Is it Radically Sustainable?

What?

Everything.

You mean Everything, or just my business or organization?

I mean every investment you make personally and professionally… I mean radically sustainable living and being; leading.

What is radically sustainable? Well first we need to look at how one sustains oneself. Let’s start with a quick review of our current life balances; our life balance statement):

Spirit/Spiritual, Emotional & Relationships, Health- Physical, Intellectual, Financial, Time.

How are you doing on these life balances? What are your balances in each currency/resource area? Are you 1/3

full, 2/3 full entirely full, or running on empty? Is your life radically sustainable? Well, what do your life balances tell you?

How long can you and I sustain life when a few of our balances are running on empty?

Now Let’s look at your current priorities and commitments. What do they require?

Spiritually, emotionally- relationally, physically, intellectually, financially and in terms of time what are your commitments, goals, priorities?

Are there areas in your life or business where you need more than you have – just to sustain operations? Do you need a full tank of finances and only have a 1/2 tank? Do you need 2/3 of your emotional resources but running near empty?

Now look at your work, business, organization, venture. Is it radically sustainable or is it a resource glutton destined to bankrupt you and the rest of the stakeholders?

Radically Sustainable is a way of being. A commitment to stewarding the precious resources we’ve been blessed with and are responsible for. It’s a way of building, leading and living that commits to honoring people in a way that gives more than one takes. It commits to make a valuable return to individuals, teams and communities over time not just pump out short term sales and profits.

TO be radically sustainable leaders we must design and build things that enhance lives, that add value not extract value, ventures whose long term impact is life positive.

Radical sustainability embraces a triple net bottom line where individual and community impact is as important as financial return. It is committed to the belief that all organizations and ventures exist for individuals and that ultimately less is more when it comes to organizational control and power.

Radical sustainability is a commitment to creating and building things that don’t outlive their time, that honor individuals, add, enhance and resource individuals; leaving them more hopeful and more capable of sustaining themselves, not less.

Radical sustainable people, leaders and organizations don’t create dependency. They don’t think they are God , they understand their limits, resources and mostly they understand that the highest call is to empower and liberate individuals to live radically sustainable purposeful lives.

Is growth always good? Is it always a sign of increased value and innovation?

Are all investments equal in their impact on the lives of others?

Should companies that reinforce dependence and learned helplessness continue to get our support?

What is sustainable? In your life? In your organization?

Is it time to empower and resource in stead of control and manage?

Could smaller be GOODer? Better?

Free will is a radically sustainable idea. If God is big enough to give up control -might it not be a trait you and I consider? What if we embraced our limits? What if we asked new questions about how to best steward our precious life resources and what investments are best made by us and what are best made by others?

My daughter is in Africa and I’m sitting in Kirkland. And yet we are both ruminating over radical sustainability.She’s wondering how western development might become radical sustainable and empowering and I’m musing over how to design a life that is more radically sustainable.

Individuals create all change. Want a radically sustainable community, church, business, venture or world? Then begin – today. Get radical. Ask a new question.

Pam Hoelzle