We live at a point in time where it is possible for a fortunate few to live middle class life styles while working part time. It is possible to spend much of our time with our families, or pursuing what interests us. And in so doing, we consume a lot slower than people driving two cars to pay for two cars, a nanny, etc.
There is a low, no load urban carbon lifestyle that is waiting to be discovered. Our houses can be made much more energy efficient, we can grow some of our own food.
Inertia and upfront costs are the only obstacles, so the more examples we are exposed to – the more people we see living better for less money, the quicker best practices will be disseminated and adopted.
The challenge opposing entropy is that there is always an initial hill to climb. Even if exercising will make us feel better, increase our metabolism, etc. it is still more effort than sitting on our ass. Sure, the ass sitters die younger, uglier and more painfully, but on the day the fight is with inertia, its not that we don’t want the future gain.
So too, with raising a hand to help ourselves. While changing all my windows and insulating properly will likely pay for itself within 5 or 10 years, today it costs a bag of money. Denying myself a restaurant meal on my credit card is also actual effort. Until I hit my limit and the card company denies the rib steak for me.
So what do we do? We practice. Discipline takes practice, and slipping down the hill of entropy is always a possibility. But once we climb over the first hill, we find ourselves on a new plateau, and good habits and best practices do consolidate. We can in fact learn.
And that, and two small children, is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
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