Kindness as the Heart of a Local Economy

"The measure of your life will not be in

what you accumulate, but what you give away."

                         ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

In my last post, I shared the story of our friend, Bill, whose recent life experience exemplifies the gift economy, which is a very healthy sub-set of our financial economy. The currency of the gifting economy is not money, but gifts that we give to others – not in exchange for something back, but as natural expressions of our innate kindness. These include our time and attention, our knowledge and skills, our love and compassion.

We have a vibrant gifting economy in our country and around the world – people helping friends in unexpected ways, sharing what they have, looking out for one another, volunteering at local charities or hospitals or schools.

As Bill’s experience shows us, as we give to others as an expression of kindness, not looking for something in return, what we need does flow to us as well.

Our financial system operates on the principle that every interaction is a transaction – I give what I have – money, goods or skill – in exchange for what you give me. The gift economy uses another layer of currency that is given without a calculated exchange.

People are kind and generous by nature. Just watch very young children. They often enjoy sharing what they have and receiving a smile and words of appreciation from others.

This is our nature. Unfortunately, it can easily be suppressed by the idea that we have to earn everything we receive and that others must give us something back every time we share. I am not advocating an economy without money. But I am suggesting that we can expand our participation in the growing gift economy in which we share what we have and receive from others what they give freely.

There are many examples of vibrant gift economies in the world today. A good example is The Buy Nothing Project.

On a trip to Nepal, Liesl Clark and her family witnessed how the Nepalese cared for each other, insisting on sharing gifts equally within the community and taking responsibility for the aging, fragile, and infirm.  She returned home, eager to see if these principles could be applied to their area and possibly beyond.

Liesl and her friend Rebecca Rockefeller began The Buy Nothing Project with a Facebook page and a list of ideals. Their intention was “to focus more on community and connections and less on stuff, thereby removing physical wealth from the equation. The project encourages the feeling that we are all connected and that everyone has something to offer.”

We all have something to give –

• items we don’t use or excess produce from the garden,
• time to sit with someone or help someone move or clean out their garage,
• information to help others solve a problem,
• skills to share, such as music, or to create something for others – cooking, sewing, fixing what is broken.

The list is endless.

From their first group on Bainbridge Island, Washington, the Buy Nothing movement grew through their FaceBook page, and now has more than 1.5 million members world-wide. Here is their video:

The Buy Nothing Project Gift Economies

     Our thanks to KarmaTube for this video.

     To learn more about the Buy Nothing movement, go to the Buy Nothing website.

     Click here to find a local group in your area. We have 2 groups in the Asheville, NC area.

What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.

Help us spread the message of kindness.

If you know others who might appreciate these ideas, please share below.

We’re grateful that you are on this journey with us.

With love from our hearts to yours,

Pat and Larry