“It’s not material things that count, and people are finding that out. It’s the heart’s satisfaction, the soul’s satisfaction of making your contribution to the ongoing process of the universe…” Rabbi Wayne Dosick.

Sustainable living is a standard for the earth and needs to be for us personally as well. We hear all the time about needing to live a sustainable life. We need to live so that we do not deplete the resources of the earth. The Earth is a mirror of the human being. Just as our planet is in crisis, so are we. We need to look at how we can sustain ourselves while we are sustaining our planet. This list contains words that describe sustainability as well as depletion of resources. Do any of these also illustrate your life?

• Global Warming- Are you close to a meltdown?
• Energy Crisis- Have you run out of steam?
• Economic Recession – How is your household budget looking?
• Depression- Why do you think there are so many medication commercials on TV?
• Recycle – Are you throwing out what is usable in new ways? Are you throwing away dreams and ideas that did not work out the first time instead of retooling and refreshing them to a new version?
• Restoration – Are you getting enough sleep and relaxation time?
• Green Efforts – Are you using healthy products in your home?
• Organic Lifestyle – Are you eating right and taking care of your physical self?
• Maintenance for peak performance- Are you getting physical exercise?

We need to stop working late, remove our nose from the grindstone, stop running on fumes. Leaving some energy for later or keeping a reserve supply of calm is essential to our well-being. Just like putting money into savings or in a retirement account, or preparing for a big storm by making sure there are enough essentials to sustain us when the lights go out. We need to be banking our personal reserve and saving some for later.

Change is not easy. It is best to take small steps to make the change. When making the choice for big change in our lives, it is wise to move into the change slowly. When we make big changes slowly, it allows time to form new habits and to adapt. If we try to make big changes all at once, we are setting ourselves up for a big failure. Trying to do it all, can accomplish just as much as doing nothing.
Start by learning. Reinforce learning by doing and teaching.

“By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.” Latin Proverb

Earth

1. Learn about the impact of pollution, resource depletion on your earth.
2. Learn how to reverse the impact already made.
3. Learn how to live differently to not cause the same problems again.
4. Teach and share what you learn.

Self

1. Learn about the impact of stress, lack of sleep have on your body
2. Learn how to reverse the impact already made.
3. Learn how to live differently to not cause the same problems again.
4. Teach and share what you learn.

Set your goals to change by first identifying your issue areas. Journaling is a great tool, which enables a person to step back and look at circumstances from the outside. You can make your first goal.

Commit to one week of keeping a personal journal. Each day write down what situations give you energy and what depletes your energy or time. Keep track of when you are feeling strong and when you are feeling weak. What has happened on the days you come home dragging from work? Be honest and frank. Instead of a making a broad statement such as “I do not like my job” or “I am out of shape”, try focusing on what in particular you do not like about your job or why you feel you are out of shape. Identify your issue areas. Where do you feel depleted? What are your unhealthy habits?

When you start looking at how you are spending your personal resources, you may want to make many changes. Do not try to take on change in all areas. It may seem like the right thing to do once you recognize that you are are depleting your valuable resources but taking on too much change at once can drain you further. Set your goals. Break it down into small manageable changes. Taking small steps toward big change allows time for new habits to form. Trying to do it all at once can accomplish as much as doing nothing at all.

“Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all.”
Norman Vincent Peale

Once you identify an issue, you can then start listing action steps that will move you into a more sustainable lifestyle. You are where you are today because of choices you made in the past. In order to have a different outcome you need to change the input. Your first issue may be that you are living an unhealthy lifestyle. First, name your goal ‘Live Healthier’. Then state your intention to change. “I will take action and make the changes needed to create a sustained healthy life”. List action steps toward your goal. The important thing to remember is not to set unreachable goals. You will not drop 100 pounds in a week, become a vegetarian tomorrow or run a marathon in a month however, you can, get 7-8 hours of sleep (most nights), floss, and brush daily, walk 3 times per week, drink 6 glasses of water each day, eat less fatty food and more vegetables. Build on your victories.

Living a sustainable lifestyle is an issue for the planet and an issue for us. Commit to the change. Act. Engage. Simplify. Live holistically. To get to where you want to be look at what brought you to where you are today and do something new.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.”
Albert Einstein

Even small steps on the path to sustainability are movements in the right direction. A sustainable life is an authentic life. Create a deeper connection with your self, your planet, your purpose. Honor yourself by sustaining your personal, professional, and planetary resources to have a sound, secure future.