Sustainability
from the inside out (or sustainable living from the inside out)
How many times have you noticed that your initial burst of enthusiasm
to create positive life changes has soon dwindled? Or that those promising new years’ resolutions have only
lasted until February? Perhaps you
have felt disappointed, frustrated or embarrassed that you have not fulfilled
your intentions such as to get fit, stop smoking or create a better work life
balance. We can probably all think
of times when we have became disheartened, wondering if our goal was just too unrealistic
in the first place.
Every time we move toward our vision or goal, we inevitably
step outside of our comfort zone. In
fact the very nature of our goals is that they tend to exist outside of our
comfort zone. What usually happens
is that as we start to move toward our goals, we reach the edge of our comfort
zone where we are faced with challenges. I like to think of these as the three inner gremlins of
disbelief, fear and cynicism. At this
point many of us decide that the warm cosy comfort zone is far more appealing
than the unknown territory of scary gremlins! And yes, at times maybe it is best we stay under the duvet
just that little bit longer.
However, if ignored for too long, those gremlins can end up ruling our
lives! But if we choose to face
them, however ugly, we find that these gremlins hold vital keys to unlocking
our potential. This involves
allowing the ‘emotions’ to be felt e.g. fear, as well as exploring the
associated ‘thoughts’ e.g. ‘I am bound to fail’. By facing our gremlins we can start to uncover unhelpful
patterns of thinking and explore more helpful and alternative ways of looking
at our situation e.g. ‘I am going to give it a go and who knows if I will
fail’.
Inner sustainability is the ability to sustain enthusiasm
and commitment so that we can bounce back from setbacks and reach our goals. I see this as a dynamic process, which
involves cultivating resilience, replenishing resources and drawing upon
support. All of which helps us overcome
those gremlins and activate our truest desires. As we embark on this journey we tend to draw upon external
support, such as friends as well as our inner strengths and wisdoms. However at times it can also be very
beneficial to make use of assistance, such as from a coach. This is because they trained and
skilled to do so. Rather like your
guide, or ally, their main focus to offer practical steps and encouraging
guidance to help you achieve your true potential and deal with those gremlins!
Cultivating inner sustainability is also essential if we are
to respond and cope with the multitude of problems that exist on earth
today. It is clear that as a
species we are living unsustainably on the planet. Collectively, we humans are responsible for the widespread
destruction of many living ecosystems yet we continue to plunder resources to
meet our ever increasing needs – consuming more and more. When faced with these realities it is
not uncommon to feel overwhelmed or fearful. Yet again we meet
those gremlins, who tell us things like ‘what difference can you make you are
only one person’. Yet in order for
respond we need to allow ourselves to ‘feel’, which is not always easy. However feelings are not only natural,
but they have a function alerting us to danger - like the biological alarm
bells of the earth. If we don’t
respond it may be fatal. By
acknowledging our feelings we can reconnect with our sense of interdependence
with all of life and feel inspired to act to create a sustainable society.
Jennifer Horsfall is a coach, counsellor and mentor with
over 14 years experience of helping people achieve their true potential and cultivate
inner sustainability. She has
worked extensively in the NHS and higher education providing holistic interventions, training and
supervision. She is a highly
skilled group facilitator and regularly facilitates ecopsychology
workshops.
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