SelfLove And Sustainable Development

PLICC January 8, 2017 Leave a Comment

SelfLove and Sustainable Development goes hand in hand it’s one thing just on different plain applications: caring for our environment is the 1st step to selfRealization & the greatest expression of selflove.

SelfLove is continuous self maintenance and repair. Repair is always better than creating anew. Creativity is wonderful and extremely crucial but restoring is far sacred. It’s easier to throw away something and making or acquiring a new product than restoring the old broken one to look and sound as brand new. When we construct a building or an aeroplane for an example we certify it as ageless, as long as it is continuously maintained and properly repaired, therefore it’s agelessness depends entirely on continuous maintenance.

Maintenance in itself is divided into 3 important categories;

1. Planning, which is Continuous scheduled maintenance.

2. Renewal, which is Touchups and Tidying-Up

3. Inspections, which include regular checks.

It is safe to say that maintenance starts on day 1 after the aircraft is released from the factory ready to fly. The moment the child is born into the world the parents begin immediately caring for them. Now
since this maintenance is for as long as we shall live, the first category which is planning helps us divide well our maintenance into major, minor and daily checks so we are not overwhelmed by how-to, as well as not to give up along the way, to save and most importantly to budget properly for our maintenance financially.

Renewal is daily touch ups, includes refreshing, cleaning, training, recording, rearranging and assessing what is really required, what is not needed in order to improve the beauty, performance and expression (appearance and sound) of our machine or self.

Finally regular checks and inspections are required before, during and after maintenance work is done. It is extremely important not to leave the mess and or important things behind or undone. Checks avoid surprises, embarrassment, illnesses, losses and extortion. Extremely important because it allows to correct and avoid what could be catastrophic, therefore it is partly prevention and prudence.

The economy and infrastructure is embedded in sustainable development.

Sustainability has no end.

What does sustainability means? What does sustainable development means? Most of us we hear our government leaders speak of sustainable development without really explaining the meaning in context to us.

Sustainable Development is environmental, economic and social well-being for today and tomorrow.

Brundtland Report explains as follows; “sustainable development is that what meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

It contains 2 concepts:

1. Needs: are needs of the community met through sustainable development.

2. Limitations: are predictable from the way we conduct ourselves today.

In 2012, I sat down with both my sons and we discussed the concept of sustainable development for 30+min or so because I felt the need to teach them in this regard.

Most of us when we hear the word sustainable development, we think it’s about the city’s projects on city growth or development, but there is more…the city’s growth is only the byproduct of a community or a society that understand well the concept of sustainable development.

Firstly, if one cannot explain something in their mother tongue chances are, they do not understand it. In my mother tongue which is Zulu, I would describe Sustainable Development in this manner; “ukuzinakekela, ukuzithanda, nokuthanda indawo ohlala kuyo, ukuthanda umphakathi kanye nokucabangela abanye abantu ophilisana nabo futhi nezizukulwane ezisazozalwa ezizofunda ukuziphatha kithi. Lokho kuthuthukisa umnotho wesizwe kanye nempilo yomphakathi wonkana.”

So, sustainable development or lack thereof is about me, about you, it’s for you, it’s our behavior that stems from our beliefs and how they affect each person and the future generations.

A typical example of sustainable development is how you conduct yourself when you are at your own home. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if you understand sustainable development.

Do you recycle ♻️ ?
Do you know what items are recycliable and why?
Do your children know about recycling?
Do you love your environment?
Do you have a clean environment?
Who cleans your outside environment?
How much do you spend cleaning your environment?
Can you reduce the amount of time and money you spend today on keeping your environment clean?
Do you pay your domestic workers and municipality people a fair wage?
Do you live your lights on after you live the room?
Do you live your television on or other electrical appliances switched on when nobody is using them ?
Why must you switch off the lights if nobody’s there, do you understand the reason why ?
Do you switch off the guesser when you go away?
Do you know ways to save electricity?
Do you know the technology your government uses to generate electricity?
Do you save water or you just let the taps run?
Do your children know how to save water?
Do you know where your water come from, the local dam or reservoir that provides you and your community with water?

Food

Food, cooking 🍳 and dining which is part and parcel of environmental caring. The food we eat is extremely important. Our governments play a role in structuring the city and town in a way that will help people consume responsibly and in educating people on dangers of eating highly saturated salts, too much meat, high cholesterol containing foods, too much sugar etc.

Foods that we must choose to eat are those that save energy and water like vegetables fruits seeds beans etc. Infect the way each person eat at home is the reflection of the entire community. Obesity or malnutrition is a reflection of the whole society. Food is but the number one item on sustainable development and the society’s well being. What are we feeding ourselves and our kids today will reflect tomorrow. The well being is embedded on the way we eat, what we eat and how many times we eat. How we prepare our food (what technologies we use: gas or electricity), what is the difference? Local famers: can they distribute fresh produce, are they supported? Do you grow your own vegetables 🍅🌶🍠🍆🥗 🌽🥔🥕and fruits 🍒🍋🥑🍌🍎🍈🍊🍇🍑(small scale)? Why is it important to have a small garden?

Society

Finally we have a much bigger scale of sustainable development outside our homes 🏡; the country’s economy, geo-infrastructure and society’s wellbeing which includes noise, air pollution😷, all departments or government ministries such as transport, health, arts and culture etc…

We are all responsible for sustainable development in our communities and our countries. But it begins with us. Next time when you see a driver throwing orange skin (peels) out his car window whilst driving, we must warn 🗣them that such behavior is harmful to society and report it to authorities and government should issue penalties for littering. Governments should police and punish harmful acts against the environment.

Sustainable development starts with me and you!