Actions:Values

“A value is an ambiguous concept that governs human behaviour.”

“Personal values are implicitly related to choice; they guide decisions by allowing for an individual’s choices to be compared to each choice’s associated values.” -Wiki

Why bother discovering what your values are?

When we bring our values and beliefs to our conscious attention (focus) we are apt to live them within our life. Clearly defined values system will also enable us to make clear definitions, providing choices.

Steps to Living your Values

1. Make a master list of world values: Rhyme off as many values you think people might have. This is the time to look Outward. What do you see other people believing in? (i.e. integrity, work ethic, spirituality, health, focus, love, independence, etc…) Here is a master list of values if you’re struggling with this step. I encourage you to read them each over and think of what this means to someone with this value and how it manifests within our world.

2. Select 10 value words that are intrinsic to YOUR life. What off this list are things that you value in life?

3. From your Personal List, select your Top 5 of your 10.

4. Create value statements: Values statements are your personal mission statement, including the value that you honour.  (i.e. I live a path of spirituality and connectivity to others.) What does this value you have selected look like in your life? How would you like it to look? Why is this important to you? Why did you select this off the list?

5. Walk the talk: Now that we have clearly defined our personal values, we may use them when navigating our daily lives. With each small decision or large decision, we can use our values to help guide us. (i.e. whether to work late this evening, or head straight home to the family, bringing a travel mug to the coffee shop or taking a paper to-go cup. Composting or combining our kitchen waste. Shopping at the Dollar Store vs. a small downtown business.)

Approaching life with conscious intention and mindfulness of my personal beliefs/values. 

A personal reflection:
Before having my baby, I created my parenting manifesto. No word of a lie. I wrote down our values that we wished to raise our unborn child with. I wrote out the steps I wished to take and how I would like to raise him.

After he was born, as we were challenged with the reality of raising a child and the ensuing emotional rollercoaster, I am/was able to step back occasionally and ask myself: does this fit my parenting values? And yes: I am like the bamboo and flex and bend when I need to, but I have a compass in which to select my direction. And approach my parenting with mindfulness and intention.

For light exploration into your own values systems, I recommend the following books available from the P’lovers Eco-Bookshelf as a starter:

List Your Self: Listmaking as the
Way to Self-Discovery (Segalove)

 
Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work
of Mindful Parenting (Kabat-Zinn)

-Colleen

We have a TON of books that will facilitate a path of choice.

Be The Change!

The message is a strong one, probably something that you have heard before.*  You can take it very literally or in a metaphorical sense, but either way, being the change is something we should all do.  In the world, we are seeing a lot of negative changes taking place, from global warming to the violence in our cities.  The only thing that will help the current state of the earth is for people to take charge and change it in a positive way. 

Be the Change is a message that shows up on one of P’lovers new products, organic cotton/bamboo T-shirts from me to we.  Me to we [responsible style] is a new social enterprise that is committed to provide ethically manufactured goods made with organic materials.  The company is sweatshop free and domestically produces all its products. All their shirts are made with 100% certified organic cotton and bamboo.  In addition to all those positve aspects, they also give 50% of their profits to their charity partner, Free the Children.  This organization supports development projects in rural and impoverish areas across the world. And on top of all of that, the shirts are very, very comfortable!

I had been eyeing them for a while until the other day I finally bought one.  I wear it around the store as well as when I am out and about.  Whenever I have it on, someone always comments on it.  It seems it’s a great conversation starter.  Just the other day I was wearing it in the store and two customers came up to me and we started to talk about how the generation of today is going to change the world. They shared their views on lots of issues and I found it to be very interesting.  They said that the youth today is going to change the world and clean up the mess it’s in.  The shirt makes people think, which is bringing world issues into the public’s consciousness.

Be the Change T-shirts are as influencial as they are comfortable.  They send the message that everyone can change the world and make it a better place.

-Lisa

*Editor’s note: an abbreviation of Gandhi’s famous quote  ”We must be the change we wish to see in the world.”   

Building Community

A Personal Reflection

My family moved to Port from Toronto  in June ‘07.  We had visited enough that we knew much of the community, but until we moved here, we did not truly understand what Downtown Port Perry is all about.

I am really pleased with our decision to build our family here. I feel safe here. We know pretty much everyone: and in a good way.

In raising children, I firmly believe in the concept ‘it takes a village’.  I love that when we walk the main street, I can give a nod to the old boys, the ladies say “oh, he’s getting so big”! The younger folk, squeal at the baby and make him laugh. And if I’m really needing help and insight into motherhood, theres always someone who I can chat with and get some input.

