Sentence Outline

Section I: Content Overview

1. Executive Summary

A. Presentation Sum-up

i. Defining Difference

essence, sustainability, Sustainable Living

ii. Oxy Moron of Sustainability

Sustainability, associated, sustaining, sustainable, oxy moron.

iii. Activated Union

Sustainable Living, union, sustainability, life, focus, action, approach, lives, collective whole.

iv. Foundation of Principles & Concepts

foundation, Sustainable Living, principles, concepts, practice, lives, decision-making.

v. Collective Evolution

core, principles, concepts, evolved, experience, collective movement, world.

vi. Explore Beyond Your Confines

Sustainable Living, sustainability, explore, educational experience.

B. Basic Conclusions

i. Basic Union

Sustainable Living is the basic understanding of the union between sustainability and life.

ii. Foundational Principles

The foundational principles are: balance, spectrums, intention, hope, trust, and time.

iii. Foundational Concepts

The foundational concepts described include the cycle of production, the cycle of education, collaboration, physical, mental, and spiritual health and safety, releasing, forgiveness, gardening and common sense.

iv. Only An Aspect

Sustainable Living is only one aspect of a greater existence of life on this planet, and community itself could separately be looked at in more detail.

v. Organize Life For Yourself

Each individual has the ability to organize their understanding of life how it works for them.

2. Logistical Organization and Structure of Paper

A. General Overview

i. Access to Entire Thesis

This paper should be organized and approachable to allow access to any perspective or particular topic of the entire thesis.

ii. Paragraph Titles

Each paragraph has a title to allow simple reference to the content.

iii. Outlines Set

For even more detailed reference into the content of the thesis, a set of outlines and detailed outlines will be available, one of which will outline the key words or ideas brought up in every sentence.

iv. Accessibility to Detail

These outlines will make it accessible to any detail of the information in the thesis for people who aren't into reading its entirety.

v. Glossary of Quick Reference

There is also a glossary with all the key concepts and ideas where a little more information is available as a quick reference while you are reading.

vi. Primary Web Vision

The primary version of this thesis is a web site; therefore it is possible that some aspects may be formatted strangely.

B. Interactive Sustainable Paper

i. Core of Paper Writing

Is it possible to bring Sustainable Living to the core of even writing a paper?

ii. Help Write This Paper

Your experience in reading this paper should include writing it as well.

iii. Interact & Give Comments

You are encouraged to interact with this thesis and give comments on any segment or issue as it is always in draft and will be evolving.

iv. Collective Agreement is Crucial for Success

Input and collective agreement on the information presented is crucial to making this paper successful.

v. Hope For a Web Interface

Eventually there is the hope of having an interactive ability on the web to actually edit the paper and submit it while you read.

vi. Everlasting Change

Sustainable Living will always be changing.

vii. Take Ownership of What You Read

Not only does the writer of the paper need to take individual ownership to enable the freedom to explore, so should the reader take individual ownership of what they read and bring into their consciousness with the freedom of understanding and expression.

viii. Enhance Future Experience

It is not good enough just to read for your own benefit, but to enhance the experience for future readers.

3. Introduction

A. Sustaining What? Sustaining Life!

i. Common Question

When we talk about sustainability often the question comes up: what are we trying to sustain?

ii. Haunting of Movement

That question will always haunt the people involved in the sustainability movement.

iii. Giving New Context

By introducing the concept of Sustainable Living as a separate understanding from sustainability, it gives a new context that focuses on a smaller, specific aspect of sustainability.

iv. Union of Realms

Sustainable Living could be described as the union between the realms of sustainability and life.

v. Study Sustaining Life

In other words Sustainable Living is the study of sustaining life.

B. Changing Ourselves

i. Nothing on Definition or Current Crisis

This paper doesn’t discuss the definition of sustainability, or the many crises of our world.

ii. Change Your Perception

Instead of looking at the problems of the world, this paper will encourage you to change the way in which you look at and perceive the world, and your relationship to it.

iii. We Control Our Achievements

As conscious beings we control how we make goals and how we achieve them.

iv. Apply Sustainable Living to Change The World

Through the application of Sustainable Living we can change the way in which we understand the world individually and collectively.

v. Change Decision Making Styles

We can change how we make decisions in order to improve our world and the quality of life.

vi. Change Our Interactions

We can change the way our communities exist and interact.

