We often have the idea of sustainability revolving around the aspect of Environment – reducing waste, conserving natural resources and looking at reducing our carbon footprint. These are important aspects of living a more sustainable life. But increasingly, people have started understanding that living a sustainable lifestyle isn’t just good for the planet but it can also help to change and improve our life as well as the overall quality of life.
When we start taking in the main principles of sustainability – reducing consumption, reusing the materials we can, incorporating a simpler lifestyle – we can free ourselves from the pressures in the society regarding accumulation and over-consumption. And then suddenly, We stop feeling that we need to buy more stuff, to always keep upgrading to the latest model, to spend more than required. This is what is required on a personal level.
More than that freedom psychologically, living a sustainable life often also increases financial freedom as well. As if we reduce household spending on unnecessary goods and services, sustainable habits allow us to save more than before and get us out of that lifestyle of living from paycheck to paycheck. This relieves a lot of the community from immense stress.
Now one more aspect to look at is, Eating. Eating sustainably includes focusing on locally-grown plant-based foods which also leads to the gain of several health benefits as well. Sustainable eating is also simply healthier eating.
Now, Looking at a community level of effort, a commitment to sustainability encourages us as a community and fosters the connection between our neighbors. We are more likely to form stronger relationships, swapping and sharing goods and services rather than just buying newer ones. We get outdoors more often to walk, bike and also commute using public transit. We also look towards investing ourselves in local agriculture, parks and environmental causes. Sustainable communities are strongly-knit and are really exciting to be a part of.
Lastly, Living sustainably also helps to move towards having a strong purpose and meaning in our lives. By indulging in activities such as reducing our footprint, making strong intentional choices regarding our choices of consumption, by giving back to the community, and by living more simply, we feel like we’re a part of something which is greater than ourselves. We are contributing to a solution rather than just being a part of the problem in the community.
That more of self-dominance, where our personal interests are incorporated with those focused on the society, leads to giving us a deeper satisfaction in life. We are not just idly taking resources from the community and leaving a strong burden on the environment, we’re ensuring a positive and sustainable legacy and future. This sense of purpose in life is what many of us in the community want to make our lives more significant and meaningful.
If we want to choose the path to sustainability, it requires small amounts of adjustments and an approach towards more conscious lifestyle choices we make. In the end, It does reward us with freedom with different aspects – psychological, financial and philosophical freedom. It rewards us with health – personal well-being and resilience in the community. It synthesizes all of us with the common need of humans for connections with the community and with our environment.