Did YOU Turn Your Lights Out?

Of course you did . . . right?  And now you're wondering what to do next?  Why not commit to an hour of world changing, earth saving action every day between now and Earth Day on April 22nd - that's 26 days ... 26 hours of making a difference!  Imagine what you'll achieve!!

Need some inspiration?  Here's 26 ideas to help get you started:

1. Go for a walk
   Get to know your neighbourhood, get some exercise and give your car a rest!
2. Cook up a storm
   Get together with a few friends and fill your freezers with delectable dinners and tasty snacks.  Its fun, its real food - and it will save you money and make eating in easier than take-out!
3. Attend a Council meeting
   Find out what the issues are in your community.  Attend local government meetings.  Have your say.  Get involved!
4. Plant something
   It can be basil on the windowsill, tomatoes in the patio, a tree in the backyard or a glorious edible landscape.  Join a Community Garden (or start one), engage in guerrilla gardening, get some dirt under your fingernails and enjoy the beauty and bounty of nature!
5. Play board games
   Turn of the TV and have a night in with the family.  Board games are fun and teach kids to take turns, to count, to strategise, and to win (and lose) with grace - among other things.
6. Shop local
   Have yourself a local meal - with nothing on the plate that comes from further away than 100 miles.  Invite your friends and neighbours and help spread the word about the great food producers you have on your doorstep.
7. Volunteer
   Donate an hour or two of your time to a good cause.
8. Clean Up
   Take a walk around your neighbourhood picking up litter, or clean up your favourite spot in nature.
9. Read Aloud
   "When parents take time to read aloud, children are touched not only by the stories, but also by their parent's love" Calm and Compassionate Children by Susan Usha Dermond
   And you don't have to stop just because your kids can read for themselves.  Some of my most vivid and comforting childhood memories are of my father reading to me as a 'big kid'.
10. Make Do
    Do you really need new?  Or will what you have already do the trick?  Can you borrow from a friend or neighbour?  Can you repurpose something else to do the job?  Making do isn't just about doing without or being frugal, its creative too!
11. Pay AttentionMake a point of noticing the good things that happen in your day, share them with your loved ones and encourage them to do the same.  Keep an eye out for the beautiful, the unexpected, the inspirational, those little things its so easy to miss as we go about our busy lives.
    "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."- Albert Einstein
12. Go Without
    Try 26 days without buying anything new, or without buying any chocolate/coffee/shoes . . . and use the savings to help pay off any debts or donate it to a cause that moves you.
13. Give
    Give something away every day between now and Earth Day.  Make a point of being generous.
    
14. Bring Your Own
    Take your lunch to work each day.  Take a reusable coffee cup for your morning coffee on the way to work.  Make sure you have reusable cutlery in your drawer at work so you can say no to plastic stuff if you get a take-out lunch . . .
15. Get Rid of Clutter
    Clear out your closets and cupboards of things you no longer need - hold a garage sale, list your goodies on FreeCycle, hold a swap party or donate them to charity.
16. Be Prepared
    Put together a 'going green kit' stocked with reusable grocery bags, a BYO lunch kit, Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs, a water bottle, a travelling coffee mug, a selection of green cleaning products . .
17. Start Composting
    You don't have to have a big back yard to be able to compost your food waste.  A Bokashi system can fit under your bench, or you could set up a worm farm on your patio.  And if you don't have room for much of a garden you can always donate the results to your local community garden or share it with your neighbours. 
18. Build a Community
    Invite your neighbours over for a board games extravaganza, organise a street party, play charades, start a food co-op, have dinner with friends.  Connecting with others is good for the soul!
19. Watch a Movie
    Get inspired, get outraged, get informed.  Invite your friends around to watch a documentary about an issue that you are passionate about or that you feel you need to know more about.  It could be coffee, dolphins, capitalism or sustainable living . . .
20. On Yer Bike
    Ditch your car and bike to work. 
21. Smile
    Make a point of smiling at people.  Even when you don't feel like it.  Especially when you don't feel like it!!
22. Swap Your Old Books
    Update your library with a book swap.  You can do it online, or organise your own neighbourhood book swap.
23. Make It Yourself
    Make your own jam, knit your own socks, bake your own bread . . . pick a project and perfect a new skill over the next 26 days.
24. Help Someone
    Mow your neighbour's lawn, share your umbrella, look after your sisters kids for an hour.  Go out of your way to lend a hand every day for the next 26 days.
25. Do It By Hand
    Do you really need a machine to do that?  Get out your shovel to clear the snow from you driveway, use a rake to tidy up the autumn leaves in your back yard, try opening the cans with a manual can opener, get out of your chair to change the channel.  There are gadgets for everything - and sure they can make life easier, but they use power and make us less active.  How much technology do we really need to live happy, productive lives?
26. Spread the Word
    Tell as many people as you can reach what you are doing to change the world between now and Earth Day.  Share your actions in the comments below, on your blog, with your work colleagues, family, neighbours, the guy next to you on the bus . . . Who knows what movement you will inspire :)

