More, not less - Rethinking Growth!
I think I know the day my husband realized I’m not like most other girls. It was during our early dating days and we were on a trip to LA, the first time visiting the city for both of us. A recovering over-planner, I tried to take it chill and show him that I can be fun and spontaneous. However, I was yet to learn what a notoriously bad planner he is…
We tried to do the things we thought we should be doing while in LA. Artsy coffee shops in Venice, fancy-ish dinners in Beverly Hills, strolls on Santa Monica Pier... But for some reason, none of it seemed that... “wow”. Nothing bad about LA, but I find it hard to enjoy things that “should” be good, especially if I don’t feel spiritually caught up with the experience. It feels like I’m visiting someone else’s show instead of being the center of my own, if you know what I mean?
Anyhow, we spent our days in LA trying to just “roll with it”. But being gluten-sensitive and vegan, it’s not all that easy to just roll. You have to do a fair amount of Yelping and make sure the menu will have something for you to eat, OR you pick the place with the vibe and decide you’ll deal when you get there (a side of broccoli and fries can actually be fairly underrated if you ask me!)
But after a few days of this, I was starting to feel emotionally drained. We had decided to be further spontaneous and drive our rental car up the coast for a night in Santa Barbara, which was fun, but all this last-minute decision-making was catching up with me. Dude, give me a break!
I really just wanted something simple - something I know to be good - so I asked him if, before hitting the highway back, we could please find a place to park the car so that I can make myself a quick snack. We had stopped at Trader Joe’s earlier on our trip with food left to be eaten, so he agreed it was a smart move.
We found a spot, parked the car, and I sat myself down on the sidewalk and pulled out a package of rice cakes, almond butter, and raspberry jam.
Bemused, he took out his phone to snap a photo. “This is probably the happiest I’ve seen you all trip,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. And he was right - this was the happiest I’ve been all trip! No uncertainty, no heightened expectations, no fussing around. Just me and my delicious snack, on an adventure with my honey under the California sun. I was in heaven!
Ok I might not look THAT happy, but trust me, I was!
I’m sharing this story because it reminds me of how much I appreciate those small moments. Yes, it’s fun to go out and eat a fancy meal every now and then, but it’s in the simple moments in life when I truly feel alive. It reminds me that better doesn’t always mean more, and also - that more doesn’t always mean bad!
We can actually have more without creating more and when it comes to fighting climate change, we need to have a serious sit-down with ourselves (rice cake snack is optional) and think about the meaning of more.
Just recently, I had a fascinating conversation with Norwegian psychologist Per Espen Stoknes on this very topic. Talking to him, I was confirmed in what I’ve been intuitively feeling for quite some time -- we actually need to strive for more, not less.
BUT - and there’s a big “but” here - we must rethink what that “more” looks like.
More value, less waste. More nutrition, less junk. More time, less stress. More abundance, less greed. More… Less…what else can you think of?
In doing this exercise, you begin to realize that it’s not growth itself that's the issue, it’s the fact that the growth we’ve aspired to many times leaves us with less abundance, not more, and that if we can just change the narrative to those stories, we can find our way back to what life is truly about!
Think about what you’ve been taught about growth from school, society, and media. Does growth mean bigger and more? Or when you think of growth, do you think of a natural cycle of coming and going? The economic growth curve is usually drawn like a hockey stick where growth is an endless line upwards, but where does that line end? And how do we keep extending it when there are no resources or human capital left to build from?
That we need to rethink capitalism is quite clear, but to say that we need less growth is to miss a huge part of the picture. Not only have we misunderstood growth, but the language used to push for anti-growth is disengaging at best. Many times, this narrowing message can lead to both dissonance and denial!
This brings me to another fascinating topic that Per-Espen and I covered in our interview, which is the framing and vocabulary we use when talking about climate action. And more so - how important it is that we reframe that message if we are to instill any positive change at all. Instead of speaking of “loss and sacrifice” - framings that psychologically prohibit action (as a marketing graduate, I know all about hits) - we need to focus on what we should be doing more of to bring about growth, abundance, and planetary health.
Photo: Sebastian Unrausp
Let me explain.
When we talk about climate action, we usually speak of the things we need to do less of: drive less, travel less, cut down on consumption, eat less meat, etc. Although these are all accurate things, they don’t sound very... fun! We might know on a rational level that it’s the right thing to do, but as a species that acts mainly on feelings and emotions, not rationality, simply knowing something is right doesn’t spark a lot of action. However, a simple shift in how you frame things can change the game completely.
“Let’s vacation locally this year so we can spend more time just relaxing and being!”
“Let’s try some more fun plant-based dishes, I’ve found all these amazing recipes online!”
“Let’s create more space in our days to be together and just be, I want more quality time with you!”
As you see, a lesser world can actually mean more abundance, love, and joy! And when it comes to co-creating a new world together, we need to focus less on what we have to sacrifice, and more on what things we have to grow!
Growth is abundance
Nature is a perfect example of what it looks like to have MORE without taking from ourselves or other species. A forest is always growing but it doesn’t mean the trees get endlessly taller. It grows in abundance, interconnectedness, and complexity, not size and height. Growth for nature is cyclical and it brings more and better for every plant, fungi, and fauna involved. It’s more and better for everyone - that is how ecosystems exist and thrive!
So what does that look like for us? How can we grow abundantly as individuals while at the same time, leave less of a negative footprint on this planet?
Start by thinking:
“How can I grow more value in my life without having to have more and bigger things? How can I grow in my relationships, in my presence and awareness, in my attunement with myself? What if the growth that will bring me the most is not the one outward, but inward, and in building strong bonds with my community, nature, and the people I love?”
By beginning to ask yourself these questions daily, you will notice your worldview shift, and you’ll soon understand what an incredibly exciting journey we’re on. You’ll begin to see all the possibilities of doing things differently and understand that yes, we can probably figure this out!
To gain a better understanding of this concept of growth, and to be WOWED big time and infused with a lot of climate optimism, make sure to check out Fantastic Fungi on Netflix!
There are also companies and people trying to build this new growth module for a better world. Join them in their work to help bring this new world closer!
5 Ways to Fuel Healthy Green Growth Today:
Compost (what says cyclical growth more than this?)
Support local and regenerative farmers (Here’s a map of how to find them)
Switch to renewable energy
Ask questions to your favorite brands about what they’re doing to shift to a cyclical economy and support the ones doing it right!
Slow down and bring consciousness to your everyday life, and in doing so - drive less, buy less, waste less, and GAIN MORE!
Hey Change Podcast E83 - Rethinking Growth
Per-Espen created a comprehensive system for societies around the world to track and strive for healthy green growth, which he presents in his new book, Tomorrow’s Economy.
I’m a huge fan of his work and it was a real honor to have the chance to sit down with him! Tune in to our conversation in Episode 83 of Hey Change Podcast here.
Things we covered:
What are the psychological barriers to climate action? (The 5 Ds)
How do we rethink growth?
What are ESG goals and why are companies starting to care?
How can we as individuals help fuel healthy green growth?
Really enjoyed this piece, Anne. Going to be thinking this in my head all day today: "More value, less waste. More nutrition, less junk. More time, less stress. More abundance, less greed. More… Less…what else can you think of?"