Creating Sustainability in our personal lives is a skill that needs to be cultivated with care like a beloved garden. I'm not talking about environmental sustainability, I'm talking about the sustainability of our habits and our lives.
To grow a successful garden, you till the land, sow your seeds, nurture them, trim and cut back, nurture some more, and hope for the best. Some things thrive, some things don't do as well as you'd hoped, and, weeds pop up in unexpected places and threaten the success of the juicy, yummy, stuff that you plan to reap.
Last week I took off of my 40 hour-a week-job as a Student Employment Coordinator at Appalachian State University. I enjoyed a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, for a short getaway. I lounged on the beach. I hiked in Boone with my dog. I swam in swimming holes and jumped off of rope swings. I biked, spent time with friends, read, napped, ate, drank and was merry. I was living my best life.
This week has been a completely different story, a whirlwind to say the least. I'm catching up on work that's been piling up for a week, I've started a summer class, I'm doing university orientation outreach at 8 am twice a week, I'm watching my friend's [energetic, large, and very,very strong] dog for ten days, and the weather sucks, to say the least. I'm tired, cranky, overwhelmed and could swear that my four day week (I'm currently especially thankful for Memorial Day) has been, in fact, six days long. This feels like a harried rat race. What gives?
Like a garden, for a sustainable life to thrive, we need to identify the habits that feed our spirit, and nurture them in order to be resilient through the not-so-lovely times. My goal is to attain those vacation vibes as often as possible (within reason). Like a pernicious weed in a lovely garden, I can allow the tiredness to spill over, and take from the enjoyable stuff. I can stay inside and turn on Netflix, veg hard and eat corporate chain pizza (Local First!) and not enjoy the outdoors. I can scroll Instagram feeds for a while and get bummed that I'm not still on vacation. I can complain about my week and use it as an excuse, or a limitation to keep me from doing things I love.
Or, I can take care of myself and choose to nurture and focus on the good stuff. I can text my friend and tell her how grateful I am for her friendship. I can enjoy the temporary sunshine and enjoy a short hike outside with my boyfriend and my wild pack of dogs. I look forward to a screen-free day that consists of nothing scheduled but living in the present moment. I can commit to never eating corporate chain pizza again. Choosing the good in our lives, in my opinion, the first step in creating a more sustainable world.
Only by choosing the good and tending to our habits like a garden can we live a life that truly sustains us. Then, we can bring our best selves into the world and do good work that makes a difference. Isn't that the point?
How do you Create Sustainability in your life?
For more sustainable living inspiration, check out rad Food Educator and Sustainability Strategist, Lauren Nixon.