My vision of sustainable living is not directed outward, but rather is directed inward. Let me explain: one thing that people who write about sustainability agree on is that it will take a radical shift in thinking and subsequent behavior for people to leave their old way of life that is not sustainable and embrace a new way that will be reasonable and sensible for everyone.

So, my vision centers on this radical shift that most people agree is necessary before something new can come through. Some would question whether people can really change in any meaningful way. I believe that such a shift in thinking is possible and that it is imperative that such a radical change be one that comes from altering the entire consciousness from one that is ego-based, driven by mundane thoughts, to one that is soul-based and driven by the Wisdom that comes from a quiet Mind focused on the Divinity in each of us. We must find our own Spirit, our True Self as opposed to all of the many faces of the ego. This inner work must happen within each of us if we are to reach out and work with others to create a more sustainable existence on the Earth. It is this same Spirit and the result fruits of that Spirit that creates the awareness that something needs to change in the first place. This Spirit gives us the strength to leave behind our old ways and to embrace new ways based on principles of sustainability.

When I first heard the rallying cry of "Voluntary Simplicity", I read a book by a Buddhist monk named Tich Nat Han, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who taught and practiced non-violent objection to that war that had shattered his homeland. He said that a radical way of life is called for and that to be at peace with ourselves, we need to know ourselves. In order to do this we need to be aware of the number of breaths we take - not only the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. He advocated breathing in and releasing every thought of the past and then letting the breath out as you enter into what he called the Present Moment. Along these lines, I also read J. Krisnumurti, who spoke of entering a Place in consciousness untouched by the duality of mind. He said that when man becomes aware of the movement of his own thoughts, he will see the division between the thinker and the thought, the observer and the observed, the experiencer and the experience. There was also W.L. Poonja, who presented consciousness as that which has no subject and no object.

Finally, I found my Sat Guru, Sri Gary Olsen. From him I learned that the most direct path to my Spiritual Home was to direct attention to the space between the eyebrows, an area often referred to as the "Third Eye" and to keep my attention and my attitude "turned up."

Thirty years later, having spent a life investigating this Way of Being as opposed to doing, I understand that they were all pointing to this radical shift from the little ego/mind, to the eternity of the Present Moment or higher consciousness. I feel that such a quest is an honorable one, and in fact the only one worth pursuing on this earthly plane of existence. When we make such a conscious shift every day, there is something that changes in our life; something that makes our eyes twinkle and puts a spring into our step. Living in the old way, listening to our mind, will not bring such positive changes about. Contrary to what our mind tells us, our inner Being must change first so that a new way of thinking emerges. What we see on the external manifests itself within.

I have put the final pieces of this giant puzzle together by learning recently that there is a physiological sequence of events that takes place when the body first begins to falter and age. The brain (at the eye focus) generates electricity for the entire body. When it fails to carry out this vital function, we leave the Place inside of perfect Peace. This previously mentioned electricity generated by the brain does not make its way to the liver, causing the liver to be unable to pick up the necessary calcium ions to maintain the body’s crucial mineral reserves. When this occurs, the body begins to get sick. From this scenario, we can see that all disease and aging occurs when we leave our true Self, our Center, and allow the vibratory rate of our minds to fall into worry, depression, constant thinking (obsessing), etc.

So when can we do to manifest this vision of sustainability, both within ourselves, and then into the outer world? We can follow the law of manifestation, which says to act as if whatever we desire as it pertains to the health of our own bodies or that of the planet is already present, already existing in reality. For example, experience how it feels to live a sustainable life, to manage your affairs in a way that fits with the principles of sustainability. Spread thought seeds whenever possible so that you are an example of what you believe in. Most of all, let go of old thoughts, old ways, and enter into the awareness of the Present Moment. Practice awareness by training yourself to be connected inside and centered in your real Self while at the same time being present for whatever is happening to you on the outside. This practice of centering yourself can help you break the pull of the lower external world of attachments and reactions. Finally, practice peace by living in the true Reality -- the Present Moment or the Presence of a Higher Power. Only then can we all enter into a truly sustainable Life.