The Fast Growing Slow Movement – Is it the Road to Sustainable Living?
We now live at a time where we can have everything before we even need them. We are consuming at a faster rate than ever before. And this reflects in our homes, ourselves, our offices and sadly, our waste – generating about 2 billion tons of waste every year. Our need for speed consuming and hyperconnectivity has brought us feeling empty instead of feeling filled.
Along with a number of people, I wanted to step back and change my default settings.”
At first, I thought it was about simply slowing down. But it is more than that. It means mindful living that is SUSTAINABLE, LOCAL, ORGANIC AND WHOLE. A good inspirational read for me is STILL – The Slow Home by Natalie Walton. She shared how different people changed their lives to something more intentional and meaningful.
CREATE A VISION OF YOUR LIFE
The Japanese call it Ikigai – the reason of being in which we find the balance of our passion, our mission, our vocation and our profession. It is at this center that we find what motivates us and this becomes our compass in creating a vision of how we live our daily lives, which will cummulatively create what will become our life’s work-purpose.
FOCUS ON NOW
With much freedom that we enjoy now, comes a lot of expectations. Many of us compromise the quality of today for our future or to another extreme, live in excess today with no regard for the future. However, the truth is that, what we only have is today. If we learn to focus on NOW – BEING PRESENT, it will allow us to appreciate what is there, consume only what we need, feel complete in the present. Then, inevitably, our good habits will prepare us for the future.
SLOW DOWN
When we see things with a fresh point of view, we become more thoughtful in the way we live, where we invest our mind, our energy, our resources and our emotions. Then, the more center we become, the less we need, yet the more complete we feel.
Taking inspiration from STILL, I defined my own SLOW LIVING and I encourage you to think of yours too.
Many have embraced the SLOW movement – creating spaces that meets our needs but does not have to fulfill all our frivolous wants. It also means finding value in experiences and understanding what things or food mean in our lives and how it enriches us by sharing it with others.
I will write more about SLOW Living as I journey in this path myself. – along with my family, In this, I am but a student learning to find my own SUSTAINABLE way of life.
About Post Author
Author
Koleen Davila-Palaganas
Vice President for Sustainability at SM Investments Corporation, Asia’s Sustainability Superwoman Awardee, GRI Global Stakeholder Council Member, Board Member of Child Hope Philippines. http://koleendavila.com
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