C. Understanding the Individual vs. the Collective

i. Aspect Duality

There are two main aspects to sustainability, and therefore to Sustainable Living (and really any realm of life).

ii. Personal & Individual Understanding

One aspect is our personal and individual understanding, and organization of the world.

iii. Multiple & Societal Understanding

The other is the multiple, societal, or collective understanding, and organization of the world.

iv. Equality & Individual Grounding

Each is equally important, yet the collective understanding of the world is grounded into each individual persons understanding, added to that collective.

v. The Individual is the Foundation of Our Collective Understanding

Therefore it is, and will be increasingly more important to begin and create a new foundation of our collective understanding with the individual as the foundation.

Section II: Case Studies in the Progression of Sustainable Living

1. Organizations of a Collective Movement

A. The Beginnings of a Sustainability Movement at UC Santa Cruz

i. Good Things Come Slowly

The collective movement for sustainability at UC Santa Cruz was slow coming.

ii. Unsuccessful Efforts

For years there were many attempts at students and staff alike in making individual efforts to improve the sustainability of our campus and society.

iii. Break in Continuity

Student groups would come and go, and information would be lost, breaking continuity throughout campus and the community.

iv. Jessian Choy to the Rescue

Then in the summer of 2001, a student named Jessian Choy founded the Student Environmental Center (SEC), based off of the CU Boulder SEC, to bring continuity and a central location to the movement at UC Santa Cruz.

v. Multitude of Organizational Options

This brought about the ability to have multiple organizations and projects all working together to improve the sustainability of the campus.

vi. Exponential Ripples

Within three years the momentum has grown exponentially with ripples across the state of California and the nation.

B. Collective Sustainability Movement Year 1 & 2

i. Focused First Year

The first year the SEC focused on foundation, a Board of Advisors, and getting a ballot measure passed to help fund the efforts.

ii. The First Summit and Festival

The first Annual Campus Earth Summit was put on, along with a successful Campus Earth Festival.

iii. Statewide Begins

The next summer leaders worked with Greenpeace to start a statewide UC Go Solar campaign, founding the California Student Sustainability Coalition (CSSC).

iv. SEC Campaigns

At UC Santa Cruz, the SEC founded three campaigns, the UCSC SEC CSSC chapter of the statewide coalition, Student for Organic Solutions (SOS), and Waste Prevention.

v. Continued Exponential Growth

In one year, the students improved knowledge about organic foods, educated about waste prevention, got a $3 per student per quarter ballot measure passed to create the Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) as part of student government, and helped the state wide coalition to successfully lobby the UC Regents to pass a Green Building Policy and Renewable Energy Standard.

vi. Second Summit & Festival

Also the second Campus Earth Summit was a success, and an even bigger Campus Earth Festival.

C. Collective Sustainability Movement Year 3

i. First CSSC Advisory Council

Right after the UC Regents passed the sustainability policy; the California Sustainability Advisory Council (CSAC) was founded as the Advisory Board for the CSSC.

ii. New CSSC Campaigns

The CSSC founded two new statewide campaigns, Move UC, focused on transportation, and the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP), focused on curriculum.

iii. CSU’s Join

During the year the California State University system joined the CSSC, and the University of California Student Sustainability Coalition (UCSSC) evolved as the UC branch.

iv. UCSC Bumps It Up a Notch

At UC Santa Cruz the CSC was founded as a funding body within the student government, the UCSC SEC ESLP Chapter was founded, and an eventful Campus Earth Festival was put on.

v. Summit Rocks the House

The most successful Campus Earth Summit, which was even attended by the Chancellor and Assemblyman Laird, was fully documented and became the first completed Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus.

vi. Work Starts at Chancellor Level

A staff and student coalition was established to found the Chancellors Sustainability Action Council and the official administrative policy on sustainability called the Campus Sustainability Plan.

