Duh, False Economies Don't Work for Real People.

What we all have in common with each other today, to many different extents, is the shared experience of a fallen economy.  With this, comes an array of other problems with a similar idea at its core: that (for the most part) people have forgotten about what economy actually means.  The Greek root of the word "economy" is oikonomia, meaning "to manage one's house".  So what does it mean to manage one's house, today and throughout history?  To me, I think of comfort and stability.  Also pertaining to the ancient origin of this word, are the ideas of stewardship and resource use.  Inherent to the idea of "house" is the idea of the land, the foundation on which that house is built.  So, in looking at our current economic problems, here and in the rest of the world, it's easy to see what connection is missing, that between the land and the management of the house.  And don't worry, I'm not ignoring the other key component here: the managers.  We, the people!  

Sorry for the little academic introduction, but growing up, most of us no doubt probably thought that the word "economy" for sure had something to do with money, paper money that is, a "fiat" or artificial currency used to dictate our very lives whether we want it to or not.  

For the last couple of weeks, I've been staying with my aunt and uncle in Ojai, CA.  I have often struggled with the idea of money, especially coming from a wealthier family and not needing to work as often as many of my peers.  Not to say I don't have a healthy work ethic, I have been volunteering at an organic farm for the last three weeks, but it's not the same as busting my ass everyday to feed myself or my family.  

The truth is, many people are struggling to create a healthy relationship with money, regardless of their financial situation. The irony being that money doesn’t even seem to represent anything real or tangible anymore, so how can we create a relationship with it?  If we could all just pay each other in fruits and vegetables....

Myself, as well as a few other family members, have been trying to cultivate a more honest relationship with money and how it is used and viewed in our society.  Last Thursday night, a good family friend, who also happens to be a "socially responsible" investment advisor, hosted a little gathering of folks from the Ojai area, wealthy and not, who came to talk about money, what they think of money, and how we can use it to do more good in the world.  David had just attended the Slow Money conference in San Francisco, and the dialogue that ensued during our little gathering had less to do with specific steps to take and more to do with general ideas that can be used to bring in a larger understanding of how society interacts via money and ways to "slow down" your money.  Slowing down your money is essentially spending to support local goods and services that in turn support the local economy, the environment, and spark development of the community.  You can watch the little video below to learn more.

By Woody Tasch

Many of the titular ideas I mention in the rest of this post have been adapted from ideas mentioned during our gathering in Ojai.  Thank you to everyone that offered their words of wisdom and also to people everywhere who are working to create their own wisdom and awareness of what a "sustainable" economy actually looks like.  Seeing as I’m no financial guru or advisor myself, take into account that I’m not offering the answer, just simple inspirational tidbits that can be applied to other topics as well. 

"Money is energy"

Think of the last time you were riding along as passenger in a car with a friend or family member that happens to be a really bad driver.  Did you find yourself gripping the passenger door for dear life?  Or maybe holding onto the seat, unconsciously hoping that in the event of an accident, you'd be just fine?

Knowing that most people have experienced this exact thing, think about what it means to hold onto money, especially while the government and hoards of multinational corporations are driving us into a deeper hole of debt, bad economics, and hugely devastating externalities.  Is it really going to do that much good to hold onto our money so tightly, when we know, whether consciously or not, how much good that money could do to actually pull us out of this mess?

So now picture that money as a bright ball of energy.  When you're afraid, what might be your first instinct?  To grip it, tightly, hoping that it might protect you?  But what does money do more than anything, especially in our society?  It perpetuates greed, insecurity, and most of all, it breeds fear within ourselves and in future generations.  People hold onto money out of fear, fear of not having.  Now think of what happens when you give money away to people that have none or at least not enough to be doing what they need it to do.  Money can be used in a way that benefits a person’s life, a great business idea, an organization, or an entire community.  It not only feels good, but in a way, it's like letting that energy flow out of you and into another person.  The energy is no longer contained, burning everything up inside and leading to that familiar empty feeling, which eventually wants to be filled up with what?  You guessed it, more stuff!

When we use our money to buy stuff that we don't need (and by no means am I claiming to be innocent of this), in a way we're continuing to hold onto that energy.  Our species evolved to live off of very little: food, water, shelter, clothing, love, and friendship, little else was needed to satiate our appetites, both physical and emotional.  The lesson here is to let it flow, in terms of our attachment to money and the money itself.  I'm not condoning that we give away all or even most of our money, and we can still save for our children's college funds, retirement, and other necessary things, but especially with investments, think of all the people we could help, even with just a little bit.  Think of all the good it could do for fostering or broadening your relationship to the community you live in.  

“Dreaming the Future You Want to Live In”

When we create the purpose of our money, it immediately leads to a feeling of purpose in our lives.  And even if you don’t have money, finding a way to go out and make it can be a way of finding the purpose of your life and your money all at the same time.  By no means am I saying this is easy, especially seeing how difficult it’s been for many folks in all generations to find secure and fulfilling jobs and careers.  Financial dependence, or even independence however, is not the only way of succeeding.  What about financial interdependence? Aren’t we all tied together in this mess?  Then, working together, as a manifestation of our inherent interconnected nature ought to be the best way of getting out of it.  So, how do we do this?

“A Strategy Based on Generosity”

Whether we give more of ourselves or more of our resources, generosity is a powerful conductor of life energy between people.  “Gifting” societies have existed in various forms all over the world for thousands of years.  Many of these societies lack any agreement between peoples giving and receiving gifts of goods and resources, and continue to work simply by the iteration of a tradition fueled by a heightened awareness of mutual reciprocity and well-being of the community.  Other strategies of economic exchange have appeared via alternative currencies and the reinvigoration of bartering systems throughout the world.  Not only are these economies more sustainable, they also require more communication and cooperation between people, thus forcing people to "turn off the T.V. and talk to each other" as one woman said at our gathering.  A simple yet incredible solution.  You can read more about gifting economies at this Huffington Post article or here. 

As a last thought that ties all of these ideas together is that of a “Creativity Support Network”.  I have no idea if I’m the first to coin this term or if it’s been used before, but the idea behind these networks is that through generosity, letting money flow more freely within communities, and recognizing our financial interdependence, we’re automatically supporting creative processes and innovations that will work to solve many of the environmental and social problems pervasive in the world.  Money can be a huge source of worry and anxiety for many people.  Let it instead be a source of hope and inspiration.