The 4 non-negotiables of Human Sustainability

There are 4 non-negotiables when it comes to human sustainability and enjoying a wonderful quality of life:  growth, breath, movement, and love.

The saying, “if you’re not growing, you’re dying”, has become popular in the world of business and economics.  Whether it’s true in those fields is a debate for a different day, but the saying absolutely applies to the quality and sustainability of human life.  The “growth” I refer to here is not physical growth or even intellectual growth.  It is spiritual growth.  Spiritual growth is not necessarily religious or mystical.  We all have a flame that burns inside our Being, from the moment we are born until the moment we die.  Spiritual growth is anything that causes our internal flame to burn brighter and stronger.  Spiritual growth can be inspired by books, music, or theater.  But the purest form of spiritual growth comes from engaging genuinely with other humans, animals, and nature.  Engaging genuinely means engaging with an open heart, willing to let others see you at your most vulnerable, without any ulterior motives.  When we engage in this way, not only does our internal flame burn brighter and longer, but the same happens to the internal flames of those whom we engage with.

It goes without saying that “if you’re not breathing, you’re dying”.  Yet many of us take breathing for granted.  It’s something our body does subconsciously, so why waste energy thinking about it?  It is true that some people live long lives without ever giving a second thought to how they breathe.  But common sense tells us that if we consciously practice something, we get better at it.  So it would seem to make sense to try to get better at something that has such a significant impact on our sustainability and quality of life.  And on a deeper level, conscious breathing helps us discover the timeless truth that our breath is the bridge between our finite human form and our true Self, which is infinite formless consciousness.  Discovering this truth helps our internal flame burn brighter and stronger while in its human form.

“If you’re not moving, you’re dying” may not be as literally accurate as “if you’re not breathing, you’re dying”, but it still rings true to anyone who’s ever had the unfortunate experience of losing their ability to move.  It’s common knowledge that when we don’t move our bodies, the muscles atrophy.  But this lack of movement causes our mind to atrophy as well.  It’s true we can still read books without physically moving, which allows us to grow intellectually.  But physical movement acts to purify our internal flame, which allows us to access a creative intelligence that cannot be found in books.  Both history and science show us that physically active people enjoy a more sustainable quality of life than those who are more sedentary.

Which leads us to love.  Love is the expression of spiritual growth.  It is the act of sharing our internal flame with others, allowing their flames to burn brighter and stronger, which in turn allows our own flame to do the same.  It is a circular regenerative process which has the power to save the planet and the human race.  That is how powerful love is.

This photo of me and my daughters from last weekend’s Hozier concert in Philadelphia encompasses all 4 aspects of human sustainability.  Hozier is an artist who inspires us with his beautiful lyrics and music.  Being in his presence while engaging genuinely with his other fans at the concert was an example of spiritual growth.  I made sure to connect my conscious breathing to my seat of Awareness to ensure I was fully present for this special moment.  We did lots of walking to get to the concert, including climbing the hill to get to the top of the Mann Music Center.  This movement purified our internal flames so we could connect our open hearts with the music and our surroundings.  And we expressed our love.  Our love for each other.  Our love for Hozier and his incredible talent.  And our love for all the people standing with us under the stars, going through the same spiritual experience.  Nights like this one are the essence of human sustainability.  And my only goal in life is to have as many moments like this as possible, and to share these moments with as many beings as possible.

#humansustainability #yoga #sustainability #spirituality #performance #mentalhealth #happiness