Do the Right Thing

Image by Rickydavid via Flickr

I read today that a 28 year old woman is missing in New Zealand after showing up at a service station in a distressed state and asking to use their phone. Her request was denied, according to reports, because she had no cash or eftpos card.
I would guess that the service station probably has a policy that if people asked to use the phone they would have to pay for it. It makes sense. They run as a business, and they have to pay for their calls. There isn't much margin in selling petrol, so they wouldn't want to be out of pocket. But surely, in a situation where someone was obviously distressed and unable to pay, wouldn't you bend the rules?

What is wrong with us, as a society, that when someone obviously needs our help, we are more concerned with what we will get in return than in doing the right thing?

Why do we choose not to help someone in need:

• Are we too busy with other things?
• Do we feel that we don't have enough ourselves to be able to share what we have?
• Are we expecting someone else to do it?
• Do we not care?
• Do we think other people will judge us as weak if we show kindness or concern?

Why do so many of us choose to ignore the obvious pain of other people, of the planet, of our communities instead of doing what needs to be done to make a difference? Often its only the smallest of things – a phone call here, a kind word there, a couple of dollars, or just a couple of hours – and they make the world of difference.

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Let's Make 2009 the Year for saying "No"

Image via Wikipedia

All the great men and women in the world have been people who, rather than say "Yes", said a very resounding "No" to everything that did not fit their ideal of bounty and growth.

- Paulo Coelho

There are a lot of things wrong in the world, from pointless wars and starvation amidst plenty, to a deepening recession and all the fear and uncertainty that entails.

Its easy to feel powerless in the face of it all, to shrug our shoulders and wonder what 'they' are going to do to fix it for us. But playing the victims isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to take action.

Lets make 2009 the year to lay claim to greatness and say 'No' to the things that don't fit our ideals of bounty and growth. Lets make this the year of standing up for what we believe in, being accountable and making a difference.

I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions, but here's a few things I'm saying 'No' to this year:

Deforestation
We need trees! They purify the air we breathe, provide habitats for countless varieties of flora & fauna, and they soothe the soul, amongst other things. Lets all say 'No' to chopping them down en masse so a few can make a transitory profit.

Whether its the Atlantic Forest, the jungles of Borneo or that patch of green on the edge of your neighbourhood, lets not stand by and let it happen in 2009!

You can say 'No' to deforestation in the Atlantic Forest by donating $2 here - and you go in the draw to win an awesome WE ADD UP 'Plant Trees' tee.

Greed
Lets make 2009 a year to exercise greed control. A recession is no place for selfishness and hoarding. Join me in saying a resounding 'No' to greed and fear and lets share what we have - time, knowledge, skills, money, possessions. Lets build strong communities, neighbourhoods where we support each other through the tough times ahead. Lets create hope, dignity and opportunity through our generosity.