D. A Bumpy Ride

i. Magical Momentum

The magnitude and momentum created from this exponential growth over the last three years is magical.

ii. Coordinating Coordination for a Plethora of Projects

These are entire organizations listed, not just projects, and each organization has many inter-related projects which are coordinated from a few crucial hubs like the SEC Steering Committee, and the CSSC Statewide Coordinator.

iii. Coming Back to the Roots

As always, when you have this much going on, everything doesn't work out the way you want, and we have found ourselves coming back to many foundational communication and structure decisions which cannot be overlooked any further.

iv. More Right Than Wrong

For everything that goes wrong or falls through the cracks, there seems to be five that go right.

v. Stop People Cracking

Although much is improving with this movement, it is not ok when people fall through the cracks and sacrifice their own wellbeing.

vi. Ground For Strategy

In this time we find ourselves with a massive organizational collective, which should begin to slow down growth and ground itself into the earth and the community, to re-collect and strategize its momentum.

vii. Ground Each Individual

The only way to ground the movement is to ground the people within it.

2. Sustaining Personal Involvement in the Movement

A. Individual Case Study

i. Introduce Author

As the writer of this paper, I have had a pivotal role in each of the listed organizations, as well as many not listed.

ii. Founded Involvement

I was a founding member within the CSSC, UCSC SEC CSSC chapter, CSAC, ESLP, UCSC SEC ESLP chapter, CSC, was involved in each of the Campus Earth Summits and Festivals, and helped draft the beginnings of the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus and lay foundations for the Campus Sustainability Plan.

iii. How to Stay Sane?

How was I able to do all this, go to college, be involved in numerous other organizations, and still stay sane?

iv. Start Not Begin Sane

It is true that I wasn't sane to begin with, but either way my involvement completely changed my life and affected my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being.

v. Ground Slowly With Personal Growth

The more I learn, the more I understand the importance of grounding myself, and slowing down to allow personal growth.

B. Storing Energy

i. Only Worked 3 Years

During my college career of six years, only the second half did I work within the collective movement.

ii. Start With YOGA

For the first three years, I spent much of my time grounding myself with YOGA, which I had started in high school, and got involved with a style called Warrior Yogaä.

iii. Root Yourself in Family & Friends

I also actively pursued my family roots by living in Madrid, Spain with relatives (which is where I first got an email about the founding of the SEC).

iv. Actively Increase Bodily Energy

Going to YOGA three times a week for three years along with meditation, hikes, and eating as healthy as I could, seemed to increase the energy within my body and my ability to tap into the energy of the earth and universe.

v. Less Activity Brings Problems

As I got more involved with the movement, I started teaching Warrior Yogaä, and still do, but I was unable to go to YOGA class three times a week like I had before.

vi. Loss of Connection

I could feel myself becoming less connected and grounded, and loosing energy be exerting myself too much.

vii. Eight Meetings is Too Many

There were times when I would attend eight meetings a day regularly.

viii. The YOGA Sustained Me

Only with the energy I had stored up, and the bit of YOGA that I did to keep continuity, was I able to sustain myself.

ix. No More Than Five a Day

I even had to limit the number of meetings to no more than five per day.

x. Realign Balance

There is a deep need to realign and balance my life to bring grounding to myself and the movement as a whole.

3. Sustainable Living in the Education System

A. Education Evolution

i. Turning Point For Education

Our society's educational system is at an evolutionary turning point, similar to the paradigm shift of consciousness occurring within the collective movement.

ii. We Already Change Education

The way in which we teach our children has already been changing drastically with increased standardized testing.

iii. Lets Engage Students

The methods for teaching children will continue to change drastically and by bringing Sustainable Living into the classroom we are able to increase the activity, involvement, and engagement of students into every aspect of their own education.

iv. Case Study ESLP

The case study, which evolved from the collective movement, is the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP), started in Spring 2004, which is a student run, student taught class, lecture series, and seminar simultaneously administered at five UC campuses.

B. ESLP

i. Speakers & Continuity

The ESLP came out of an idea to have a lecture series with world famous speakers, and the need for a class to pass along the knowledge gained over the last few years to bring continuity.

ii. The Most Amazing Class

So merging the two created an amazing class that got five UC campuses to work together to put on the a statewide lecture series to more than 500 students across the state.

C. Feedback on the Lectures

Students Say Incredible

The feedback from students was incredible.

ii. Exciting & Inspirational

Having world famous lectures come every week made the class incredibly exciting and inspirational.

iii. First Real Class

Students would say that this was the first class they had every really taken, their best class, their first real class, or that it had changed their life.

iv. Connected Perspective

The material presented actually connects the dots of our society and the world, to give a perspective that could never be understood in a specialized subject matter.

v. Can’t Take It, Teach It

One of the facilitators of the class said: “It was the class that I always wanted to take, so I had to teach it”.

