Releasing the Creative Flow of Money

Part One: Universal Living Allowance

 

{This is the first part of a series I am releasing in the creation of a new story of money and the fulfillment of my dream to unleash the infinite creativity I am reflected back every day through inspiring individuals. If this topic interests you, I invite you to contact me to amplify our creative potential.}

What would you do if all of your bills were paid for? Where would you direct your creativity?

As we approach the end of the collective paradigm of growth that has characterized our economic system for hundreds of years, solutions that exist on the fringes of economic discourse are beginning to seep into public awareness. One of the basic assumptions of our economy is that growth is good. And growth is good – for the first stages of life and while an ecosystem reaches a balanced homeostasis.

How can we redefine progress and growth so that our internal pace matches the external expansion?

We are witnessing the end of economic and monetary growth on a global scale due to one simple fact: infinite growth cannot be maintained on a finite planet. The Earth’s ecology is approaching its limits and as long as we have positive interest rates influencing the creation and flow of money, so too will our relentless need for the expansion of our global economy exist. When our current story of money separates us from others, the expansion of the monetary realm means less natural beauty, a reduced quality of life, fewer gifts, and more isolation. How do we as a collective approach the end of growth and usher in new forms of abundance for all? How do we ease into a de-growth economy and return commodities to gifts and transactions to relationships? Thankfully, functioning and viable solutions not only exist, but have been implemented with success many times over.

One of these solutions is a universal living allowance. This concept says that when people are given the necessary provisions to live, they are free to pursue their passions without the worries of simply making next month’s rent or wondering where their next meal will come from. Imagine being welcomed into the world with, “Welcome! You are taken care of – food, shelter, clothing, water – no need to stress about having enough. Please, devote your time to discovering and giving back your unique gifts. We are excited to see what you will come up with!” (Check out the Swiss proposing this concept)

What would you do if you reclaimed your time?

An immediate response I hear often is that people will not do anything at all if they are given living essentials and didn’t have to work. Work can still exist in this system, it would just be left up to the individual as to how much they desired to do. What we define as a ‘job’ will also change. We worry that people would abuse the system, contribute nothing to society, and just sit on their butts all day watching television. Sure, a few people may take this approach. But who cares? If that is what makes them happy then let them be happy. We recognize our own tendency for laziness and think that without an external force, like debt or living expenses, people would do nothing. Sometimes we need to get what we think it is we want before we can realize that it isn’t what we truly desire.

I wrote about laziness in this previous blog, but I can summarize my perspective on it in that laziness is merely a symptom to the scarcity of meaningful work. I believe that given the right impulse and a supportive environment, we can create the invitation for giving back within all. The fact is that there are already plenty of people ‘abusing’ the system, contributing ‘nothing’, and free riding (and in the overall scheme of things, this particular lifestyle doesn’t create much of a drain anyways due to its simplicity). Are you sure this would still exist in a society that supports each other with the discovery and giving of their gifts to the collective? What is it that motivates a volunteer? How is it people contribute tens of thousands of hours to create open source software without pay?

Let’s Create a New Story

The reason I am choosing to become more vocal about this particular economic solution is because I believe that my story is one that invites people into seeing a deeper kind of motivation – one that keeps me creating, moving, being, giving, laughing, and dancing despite already being guaranteed enough money to live. This requires respect, humility, honour, and a deep sense of gratefulness that inspires creative action beyond external force. This is where we create the invitation for the leap of faith required to move into the heart space of service.

Unleash the Creativity and Create Beauty

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the start of my nomadic lifestyle. Over this past year I have been receiving money on a biweekly basis from a business in Calgary that took over operations of a floatation tank I had offered to the community for the previous two years. During this time I am exploring different motives – namely service, excitement, and creative play – with the intention of discovering my gifts and unearthing the best way to give them back to the collective. One of these gifts is philanthropy, done through spontaneous inspiration of monitude (money given in gratitude, not payment) and collective journalism.

I travel from place to place and can’t help but notice the needs people express to me and am overcome with the desire to give back. As I come into greater alignment with, and awareness of, my relationship to money, I desire to become an avenue for money to flow from where it is stagnating to where it can ignite creativity. The people I meet are doing incredible things with very little money and this is our training ground, the tilling of the soil in preparation for the water to flow and nourish the seeds. I have a dream to contribute to that watering. I dream of connecting people through the transformation of our current story of money. This requires people who have the honour of deciding where money is to flow. This requires people who are willing to enter into trust and a deeper sense of relationship. I am looking for people with money who desire connection and community on a level that our current use of money does not allow for.

It is time for us to recognize our birthright as CREDITORS of life.

I invite all feedback, responses, comments, questions, and support you may have.

In love,

Skye

 

(Stay tuned for the subsequent expansions of this new story – Gifting Money, Living in the Gift, Debt Strike, and the culmination in the Circle of Gratitude)

 

I desire to be completely financially transparent and have begun tracking my monetary flow. Sign up for my mailing list to receive this information, or just request it directly if you wish.

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