Poverty
Almost half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day and at least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. That can't fit anybody's ideal of bounty and growth!

And lets not assume that poverty only happens overseas, to other people. There are people in our own communities who, for reasons beyond their control, don't have enough. Let's say a huge 'No' to that this year.

In our world of relative plenty there is no excuse for poverty, hunger, homelessness, hopelessness. We all have a responsibility to do something about it, in our own neighbourhood, in our own country and further afield. With a little generosity, kindness and a shift in our thinking of what is enough we can all create opportunities to lift others out of poverty.

Junk Food
McDonalds is moving in just up the road in Gore. I guess that means we are on the map. But junk food really just doesn't fit my ideal of bounty and growth. It is wasteful, creates vast quantities of rubbish, is less than nutritious and full of empty calories.

For many people junk food - and I don't just mean fast food, but processed food, soda, candy bars, ice-cream - has become a staple part of their diet. According to Dr. Scott Olson most people eat around 1/4-1/2 pound of sugar a day.

And its bad for us. All this junk. It makes us sick, and tired. Its not the food our bodies were made to run on.

So this year lets get back to eating food our Grandparents would recognise as food. More fruit, more vegetables, more wholegrains. Real food.

Lets say 'No' to corporations making money at the expense of our health and wellbeing by selling us junk and calling it food. Lets say 'No' to blindly following their advertising directives and take responsibility for choosing to spend our hard earned money on food that is good for us instead.

Stuff
How about we choose this year to stop accumulating stuff. Lets choose to define ourselves by our relationships to people rather than by the things that we own and the stuff we consume. Lets make do, buy second hand, opt for reusable rather than throw-away items, borrow from a neighbour, share, make our own . . .

The current economic climate is a marvellous excuse to explore the joys of frugality. Lets embrace it. Lets learn new skills to make the most of what we have.

Lets get out of debt, choose not to get into debt, live within our means. Think of the freedom, think of the choices we will have. Would you really work all that overtime rather than spend the time with your family if you didn't have to pay that huge mortgage for a huge house when a smaller house would do just fine? Does the latest fashion, the newest gadget, the shiniest appliance, the swankiest nick-nack really make your life more rewarding?

This year lets make a point of saying 'No' to stuff. Lets take our lives back, lets focus on the important things instead.

What's your resounding 'No' for 2009?

An Ounce of Kindness

Image by elycefeliz via FlickrI read a blog post at Platonic Trip a while back that has stayed with me, kind of like a splinter that I just haven't been able to dig out. Its been irritating me beyond measure!

The gist of the post is that the writer was amongst a group of people approached by a man asking for money to buy medicine for his sick kids. Only one member of the group gave any money. The writer of the post outlined his reasons for not giving. According to his way of thinking the man asking for the money should have gone to the Church, or some Government agency to ask for help rather than bail up a group of individuals and try to emotionally blackmail them into helping him and his family out. The writer felt that there was no point in helping the man as he should have gone elsewhere to get the money he needed and drew the conclusion that kindness is a weakness and therefore not a virtue worth pursuing.

This post bothers me on many different levels.

I am not a fan of being approached by people in need asking me for money. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I like to have time to consider my options, to feel that I am not being taken advantage of. Giving in a face to face manner makes me anxious - I worry that I am not giving enough, or I'm giving too much, or I'm not being effective in my giving by giving directly to an individual. Given all this, I can relate to the fact that the writer of the post wasn't thrilled at being approached by the man asking for money.

However, his reasons for not giving seem shallow and badly thought out.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it is a bad thing to not give money in situations like this. Many people are on limited or fixed incomes themselves and don't have spare for spontaneous giving. And the writer is correct, there are agencies and institutions in most countries that are set up to help people in just these circumstances. I'm sure the man in need could have visited them.

Perhaps he didn't know where to go? Rather than simply ignore him and his story, perhaps someone could have shown him a kindness and pointed him in the right direction to get help?

