Playfulness as a Powerful Climate Tool (and 4 other values that guide us)
You may know that, before starting Lighter Side of Climate, I was with an organization for 13 years - in both staff and volunteer positions. Few things besides family have held my loyalty that long. What kept me there year after year? The magnetic pull of friends, colleagues, gatherings, laughter, and continuous learning are close to the top of the list. But ultimately, it was our meaningful set of shared values that transformed the organization into a part of my identity.
Now at the helm of this fledgling venture, I want to create that same sense of belonging for others while making a difference in the world. A big undertaking, I know, but isn't dreaming big essential?
Casey and I actually started discussing values long before officially launching this venture. We brainstormed everything that mattered to us, including all of our hopes and dreams for a future venture together, and even made a long (very fun!) list of business name possibilities (but that’s another story for another day!)
Ultimately, as challenging as it was to choose, we landed on these five values (perhaps you've seen them on our recently redesigned About page):
Playfulness
Curiosity
Connection
Resilience
Transformation
Playfulness matters to us because we believe in the power of joy and delight as pathways to creating a better world and enjoying life along the way. Playfulness is a powerful tool for deepening resilience, as highlighted by a recent University of Oregon study that suggests that "playful people demonstrate an enhanced ability when it comes to resilience, finding silver linings and creative solutions even in difficult situations." Playfulness helps us widen, stay in, and more quickly return to the social engagement system - the neurobiological network activated when we feel safe, facilitating connection with others and our environment.
Similar in spirit is curiosity. Casey and I believe in curiosity and imagination's power to help us envision possibilities and solutions that don't yet exist. Think about a challenge in your own life - something simpler than addressing climate change. Perhaps you feel tension with your child, or draining fatigue that impacts your productivity. Imagine approaching these challenges through curiosity and imagination, opening yourself to perspectives you've never considered…what might that be like? Curiosity opens our minds and our hearts in ways that traditional problem-solving can't - and this naturally leads to solutions we've yet to discover.
Connection is central to everything we do at Lighter Side of Climate. We recognize the importance of building community and fostering connection with others, our environment, and our purpose in the climate space. When we connect deeply, we amplify our impact in countless ways. Connection helps us break through the isolation climate anxiety often creates. Through authentic connections, we discover shared values across different backgrounds, building powerful coalitions. Our connection to place and nature strengthens our commitment to protection and stewardship. And through connection, we see how our individual actions ripple outward, magnifying our collective impact.
While connection provides us the support network and purpose essential for climate and sustainability work, resilience equips us with the inner strength to persevere through challenges. Casey and I believe in deepening personal and community resilience so we can continue doing the work the world needs us to do. Our world, including our country, our states, our town and local communities, are facing mounting conflicts and challenges - exacerbated by climate change acting as a threat multiplier. Our ability to remain strong and steady amid difficulties, to get back up when we get knocked down, is integral to moving forward effectively.
Finally, Casey and I deeply value transformation—specifically the belief that embracing a lighter approach to climate work amplifies our positive impact. Drawing from theory in positive psychology, we know that transformative change happens when we shift from overwhelm to possibility. Transformation isn't limited to our external work—it begins from within. As psychotherapist Moya Sarner aptly states in her recent article in The Guardian, "if we want to build a better life, for ourselves and others, we have to allow change to begin with us." This inside-out approach creates authentic impact that ripples far beyond ourselves.
These five values—playfulness, curiosity, connection, resilience, and transformation—aren't just words on a page for us. They're the beacon that guides our decisions, the foundation upon which we're building Lighter Side of Climate.
As we grow, we’d love to hear which of these values resonates most with you, or perhaps what values you bring to your own climate journey? I’m eager to do the same in a future blog post, as well. After all, it's in this beautiful intersection of shared purpose and diverse perspectives that the most meaningful change happens.