D. Action Research Teams

i. Campus Contribution Differed

Many of the campuses contributed to making action research teams, some campuses even had a seminar class with limited enrollment.

ii. Direct Viability to Community

Action Research Teams work on a project, which is directly viable to bring solutions to the surrounding communities.

iii. Group Work to Move Forward

Students work in groups to research and document where we are now, who’s involved, what are other campuses doing, and how to move forward.

iv. Applied Experience

By engaging in a coordinated effort to improve the community, students are involved in experiential learning.

E. The Methodology of the Class

i. Foundation of Teaching Evolution

As part of the statewide strategy, we are assessing what made our class special and documenting it as the foundational methodology of a teaching evolution.

ii. Important Aspects

There are many parts to the methodology that are important, but the key factors understood so far are: experience learning, students teaching and engaging their own education, group learning, student research which is applicable to the community and society, and public service.

iii. Must Be Student Run

Having this program be student run and student taught is one of the most crucial principles involved.

iv. Balance Control & Relationship With Professors

Only when students are in control of their education in a balanced relationship with their professors, the education on both sides increases.

v. Helps All Learning

This helps for not only understanding the importance of this class, but also in learning in all other classes.

4. Academia & the Movement’s Vision

A. Getting to The Cause of Our Problems

i. Well Educated People Cause Problems

Some progressive academics believe that the current societal paradigm that we exist in now, defined by huge environmental catastrophe, has not been caused by “stupid” people, but by well educated academic graduates.

ii. Change Our Educational Methodology

As academia has the same fundamental roots it did hundreds of years ago, some are now waking up and realizing that the only way to change the course of our society is by changing what has lead it astray in the first place; our education methodology.

iii. Uniting Broadly a Influential Infrastructure

Professors across the United States & Canada are already working with organizations like Second Nature, Education For Sustainability Western Network, and student coalitions to unite universities everywhere as a multi-billion dollar industry with billions in investments as well.

B. The Larger Vision

i. Go Beyond Campuses Into Cities

The vision is in sight to have a coalition that stretches beyond the university system, and connects with industry and government programs to expand the ideas and experiments being attempted within campuses to city programs for saving energy, resources, and to improve the quality of life.

ii. High Level Political Shift Toward a Sustainable Future

The leaders of the academia level are professors linked up with professional organizations and high-level politicians within Democratic administrations. John Kerry himself was co-founder of Second Nature and with people like Denis Kucinich tilting the Democratic Party, sustainability can lead the academic shift in higher education.

iii. International Implementation

i. If the American people can sustain a Democratic administration in Washington D.C, we could see massive sustainability and Sustainable Living vision implementation on a international level that has already been laid with the Talloires Declaration, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Agenda 21 UN Sustainable Development programs.

Section III: The Development of Conscious Systemic Change

1. Introduction to Conscious Shifting

A. Think Local, Global, and Universal, Act In Balance

i. Interdependence With Everything

Each of us has interdependence to the earth, every living species, natural resources, each other, energy, and the entire universe from the beginning of time.

ii. Existence

You are, therefore I am.

iii. We Are Our Surroundings

That is the foundation for understanding that we are only a creation of what is aground us, and vice versa.

iv. Don’t Do For Your Own Kind

It is not enough to say that a tree should not be cut down because that will limit our oxygen, that it looks pretty to us, or that it has a type of animal in it that we like to eat.

v. Love Intrinsic Value

We must love and want to not cut down the tree simply because it exists in and of itself.

vi. Balance Yourself

The principles and concepts of Sustainable Living can help us understand the importance of balancing our thoughts, emotions, and actions that affect the world.

B. Open Systems and Interdependence

i. Search For Interconnections

By understanding open systems, holistic thinking, and integrated systems theory the interconnectedness of all things come forward.

ii. Increase Interaction Even With Structure

We need to build structures that increase connections and interactions between all species, cultures, and realms of life.

iii. Current Fragmentation

Currently our society has been built and taught to our children as a closed system, with different aspects of our world being understood as separate and fragmented from one an other.

iv. Limit Fragmentation With Interrelationships

It is crucial to limit fragmentation and understand the interrelation of all ideas and beings.