Was it really emotional blackmail appealing to the kindness of strangers in a time of need? I'm not advocating that anyone hand their life savings over to the first desperate sounding stranger with a sob story that approaches them, but surely, if you have a little money (time, food, other appropriate item) spare would it really hurt to share? Even if it does make you anxious or uncomfortable?

While his reasons for not giving disappoint me, the writer's conclusion that kindness is a weakness gobsmacks me.

Kindness is not the same as naivety. Its not blindly giving to everyone who asks, its not meekly accepting other people's bad behaviour, or unquestioningly believing whatever you are told.

Kindness is about choosing to make cups of tea for angry people because you know that your actions will make a difference. Its about being generous when you can do so, and respectfully saying no when you feel it is inappropriate or simply not possible. Kindness is about being strong and standing up for what you believe in, about being respectful and assertive. Kindness is about cultivating connections with others and building community.

Kindness would have to be one of my favourite virtues. It shows real strength of character.

.

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5 Ways to Create Abundance in an Economic Downturn

Image via WikipediaNow, I know its a little early to be thinking of Christmas already, but this evening I was somewhat troubled to hear a national news broadcast trumpeting Christmas Misery ahead for New Zealanders on the back of the decreasing value of the New Zealand Dollar. Apparently we are all doomed to a miserable Christmas because the prices of imported goods are due to rise as our purchasing power diminishes.

Sure, times are tough, the economy is unstable, people are losing their jobs & their homes. Its frightening. However, this kind of foolish media scaremongering really irritates me. It helps the recession take a hold in people's minds by creating a mindset of scarcity and fear. It encourages people to focus on what they don't have, or can't afford rather than encouraging us to be creative with what we do have. It focuses our attention on stuff rather than on people.

Not being able to afford to purchase expensive presents at Christmas time is surely not the most newsworthy aspect of the current economic crisis. In fact, the kind of rampant, foolish consumerism that it represents is part of the cause of our current woes.

Here's a few tips to help you create a mindset of abundance amidst the economic chaos:

1. Decide what is Important
   Take time to think about the things that you value most. Make a list of the 4 or 5 most important things and focus on keeping them in order. Simplifying your life in this way, paring it back to the essentials, helps you to appreciate what you do have and stop striving for stuff that ultimately has no value to you.
   
   
2. Build Community
   Get to know your neighbours, the other parents at your kids school, your work colleagues. Build a network of people that you can share with when the going gets tough. Knowing that you are part of a community that has got your back can definitely help ease the fears brought on by the current economic instability.
   
   Check out 5 Ways to Rebuild your Neighbourhood for community building ideas.
   
   
3. Be Generous
   At times like this its often our natural reaction to hoard - time, money, possessions. But in tough economic times, generosity is more important than ever. Have you ever noticed how the most generous of people never seem to be without the things that really matter?
   
   Read more about how generosity creates abundance at Digital Philanthropy
   
   
4. Appreciate Sufficiency
   It sounds trite, but with our busy lifestyles we often forget to be thankful - taking a moment out of each day to be grateful can help you to realise how much you really have and what is important. Appreciating sufficiency - deciding how much is enough - can help the spectre of recession lose its power to make you fearful.
   
   Read 5 Ways to Help You Say 'Enough' for more inspiration.
   
   
5. Be Proactive
   Don't sit back waiting for this latest economic crisis to make your life difficult. Take positive action now to recession proof your life as much as you are able. Start a vege garden, tackle any consumer debt, work on developing good financial habits, support your local economy, get into the habit of driving your car less . . . be positive and creative as you take stock and prepare for the future.
   

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The American Dream

Image by FotoRita [Allstar maniac] via Flickr

I don't, as a general rule, like to get mired in American politics. But (bet you saw that coming!!), I couldn't help looking up this whole Joe the Plumber saga.