In my darkest (or lightest) hours of being a mother, when I encourage myself to take our daily walk, I lurch to Queen Beans Coffee House in Queen Street Commons and poofffff, all my troubles melt away. We joke that its turning into baby central here. Looking around though, I see persons of all ages, dynamic and what have you. We are all welcome and unite here at the Queen Street Commons. 

-Colleen

How to Build Community
By the Syracuse Cultural Workers

Turn off your TV*Leave your house
Know your neighbours
Look up when you are walking
Greet people*Sit on your stoop
Plant Flowers
Use your library*Play together
Buy from local merchants
Share what you have
Help a lost dog
Take children to the park
Garden Together
Support Neighborhood Schools
Fix it even if you didn’t break it
Have Pot Lucks*Honour Elders
Pick Up Litter* Read Stories Aloud
Dance in the Street
Talk to the Mail Carrier
Listen to the Birds* Put up a Swing
Help Carry Something Heavy
Barter For Your Goods
Start A Tradition*Ask A Question
Hire Young People for Odd Jobs
Organize a Block Party
Bake Extra and Share
Ask For Help When You Need It
Open Your Shades*Sing Together
Share Your Skills
Take Back the Night
Turn Up The Music
Turn Down The Music
Listen Before You react with Anger
Mediate A Conflict
Seek To Understand
Learn From New And
Uncomfortable Angles
Know That No One is Silent
Though Many Are Not Heard
Work To Change This

A Gift Card! Brilliant Idea!

What a great idea for the person who has everything. Right? Well, not always, the card is meant for much more than that: still when a customer asks to purchase a gift card I tell them they are brilliant and off we go from there.

Often I find I am truly entertained as I learn about the person the gift card is for.

“She has everything; she thinks she knows everything; I don’t even really like him but…; he is impossible to buy for and I give up; I think I should buy something for the new baby; my wife, husband, mother, father told me to pick up a gift for this person I don’t even know; she is so particular that I know I will be unable to pick out the right thing; honestly, I just can’t be bothered shopping; I hate shopping; he is bringing a new girlfriend and I have a little something for everyone else; I always get it wrong…”

Believe me, I have heard all of these reasons for a gift card and more. With spring arriving there will be an influx of new babies being born and the wedding season is coming. What a great idea, a gift card from P’lovers. You can mention to the bride and groom/new parents that we also have a gift registry in order to make it even easier for the shoppers who come in without a clue.

We are here to make shopping a stress-free, positive experience, whether you are shopping for a friend, aquaintance, someone you don’t even know, or as a customer confided to me during a phone order once, someone you don’t even particularly like.

As my mother often says, “It takes all kinds” The gift card just happens to fit all kinds!

-Jude

Earth Hour

What is Earth Hour?? 

Tonight from 8-9 p.m, cities around the world will turn off their lights and non-essential appliances for 1 hour to raise global awareness of climate change.

24 of the worlds largest cities and approximately 11,900 businesses are taking part in this awareness effort.  The event is being panned by some critics for being a ‘token effort’ with questions of effectiveness in minimizing actual carbon missions.  What these critics are sadly missing, is that this is a vital step in generating publicity and affecting change in the behaviour of our population.  This simple action so effectively demonstrates that every single action can make a real and tangible difference.

I tried to access the Earth Hour webpage to pull off the ‘official’ details of Earth Hour, but there is so much traffic today from the Google homepage, that it was frightfully slow to load – a clear demonstration of the (perhaps unanticipated) increase in environmental awareness.

Google, the #1 search engine and first access to the Internet for most, has dedicated their homepage to Earth Hour today. Similar to other world events, causes etc, Google has modified their homepage to publicize Earth Hour.  Today, they took it a much more visible step, changing the colour of their usual stark white page to pitch black.

Here in Port Perry, many locals are participating.  For you theatre buffs, tonight, at the Town Hall 1873 Performing Arts Centre, all non-essential lighting will be extinguished as the the Scugog Choral Society takes to the stage to perform My Fair Lady!  (Note: Steve from P’lovers is making his musical debut in this play!)

At P’lovers, extinguishing our lights at night is a daily occurance as we try to do our part — tonight will be no different.  Those of us not on-stage will be spending Earth Hour with our family and friends basking in the wonderful glow of our favourite Pheylonian beeswax candles.  

Alright P’lovers Nation: SOUND OUT! What do you think of Earth Hour? Will you be participating and how will you spend YOUR hour?