Sustainability Begins with Awareness: A Kind Rebirths Moment at Salem College

You all may have noticed that a lot of my content comes either as a narrative, lightly prescriptive approach to living life and handling issues in a practical way without changing who you are. I recognize this. Then there are the KR moments when we are out at an event, usually something music themed. But there is something that sometimes loses its place in the spotlight. And it’s something near and dear to me and at the heart of Kind Rebirths – our community. When I say community, I don’t limit that to the neighborhoods we live in. I mean the global community and all that encompass it.

That said, today I had the pleasure of doing something a bit different. Some of the most important and significant conversations I’ve found happen when we start stepping out of what we are used to doing. It’s okay to leave our usual routines in order to make room for finding different perspectives. Today I had that experience when Kind Rebirths was allowed to stand alongside Mrs. Wendy Hawkins at Salem College. She serves as the Operations Sustainability Coordinator at Salem College, here in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her bubbly and infectious personality was only matched by the beautiful Fall afternoon under the trees in front of the Student Union Building. Today I was truly fortunate to share briefly how mindful awareness connect easily to something we routinely associate with the environment – sustainability.

I like the word sustainability. It means something. Most hear it and think some of the integral parts of it: recycling, water conservation, pollution reduction, and protecting our natural resources and natural wildlife. These are absolutely important responsibilities that we all share, but I wanted to reshape that just a bit in order to introduce another perspective. Suppose sustainability also starts balancing with the way we pay attention to our everyday decisions in our regular lives? Suppose adopting a more mindful style of living starts to help us recognize the plethora of opportunities we have to make different choices that benefit not only ourselves, but the world around us?

As such, in preparing for this event, I was able to create a presentation for the Kind Rebirths sustainability practical way of living. With 10 Real-Life Examples of Mindfulness and Sustainability, ordinary experiences are explored like buying new things to eating lunch all the way to managing stress. Just consider how examples like these and many others can increase our personal awareness which in turn can influence our future behaviors.

While I was there at the table, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the inspiration I gathered from just speaking with the students. It allowed me to engage with others who naturally had different ideas in spontaneous and unplanned conversations. I wasn’t surprised at how bright these students were, but to gain their perspectives was what really shaped the experience for me. I know sustainability and mindfulness are not immediately at the top of any college students’ mind and in some cases may even seem like two separate conversations. But after we talked and exchanged thoughts and ideas, we all shared one important principle that I noticed: all of our actions are shaped by the things we notice, the things we overlook, and even the things we take for granted. This is especially important for Kind Rebirths. This is where awareness becomes even more meaningful. Dramatic changes in life aren’t necessary for learning or for growth. Small moments of recognition are more than enough to help reconsider some of the negative decisions and negative habits we make. Just reflecting on different perspectives through a different lens is important.

On the way back to my office, after all the students started heading back to class, I was left appreciating the opportunity to introduce Kind Rebirths and further conversations about sustainability. My Kind Rebirth moment came when I realized that awareness isn’t limited to personal reflection. It opens up even more when you share the experience with others who share the same environment. I hope they see that how we notice life and care for the things around us impacts and connects us all.

Stay mindful…

Rebirth