Today I helped the kids finish building a snow igloo. It was a lot of fun, and I have to admit that once we got close to having the dome enclosed I couldn’t help myself and I had to keep working on it even after all the kids went inside. It made me think about when I was young and how much I loved building snow forts and tree houses and shelters. I think kids enjoy these things because it is so instinctual to want shelter. It is satisfying to think “now I will be safe from the elements” once a shelter has been built. We live in a time where we almost take for granted the things that are essential for life. For most, it’s almost assumed that these needs will be met. What once was a need, is now almost a given. What we would have once considered a want, we now consider a need. In one sense, the bar has been raised in terms of standard of living. At the same time, we have lost sight of how to truly improve our lives.
The technological revolution has brought some wonderful things into our lives, that’s for sure. It has also caused some lack of clarity among consumers and budding entrepreneurs related to prioritizing what will truly have the most value or impact on our lives. I am almost as much of a sucker as anyone else for cool new apps and automation and gadgets that make inconveniences more convenient, so these thoughts are as much for myself as they are for anyone else. What I realized today is that to truly better our lives we should be concentrating efforts on our basic needs. Humans need food, shelter, and I would also argue strong relationships. In some of these areas, we have largely regressed as a society. While we still have great options and tools availability us to improve each one of these areas, we often make choices that are against our best interests, for many reasons.
It’s hard to argue that improving food, shelter, and relationships won’t improve your life. We often settle for “good enough” in each of these areas because we fail to recognize how much progress we have yet to make and how much improving products could improve our health, security, and well-being. This is why kids are so drawn to making forts. They want to accomplish something that satisfies a basic need. They want a little place they can call their own because it is exciting to feel like you can provide for yourself. This is same reason why gardening can be so satisfying. It’s awesome to sit down at a dinner table and know that because of your efforts, and a lot of help from God, your garden has provided food.
I was motivated to start Sativa Building Systems because it spoke to my desire to improve upon a way we satisfy a basic need, shelter. I loved building forts as a kid, and I guess I still do. For the last decade I have been pondering how I could build the most epic “fort” on the planet. The difference between being a 10 year old boy and a 30+ year old man is my priorities have slightly shifted. I don’t need a fort with an escape hatch to get away from bad guys or spikes on the walls to keep away predators. I now need a fort that will keep my family comfortable and safe. I need a fort that will help clean the air. I need a fort that that won’t burn easily or grow mold. I need a fort that is affordable in both the short and long term. This is why I started Sativa Building Systems. This is why I created the Z Panel.
-Zach