Principles to Live By
The principles of Green Psychology are:
1) Growth—personal growth
2) Renewal—renewing ourselves by living according to our values
3) Energy—wisely using our personal energy
4) Emotions—creating healthy emotional footprints
5) Nurture—nurturing diversity
An Overview of Green Psychology Principles
Growth—personal growth
The purpose of Green Psychology is to stimulate personal growth so that we elevate our consciousness, growing beyond an ego-centric orientation to a world-centered orientation.
Renewal—renewing ourselves by living according to our values
To renew ourselves we need to know what we truly value and then live our life according to our values. Using our values as guidelines for the choices we make, we create a congruent life…a life that is truly an expression of our uniqueness. This process of renewal allows us to make ourselves anew each day, with each choice and with each action.
Energy—wisely using our personal energy
We can conduct ourselves so that we deplete our personal energy or we wisely and efficiently use our personal energy. We deplete ourselves when we repress, cut off, disown, or hide aspects of ourselves. We nourish ourselves when we maturely express, engage, own, and give voice to all aspects of ourselves.
Emotions—creating healthy emotional footprints
We walk through life leaving emotional footprints in our wake. Green Psychology encourages us to accept full responsibility––100%––for the quality of our relating. A clear way to develop healthy self-esteem is to conduct ourselves so that we feel proud of the footprint we create and leave behind.
Nurture—nurturing diversity
We all make meaning in unique ways and we do ourselves and others a disservice by trying to reduce the complexity of life to simple right/wrong distinctions. By learning to nurture diversity—within ourselves and between people—we move through the world with more grace and curiosity. This is easier to do when we use “Perceptual Language,” because we stop telling other people about them and we no longer experience them telling us about ourselves.
