For the purposes of this assignment, my post is geared towards talking to people my age who aren’t actively engaged in sustainability or innovation but are exploring what’s out there.

Okay, when it comes down to it, life functions according to two principles: Life adapts and evolves, and life creates conditions conducive to life. The first we all know; we’ve been getting Darwined since grade school and we’ve been adapting since we graduated in the middle of a recession. The second is trickier. Life creates conditions conducive to life. But is that true? The world keeps turning as much as we try to stop it and the yard is thriving in spite of our neglect–it’s almost like we’re the problem. Without ego and without politics, it seems life does create conditions conducive to life.

So, what does that mean? In order to effectively adapt and evolve, life needs to be locally attuned and responsive, cyclical, and resilient.

• Pay attention to your neighbor, learn from your mistakes, keep one eye out for warnings and the other on the prize.
• Resiliency isn’t surviving because you’ve tried really hard; resiliency is covering your ass and keeping your options open.
• Everything comes back around.

It seems so simple; it’s common sense, really. But when everyone is so worried about themselves, you can’t adapt to what you don’t know. You don’t recognize the patterns, don’t see the signs, and fail to act when the opportunity arises.

Creating conditions conducive to life requires more action. Optimize over maximize, leverage interdependence, and use benign manufacturing.

• Use what you have but use it smarter, make it better. Solve the problem in front of you rather than finding a problem to solve.
• Form relationships but don’t define yourself by them.
• Don’t buy things you don’t need, make what you can, and be informed.
• Recycle (it’s the least you can do).

They’re the same things we’re repeating to ourselves every day even when we don’t do anything. When we’ve become so used to daily conveniences, we almost forget to live. I’m alive. You’re alive. How many of those principles do you reflect? I keep saying that nature has figured a lot out; we just need to pay attention. But, if we can’t even see Life’s Principles reflected in ourselves, how are we supposed to see it elsewhere? How are we supposed to learn from it? Be inspired by it?

It’s simple. Evaluate your own life. Then think about your pet, the plants on your mantle, the tools you use every day. Get bigger. As you see where life’s principles fall away you get a clearer picture of the problems that need to be solved.

That’s the first step to finding a solution.