Story time, get comfy.

Once upon a time I was in an interior design program and took a class, "Introduction to Sustainability."

In this course, I was taught The Three Ps of Sustainability - People, Planet, & Profit. Profit???? The latter made me die a little. Immediately did not sit right with me. Antennas went up. And it wasn't even that I had or have anything against money. I love money. But this felt like... a conflict of interest??? Obviously???

The logic was that in order for something to be sustainable it must be good for people, good for planet, & good for profit.

No offense to logic, but my heart was less than satisfied with this explanation. Far less. Certainly there were things we might be called to do that are in the best & highest interest of people & planet, but might not immediately, if ever, satisfy profit... and so therefore, are not sustainable?

Fair enough. And if that?s the case, perhaps ?sustainability? isn?t the high bar we?ve given it credit for being, if it folds under the pressures of profits & losses.

I digressed for the time being, not remotely aware that a foundation had been laid for spiritual breakthroughs around money, blah blah, enlightenment, blah...

And in conclusion, I forged ahead with my own system for sustainability. It goes like this:

Profit - is not a pillar of sustainability. Because money, as a motivator, is not sustainable.

Not to mention:

People are real.

The planet is real.

And their worth is infinite.

What we call ?money? - like social constructs around race, sex, gender, socio-economic status, etc. - is made up. It exists because we believe it does.

And that?s fine! That?s not to say that money can?t be an incredibly helpful tool for us to use. But it?s also, in that way, not a real leg to stand on.

As a pillar it?s the weakest link (and ironically the one that people often succumb to giving the most weight). And as soon as we defer to something outside of ourselves for... validation, relief, or salvation especially... we?ve lost before we?ve even begun.

Because money, in all of its infinity, still pales in comparison to the power and worth of any individual person and the Earth we call home. The third pillar should be able to match that energy.

Profit is not a pillar. It?s an outcome. A fun outcome! An inevitable outcome - an external manifestation - that comes to fruition when we courageously prioritize what we?ve come to know are the actual three Ps -

People.

Planet.

Purpose.

We all have Purpose. It?s as inherent to reality as people & planet. And when we choose to step fully into that purpose - the one that?s uniquely & individually authentic to us - the resources, the money - the profit - will always find a way.

Then I made this shirt <3 The End.