C. Introduction to Principles and Concepts of Sustainable Living

i. Basic Thought

The overlap between the definitions and common vocabulary of principles and concepts is a "basic thought".

ii. Foundation of This Paper

This means that the concepts and principles of Sustainable Living are the foundation to all basic thoughts and assumptions involved in this paper.

iii. Interrelating Vocabulary

Also it is important to understand how the individual vs. the collective relate to principles, concepts, sustainability and Sustainable Living.

iv. Larger Consciousness

The larger understanding and collective consciousness seem to relate more with sustainability and principles.

v. Individual Evolution

Concepts and Sustainable Living seem to relate more with individual evolution.

vi. Redefine the World

In order to change the way in which we see our relationship to the world, we need be able to redefine the world around us.

2. Principles of Sustainable Living

A. Principle

i. Primal Source

The primary source or ingredient for moral and ethical laws, assumptions, [or beliefs] used for quality decision-making.

ii. Conscious Decision Making

These principles should be understood and evolved into the basic foundation for our conscious thoughts, especially when used to make decisions on any aspect of sustaining life on this planet.

iii. Guiders

These should be the main guiding principles for our morals, laws, and beliefs as they pertain to Sustainable Living.

iv. Multi-Leveled

These principles can be used on a personal or collective level.

B. Balance

i. Everything Is Balanced

Everything is balanced, up to the highest levels.

ii. Common Examples

Give and take, good and evil.

iii. Balance’s Essence Exists Within

To foster balance, understand that the balance of everything exists internally within. Each of us has good and evil inside. Balance is the fundamental essence of change.

iv. Singular Balance Doesn’t Exist

No single balance is ever reached.

v. Continual Fluctuation

Balance is merely an imaginary oscillation.

vi. Don’t “Hold” Balance

We cannot hold ourselves strong and steady in a straight line and call it balanced.

vii. Release & Extend Through It

Only when we release and extend through our problems does balance truly take shape because through our release we are able to sway and morph to what we encounter.

C. Spectrums

i. Understand Your Relationship to Opposites

Although you only need two things to create balance, for example good and evil, to live sustainably, you must understand where you exist in relation to everything around you.

ii. There Is Always More To Simplicity

Therefore nothing is simply good or evil, black or white; there is always a spectrum of colors.

iii. Natural Order of Ideas

Spectrums put ideas and understanding into a natural order.

iv. Infinity Exists Between Opposites

When two opposites are given, understand that they are only opposite sides of a spectrum with infinite levels in-between.

v. Attune to Center of Opposites

Pay particular attention to what might lie directly in the middle, balanced between the two opposites.

vi. Spectrum Spectrums

There can even be spectrums of spectrums, which lay out the complexity of our world and our simple understanding of it.

D. Intention

i. Focus on Actions & Surroundings

Everything must be done with intention to increase concentration, observation, and attention on our surroundings and actions.

ii. Enact a Purposeful Plan

Only with intention are we able to enact a plan with a purpose, instead of just going with what is because there isn't enough time to do something else.

iii. Plan, Go Slow, and Take Risks

Take the time to plan, strategize, go slow (not in crisis mode), and take risks when necessary.

iv. Believe In Yourself

Truly believe in what you do, and allow the community too also.

E. Hope

i. Invisible Thread

Hope is the thread that holds our world together.

ii. Motivation

Hope is what keeps people going, persistent, and keeps people from quitting.

iii. Bond of Knowledge

It is the bond that brings all ability for us to continue living and pass on our knowledge to future generations.

iv. Godly Figments

Nurture even the slightest figment of hope as a tiny seedling.

v. Care to Evolve

Hope leads to creating an atmosphere of care and comfort needed to evolve.

F. Trust

i. Look Inside to Connect

In order to find trust, we look inside ourselves and connect to the universe.

ii. Satish’s Story

Satish Kumar walked with a friend from India to London, and then Washington DC. He had no money and no food, just his trust that the universe would guide him well and the world would provide for his needs.

iii. Trust Yourself & Your Community

If we trust ourselves, and our communities, we will have our needs met and be able to evolve.

G. Time

i. Eternal Magic

Time is like magic; it can be an eternity or a blink of an eye.

ii. Natural Time

This kind of Time, which we will give a capitol T, is very different from our concept of time within clocks and schedules.

iii. Time Is Not Linear

Our society has taught us that time is linear.

iv. A Mandela of Consciousness Defines Us

As the fourth dimension, natural Time, enveloped through a mandela of consciousness and attention within the present moment, defines our three dimensional world.

v. Instantaneous Ripples

Every action we take, takes affect instantaneously and the ripples all occur in the present moment.

vi. The Present Moment

Every action only affects the present moment.

vii. Actions Now Effect Now

All pollution and degradation now, effects us now, not later.

