The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life

we must think and talk about money as part of a true ecosystem—a single system in which we view the economy and the ecology as fundamentally bound together.

Reciprocity was the social currency.

be known for what you allocate, not what you accumulate.”

In a you-or-me world, reciprocity and collaboration don’t fit.

A you-and-me world is full of collaborators, partners, sharing, and reciprocity. In that world, our resources are not only enough; they are infinite. When we bring the practice of collaboration and reciprocity into conscious view in everyday life, a kind of alchemy and prosperity await discovery all around us.

In philanthropic interactions, we can return to the soul of money: money as a carrier of our intentions, money as energy, and money as a currency for love, commitment, and service; money as an opportunity to nourish those things we care most about.

In our relationship with money, collaboration frees us from the obligatory chase to acquire more in order to feel we have enough, and becomes an opportunity to make a difference with what we have.

Wealth shows up in the action of sharing and giving, allocating and distributing, nourishing and watering the projects, people, and purpose that we believe in and care about, with the resources that flow to us and through us.

The fundamental economic principles and structures of that bygone era were based on flawed assumptions and wrong thinking—about nature, about human potential, and about money itself.

If you want a clear picture of your priorities in life, who you are and what you care about, look at your checkbook, your credit-card bills, and bank statement.