I'm sure there is more to it than this, but what really took my breath away was his comment:

"Its not for the Government to decide I earn a little too much and so I need to share it with other people. That's not the American dream"

Americans seem to have interpreted the American Dream as the individual pursuit of succcess, fame and wealth. And while this has led to Americans (in general) becoming wealthier and better educated than ever, it doesn't seem to have made them happy.

According to Dr. Steve McSwain, that is because the life they really want, the true American Dream, is not in getting, but in giving.

"The happiest and healthiest people are those who have
learned to be extravagantly generous. In an age of unprecedented wealth
and record charitable giving, McSwain makes a compelling argument that
your highest purpose in life is to give yourself away and generously
share your abundance with the world."

Historian and writer James Truslow Adams coined the phrase "American Dream" in his 1931 book Epic of America:

"The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be
better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each
according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the
European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us
ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of
motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which
each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature
of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for
what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or
position."

While he doesn't specifically mention sharing and generosity, it seems to be implied. If life is going to be 'better and richer and fuller for everyone", then everyone needs to have fair access to resources - education, healthcare, housing. . . and for this to happen there needs to be a fair balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of the community.

For all Americans to achieve the American Dream, it seems obvious that there is a need for a fair system of wealth distribution. Not only in America, but globally, people need to be asking themselves how much is enough? We need to be considering the difference between personal financial security and hoarding wealth. And we need to think long an hard about the ethics of pursuing our own financial advancement at the expense of others.

Quite frankly Joe the Plumber, you do need to share with others. Given that people in your enviable position are obviously not doing this of their own accord, maybe it is time for the American Government to step in and force the issue.

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5 Ways to be Generous in Tough Economic Times

Image via WikipediaWith prices rising and the fear of deepening recession over our heads, its easy to justify a little selfishness. Its hard enough to look after our own families in these times of doubt, let alone trying to help anyone else, right?

Our communities have become so fragmented, and people are so busy with their individual concerns, that quite often they don't even know their neighbours, let alone know how they are coping in the current uncertain economic climate.

But for our Communities to come out of this better off, we all need to give a little - or even a lot. And I'm not talking money here. Peruse the list below for ideas on how you can give even when times are tough!

1. Got a Green Thumb?
If you already have a vegetable garden, consider growing extra to donate to the local foodbank or to families you know that are in need. You could donate your expertise to help start a community garden or teach your neighbours how to grow their own food. You could organise for everyone in your street to grow a different vegetable and share amongst yourselves.

Read more about growing your own vegetables in pots here. Find out about creating your own Urban Homestead here.


2. Be Kind
Be thoughtful, try not to judge. Nobody in financial trouble specifically chose that outcome. They probably made choices along the way that made it more likely, but I doubt they woke up one morning and decided they wanted to be a statistic in the next recession.

Many people are afraid at the moment. Afraid they may lose their jobs, their businesses, the things they have worked hard to accumulate. Bear this in mind during your dealings with others and be kind.

Read more about the importance of remembering to be kind here.
Check out Operation NICE's beautiful NICE Tip Cards here.

3. Are You Good with Money?
Personal Financial Management skills are sadly lacking for many people these days, and frugal living is only just coming back into fashion. If you have budgeting and frugal living down to a fine art, offer your services to others in your community. You could work with individuals, or offer classes in the evenings or weekends.

4. Got Skills?
Are there people in your community that need things done but can't afford to pay? If you've got the skills to help them out, then be generous with your time and offer your services for free. It could be anything from advocacy to yardwork, car repairs to home maintenance. You could even set up some sort of Time Bank or barter system.

Read more about Time Banking here.

5. Be a Good Neighbour
Support you neighbourhood. Shop locally wherever possible - it saves you money on petrol and it saves you time because you don't have to go as far. Shopping locally keeps money and jobs in your community (in comparison, when you shop at the supermarket about 80% of your spend leaves the community), and a thriving neighbourhood keeps your property values up!

Read more about building a strong neighbourhood here.

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