3. Concepts of Sustainable Living

A. Concept

i. Guiding Perception

An imaginative abstract perception used as a general guide, plan, or method of behavior.

ii. Tangible Steps

In this context, concepts are tangible steps that people could take to change their behavior to improve the quality of life for themselves and the planet.

iii. Applicable Metaphors

Each one can be applied as its own action, or as a metaphor to apply in all aspects of one’s life.

iv. Principle Application Examples

These are tangible examples of how to apply principles of sustainable living into practice.

v. Bring Systemic Change

These are meant to be able to bring systemic change within a system.

B. A Landfill is a Recycling & Composting Center Waiting to be Organized

i. Imaginary Fiction

“Trash” or “Garbage” does not exist in and of itself.

ii. Mind Games

They are metaphors for a place in our minds where things go and never come back. Unfortunately landfill itself exists, and we have lot of it.

iii. No More Landfills

We no longer can afford to have landfills if we are to sustain life on this planet.

iv. We’re Past Linear Thinking

A linear model where natural resources are used to create products and then dumped into a landfill to be encapsulated is an understanding of the past.

v. Process Waste

There is a process for taking natural resources and turning them into products, therefore we will have to begin to process our waste products back into resources for the natural environment.

vi. Divert From Landfills

For now, divert as much as you can from the landfill and learn how to compost.

vii. Organizing Fun

Have fun with what you don’t need; organize and categorize as you’d like, and don’t worry if it ends up in the landfill anyways.

viii. Pre-Sort & Research Waste Processes

When you do put something in the landfill, visualize digging through the landfill to find it and sort it out, hopefully pre-organized, and support a minor tax for city composting and research on processing waste products back into resources for the natural environment.

C. Learn Only to Guide

i. Don’t Learn For Yourself

The last reason to learn is for you.

ii. Guide Others

Everything you learn has new purpose if the reason you learn it, is to guide others in their path for knowledge.

iii. Only You Can Learn

We cannot teach someone, but only guide them to learn themselves what we put in front of them.

iv. Always Pass on Knowledge

Sometimes we learn something we don’t necessarily want to teach people, but only when we pass the knowledge that it is not worth learning (or only learn it for a specific reason) do we complete the natural path and cycle of education to sustain our children and the planet.

v. We Have Linear Education

Our education system tells us that education is a linear progression to a degree, many people never even use the information that they learn in college.

vi. Visualize Who Your Passing to

Every time you learn something, imagine ways of passing that knowledge on and whom you may pass it on to.

D. Collaboration is the Gateway to Change

i. Collaborate With Decision Makers

One of the best ways to make change is to collaborate with the people who have the power to make the change that you would like to see in the world.

ii. Collaborate No Matter What

Even if they aren’t doing what you would want them to do, they might even be doing something you don’t like, treat them as you would treat a friend.

iii. Step By Step & Side By Side

Work side by side to improve the world we live in together.

iv. Don’t Blame Decision Makers For Problems

Many times the people, who are in control, aren’t the ones who made things the way they are, and they are trying to change things too.

v. I Love My Enemy

To love your enemy, is to love yourself.

E. Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Health & Safety

i. Just Physical Isn’t Enough

To keep you physically healthy and safe is not enough.

ii. Understand Your Mind

One must develop conscious understanding of their own mind through watching their thoughts, and meditation.

iii. Create Mental Safety

Use feeling words, and describe observations instead of giving perceptions of other people to reduce conflict and create mental safety for the people around you.

iv. Spiritual Complexity

Creating spiritual health and safety is slightly more complex.

v. Ground Yourself

Grounding yourself is one of the most important things to do to energize your spirit.

vi. Find Spiritual Places

Find places on the earth where you feel your sprit comes alive, and stay there for extended periods of time.

vii. Nurture Spiritual Energy

Nurture these feelings and bring them with you wherever you go.

viii. Enhance Spiritual Safety

Even try to replicate spaces where we can feel spiritually safe.

ix. Templeize

Many people make their own homes and gardens sacred spaces by decorating them, blessing them, and cleaning.

x. Your Body Is Your Temple

Make a little temple of your own.

