Sustainability,

It’s something we should have in mind. I’m not one to push the idea down your throat, but hear me out for a bit. Traditionally, the media will either vilify or champion the idea of sustainability. Ratings sell. Let’s have a meaningful discussion instead.

Okay! The let’s talk about the kids. Wait! Don’t stop yet, I said meaningful discussions! I know it’s a tired phrase, but honestly, what about the kids? There’s a few topics that come back time and time again when it comes to our future and their subsequent futures. You see it in policies that are being drafted up, you see it in the way we live, you see it on a daily basis. Even if you don’t admit it, you know. Somewhere in the back of your head,  you understand that we can’t sustain this type of lifestyle. It’s a vicious cycle, like any plans for the future, we wonder how our investments can bear fruit. I mean, who doesn’t want a return in investments. It’s a drive that keeps us motivated and productive. It’s when our return in investments becomes less tangible that it becomes a scary topic.

This is what corners us back in. The unknown. If I work hard, I want to see that it yield great results. It’s satisfying.  However, investments in our futures, especially for future generations is much harder to wrap our heads around. We can’t tangibly feels the results. Well, I’m lying, we do, but it’s more gradual than anything else. Which is tough, because gradual results are something we grow accustomed to and don’t notice as much over time. Like weight loss or gain, you just wake up one morning and go… “really?” It’s only in those moments that we decide to go and trim the fat. How about we do this before we hit that point.

I’m not a paragon of virtues myself, but I understand that in order to move forward I have to so something. Even if it’s just baby steps at first, directionally, there has to be change. We have to be more aware of the fact that a lot of the resources we use are not renewable. That our consumption based society of today can have a  lasting effect for generations to come. Yes, our return in investments may not necessarily be immediate, but if you aren’t willing to make the future a better place, who will?

If there’s one thing I hold true, is that I hope to leave this place a little better than I came into it as.

I’m not saying, don’t progress or innovate. I think they’ll play a major role in how our future will be shaped. We need progress, we need to forge ahead, but we also have to keep in mind the footprint we leave behind. It has to be a balancing act. More than the bottom line cost, we have to try to improve our own ways of living. If not for us, then for the kids.