainability from the inside out

I am not a scientist. I am a visionary and I look at trends and I see patterns. One trend what I see is a movement towards greater sustainability in the fuels we use to make things happen in the world. We want to heat and cool our buildings, move through our communities, and travel the world. We want to keep our food manufacturing and distribution going and keep the lights on in our cities. We have a tendency towards fuels that do not consume or destroy natural resources, and fuels that we can use without causing environmental degradation, either through their use or in the process of their elimination. Everyone knows about this trend, even those who apparently oppose it.

FOR Pattern I see that it is a continual reliance on unsustainable fuels that we use to make things happen within ourselves. We want to create and produce. We want to connect with others, learn and grow. We want to be healthy and happy, and maybe make a difference for someone less fortunate than us. Too often, the fuels (or motivators) we use to achieve our goals and dreams are limited, as they will eventually run out, and toxic in their use and disposal; in a word, they are unsustainable.

As we turn our attention to sustainable fuel sources in the physical world, we can also begin to become aware of the fuels we use in our minds to motivate and inspire us. No one has to do this and many people will not. However, the benefits of switching to sustainable fuels internally are phenomenal. Sustainable inland fuel:

• it is, as far as we know, unlimited; We will not run out of fuel, no matter how much energy is required to achieve our ideals.
• It is healthy; it does not have any of the side effects of more toxic fuel sources on the body.
• it is pleasant; we will enjoy life much more when it is fed sustainably.
• does not harm others; in fact, sustainability, in this case, is often contagious and good for everyone.

Before we look at which internal fuels are sustainable and which are not, let’s see why this might be important. What does sustainability on the inside have to do with sustainability on the outside?

The fuels we choose internally have a tremendous impact on our sense of well-being. When we choose positive, proactive and sustainable motivators, we foster a positive outlook on life and feel better about ourselves and others. We are less stressed physically, mentally and emotionally. We are more resistant and we are able to ride the tides of life without collapsing due to small setbacks.

When we are consistent in our choice of positive internal fuel, we set a new standard for ourselves. We feel comfortable and used to feeling better, so any discrepancy, any unsustainable fuel slip, feels so uncomfortable that it’s a strong inner reminder to make a more sustainable decision. As we feel better and better about ourselves, we begin to create healthy boundaries and stop spilling our energy on situations that have drained us in the past. We become less tolerant of unsustainability, we are less accepting of conditions that are toxic, we are less willing to poison ourselves with stress hormones.

This new self-esteem translates into the world and we accept less of the conditions that will harm our bodies and our planet. We have an overflow of self-respect that turns into respect for others and for all of life. When a critical mass of people feel this way, entrenched socio-political policies and economic priorities will crumble. We will look up and wonder how we could have been so blind as to become dependent on non-renewable and unsustainable fuel sources.

Each of us has the option at every moment of every day to choose sustainable fuel for ourselves, or to continue using fuels that wear down our bodies and well-being.

The unsustainable internal fuel sources we’ve become addicted to are: fear, judgment, deadlines, anxiety, competition, bribery, and comparison – in short, any motivator that relies on adrenaline to move forward. So when we procrastinate to create an artificial time crisis for a project, or when we mentally punish ourselves for being lazy or not productive enough, or when we take some action based on what we fear will happen if we don’t, they are choosing. fuel sources, motivators, that are unsustainable in the long term.

These fuels are unsustainable because, like fossil fuels, they are finite. Our bodies were designed to go into a fight / flight / freeze reaction when our physical safety was threatened, not to live in that survival mode all day, every day. Adrenal fatigue, mental exhaustion, and emotional numbness will appear after sustained use of these fuels, decreasing effectiveness and creating feelings of being out of control and powerless. And, like nuclear fuels, the byproducts of stress in the body create a toxic buildup that wears down organs and compromises the immune system. These fuels pollute internally as safely as oil, coal and uranium do in the outside world.

We can’t go on like this. So what are the fuels we can look for? Sustainable internal fuels are: Purpose, Connection, Service, Joy and other proactive values, the values ​​that represent the best part of the human being. There is a big difference between working because we have to or because we have to and doing it because we feel called or because we enjoy it.

It’s tempting to think that we have to wait until conditions in our lives change before we can access those sustainable fuel sources, but this is falling into the trap of unsustainability. Our greatest purpose in life has less to do with that we do in the world of what has to do with excuse me We do that. If we decide to see part of our overall purpose as bringing goodness or joy to the world, we can do it no matter where we are, and we can do it every day. We will change the world by doing so.

Maybe your purpose is to be friendly. Maybe you know how to connect with others and help them feel appreciated. Perhaps your joy is about singing, which you can take with you wherever you go. Maybe you like to volunteer with teens or donate anonymously to those in need. When we choose Purpose, Connection, Service and Joy as our motivators, we impact the global condition. We change the world for the better from the inside out.