Shifting the Narrative: Using Positive Intention to Accelerate Sustainability and Regeneration
Seeing Things Anew: A Journey of Perspective
During a recent time in New York, I had a transformative experience that deepened my understanding of how we need to approach sustainability. On an ecological cruise along the Hudson River, invited by my friends from Regenerative Travel during Climate Week, I found myself marveling at the city I had called home for nearly two decades. This familiar cityscape appeared entirely new to me from a new perspective, a place full of discoveries waiting to be made. The key takeaway from this moment was the importance of shifting perspectives—approaching sustainability from a lens of appreciation rather than obligation.
This realization wasn’t limited to my view of New York but became a metaphor for how we market and sell sustainability across industries. It made me think: What if we shifted the way we promote sustainable and regenerative goals? What if we, as advocates, moved away from fear-based messaging and embraced abundance and love-based advocacy? This could change the game entirely, aligning marketing with the principles of the law of attraction—focusing on what we want to create, rather than what we fear.
Moving from Fear to Love: A New Approach to Inspiring Action
In the travel industry, and beyond, messaging around sustainability and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) often relies heavily on fear. We’ve seen campaigns and narratives centered on grim statistics—oceans filling with plastic, carbon emissions accelerating climate change, species going extinct, and social inequality deepening. While the urgency is real and these facts are important, such messaging often leaves people feeling overwhelmed, fearful, and paralyzed, rather than motivated to take meaningful action.
In the context of the law of attraction, fear-based messaging might unintentionally reinforce the very problems we want to solve. When we place our energy on everything that is broken, we draw more attention—and, by extension, more energy—to the brokenness. If we shift our focus towards solutions, joy, and the positive outcomes that come from sustainable and regenerative living, we have the power to inspire more people to align their actions and spending habits with these goals.
Marketing Sustainability through Positive Intention
It’s time to market sustainability through the lens of positive intention and possibility. This abundance-based approach isn’t about ignoring the problems but about reframing the narrative to focus on what is possible when we act in alignment with sustainability. For instance, instead of framing tourism as a destructive force, we can highlight how conscious travel can empower communities, restore ecosystems, and promote cultural exchange. By using stories, campaigns, and experiences that evoke hope, fulfillment, and joy, we can engage consumers and decision-makers emotionally, fostering a sense of participation in a global movement that is actively building a better world. This approach conditions people’s minds to focus on the solutions and encourages them to put their energy toward those outcomes.
Aligning with the Law of Attraction for Impact
The law of attraction teaches that we attract into our lives what we focus on. When sustainability and regenerative advocates concentrate solely on the problems, we risk reinforcing a cycle of fear, scarcity, and paralysis. However, by shifting our focus toward celebrating the beauty, possibilities, and opportunities within sustainable living, we align people's thoughts and intentions with the outcomes we want to create—accelerating change and amplifying impact.
This approach doesn’t mean ignoring “reality” or dismissing the challenges we face. Instead, it means using insights from these challenges to inspire a new reality. Rather than fixating on the problems, we shift our energy toward actionable solutions, paving the way for meaningful transformation.
It’s like tending a garden: If we focus only on the weeds, the garden will struggle. But if we nurture the flowers with care and attention, they bloom. In the same way, focusing on positive outcomes and inviting consumers into this visionallows change to flourish organically, encouraging more people to engage in creating the world we aspire to build.
Practical Application: Love-Based Sustainability Marketing
Here are some actionable ways we can apply positive, love-based marketing principles in travel and other industries:
Visual Storytelling: Use videos and images to show the beauty of regenerative tourism—happy communities, healthy environments, and fulfilling travel experiences.
Experience-Based Campaigns: Design travel experiences or consumer product campaigns that immerse participants in solutions—for example, eco-tours that highlight marine restoration projects or brands that offer storytelling events about the positive impact of their practices.
Celebrate Progress: Highlight milestones and success stories. Whether it's a community transitioning to renewable energy or a business achieving sustainability goals, these moments inspire others to act.
Invite People into the Vision: Use messaging that encourages consumers to become co-creators of a sustainable world. This can include questions like, "What world do you want to create?" or, "How can your travel choices uplift communities and restore nature?"
Focus on Joyful Solutions: Design campaigns that emphasize the pleasure and fulfillment of making sustainable choices—whether through delicious plant-based dining, engaging eco-activities, or meaningful connections with local cultures.
Merging Sustainability with Emotional Growth
For me, the realization during that Hudson River cruise was powerful because it brought together my two great passions: sustainable living and emotional growth. Sustainable change is not just about transforming systems—it’s also about transforming mindsets and emotions. If we approach the work of sustainability with love, joy, and appreciation, we give people permission to embrace this journey as a positive and meaningful experience rather than a heavy burden.
This shift will not only speed up the journey to meeting SDGs but will also make the process more enjoyable, inclusive, and impactful for everyone involved. Just as personal growth begins with shifting from fear to love, so too can global change be accelerated when we reframe sustainability and regeneration through abundance, joy, and positive intention.
The takeaway is clear: We get what we focus on. It’s time to place our focus on the beautiful world we are creating, rather than the problems we are trying to fix. With this shift, we can inspire a wave of action that aligns people’s hearts, minds, and wallets with the future we all want to live in—a future rooted in love, growth, and regeneration.