How much is enough?

How much is enough?-
The rhetoric of sufficiency in a postmodern, neo-capitalist era

The basic premise of the Global Sufficiency Summit, held at MIT in Cambridge, MA on April 10-11, 2010, is that when we stop trying to get more of what we don’t really need, it frees up oceans of energy and resources which makes a difference when we use those resources to honor, nourish, and share what we already have. The Western world has perpetuated the concept of scarcity for far too long. Scarcity drives our economies, our markets, our businesses, our governments. In a culture which clamors for more, advertisers’ messages tell us we are not enough, that we are insufficient somehow, that we need more things to be fulfilled.

The “American dream” has become little more than a grasping for more; more material possessions, more resources, bigger cars, more money, more prestige, and more power. Reduced to clichés, the American dream is little more than thinly veiled greed and mass consumerism. “He who dies with the most toys wins” is one example of this gluttony for more. The end result of this greed to use more, to have more, to take more is evident in our current global crises: ecological, economic, and educational. In contrast, sufficiency says that the earth, the universe has more than enough for everyone to have what they need.
Lynne Twist, co-founder of The Hunger Project and the Pachamama Alliance, spoke to the Summit members, calling them to action, to heal the concept of scarcity in this generation; to wake up from the nightmare which we call the American dream, and to be awake enough to see the role we can each play in this sustainability conversation. The summit called for a paradigm shift: from competition to collaboration, from individual-only to collective values, from scarcity to enough, from fear to love, and from the mentality of accumulation to the concept of being channels through which resources flow. It was a call to rethink the concept of wealth. What is true wealth? More money? More things? Consuming more? Or is real wealth found in health, in relationships, in balance, in harmony with each other and with the universe? Real wealth is visible in an ethic of care. It is the power of what is possible.

We understand that we now have the unparalleled opportunity for humanity to collaborate to change the course of history for the next thousand years or more. We recognize that stewardship allows for flourishing communities (human and non-human), connectedness, and the web of life. It’s not about stuff. This sustainability conversation is about relationships. So, we are faced with questions like ‘what is the new lifestyle which will allow everyone to flourish?’ How do I shift my purchasing decisions to reflect my values? What are my values? Do I reinforce the dominant ideology of scarcity by trying to solve the problems of scarcity? What makes this issue personal for me? Transformation comes when we make this personal.

The concept of sufficiency is based in a value system which recognizes the interconnectedness of all things. It is a whole systems approach to evaluating our human systems. It demands that we 1.) show up, 2.) trust that there is enough (enough time, enough money, enough sleep, enough love, enough resources, enough breath, etc.), 3.) be present- in the moment, be awake, and 4.) don’t judge others for their perceived excesses- instead we ask ourselves, “How much is enough for me?”

I was challenged by the entire summit and found it invaluable! I met leaders in sustainability from around the world. I’m still processing concepts like identifying fear-based actions in my own life and trying to consider love-based actions instead. As far as facilitating discussions, I’m amazed at the level at which participants connected. I believe that the long-term effects of the summit will be evident in the relationships formed during the weekend. I look forward to learning and participating more in this conversation as it relates to sustainability!