F. Release to Relax, Forgive to Be Happy

i. Unblock Stagnation

Releasing blocked or stagnant energy is one of the most important things you can do.

ii. Release Negative Feelings

Especially when it is a grudge or negative feelings you have towards a place, person, or group of people.

iii. Forgiving is Magic

Forgiving is a magical art form, used to uplift the soul and bring you back into the present moment.

iv. We Didn’t Do It

We are not the ones who have destroyed the earth, or created the problems that exist in our society today.

v. Take Responsibility

We can forgive those that have come before us, and move forward by accepting the responsibility to bring solutions.

vi. Clean & Travel

Walking long distances and cleaning are forms of meditation that can help you relax, grow spiritually and connect with the world around you.

vii. Sit Under a Tree

If you feel uneasy, find the time to sit under a tree and learn about yourself.

viii. Breath Deep

Take deep relaxing breaths, exhaling through your mouth with your eyes closed.

G. Grounding Yourself in the Garden, You Are What YOU Eat

i. Best Way To Ground

Gardening is one of the best ways to ground yourself into the earth.

ii. Get Your Hands Dirty

Getting your hands dirty with soil is therapeutic to the touch.

iii. Food Comes From the Garden

You also learn a lot about how your food ends up on your plate.

iv. Cook

One of the most important things you can do is cook a good meal at least a few times a week if not everyday.

v. Diet Is Nutrition

A diet just becomes a part of your life as you strive for good nutrition.

vi. Accept all Diets

Don’t be afraid of meat eaters, vegans, or even people who only eat raw foods.

vii. Your Diet Is Fun

Try it sometimes, go on a fast too, have fun with your diet and cleanse yourself it feels great.

viii. Water Plants

Drink lots of water and remember to water your plants, they are living creatures too.

H. Look Inward to Find Common Sense

i. Just Advising

In the end, all of these ideas and these words of advice are just recommendations.

ii. You Are Unique

Everyone will find their own actions to incorporate Sustainable Living into their unique experience.

iii. Listen to Your Intuition

Only your own intuition can guide you in practice.

iv. Common Connection of Source

When something just doesn’t feel right, use your common sense, or the common connection we all have to a greater knowledge of our world.

v. Memorize the Feeling

Nurture these connections and memorize their feelings.

vi. Allow Guidance

Allow them to guide your actions.

Section IV: Beyond Sustainable Living

1. Thriving Life

A. Why Sustainable Living Isn't Enough

i. Evolve Community

It is obvious that a common reoccurrence in creating a sustainable life style, especially for a collective society, is a deep need for evolved community.

ii. Community is Different Than Sustainability

Building community is a larger concept and understanding than individual growth and education, as is the context of Sustainable Living.

iii. Collective Complexity

Having the collective work together, and not just within an educational experience, adds complexity.

iv. Sacrifice Is Anti Sustainability Yet Pro Life

Beyond just community there are also bigger questions to answer regarding life and the need to not sustain and instead sacrifice for the betterment of life on a whole, which itself includes death.

B. Beyond Sustainable to Thriving Life

i. What We have Won’t Do

It is not enough to just sustain the present state of the world.

ii. Enhance Life

We must work to make our society actually enhance the environment, quality of life and the economy simultaneously as we live.

iii. Living Buildings

Even within the sustainability movement in the concept of green buildings, the living building is the most sought.

iv. Endless Organizational Strategies

There are many ways to organize and understand the life of our planet, and each of our places within it.

v. Each Different

Every person has a different way of doing so.

vi. Reorganize Your Relationships

What is important, within Sustainable Living, is that one takes it upon themselves to reorganize their relationship to the world and actively revitalize and energize their surroundings.

C. Balance of Everything Beyond Life Itself

i. Solutions Don’t Involve Problems

The solution to sustainability doesn't necessarily have anything to do with sustainability, or Sustainable Living.

ii. Unsustainability

True solutions to sustainability target the causes of unsustainability, which could be building community and supporting an active, government with participatory democracy that supports the earth.

iii. Question the Status Quo

Sustainable Living should allow us to question the status quo, and if we agree that balance is one of the fundamental principles, what is the balance of everything?

iv. Life & Death

How is the cycle of life balanced by the cycle of death, and beyond?