“Money is a lot like water. It flows in and out of our lives. It can gush like a raging river or come through our lives like a tiny little trickle.”
These wise words were spoken by a woman named Gertrude, a housekeeper from Harlem. Her story comes from The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist, one of my all-time favorite money books.
While Gertrude didn’t have much money, and would be considered poor by most people, she knew she had the power to let money flow into her life. She also knew that she could pass that money on in a way that made the world a better place. The night Lynne Twist met Gertrude, she generously let the $50 she made that day washing clothes flow through her as a donation to end world hunger.
I’ve thought a lot about Gertrude’s story over the past couple of years, and I have to agree. Money is a lot like water. When we spend money, it doesn’t disappear. It moves and flows like water to the next person who is receiving it.
What would be possible if we were more conscious about the flow of our money?
Instead of waiting for it to flow in, and unconsciously letting it flow out, how would our world be different if we all spent and received money in a way that made the world a better place?
One of the most important acknowledgements we can make with our money is knowing that we have the power to use it for good.
We each have a choice about how to interact with money. When we spend in a way that supports people and causes we care about, we change the world. I know this sounds big, but follow the flow of money with me for just a moment.
Say I have $100 and I pay my hairdresser, Stephanie, to cut and color my hair. If I lived in a world of scarcity, I would think the money is gone. But there is so much more to the story!
Stephanie takes the $100 and buys flowers for her mom. The flower shop owner uses the $100 to get a massage. The massage therapist spends $100 to advertise in a local magazine, who just so happens to be my client. They spend the $100 on bookkeeping services, so the $100 returns to me.
The best part is the same $100 has multiplied 5 times and has turned into $500 of income for 5 different people, and these 5 people have received something in return.
Related post: Three Ways To Transform Your Money Mindset
Money within a micro-community
This is an example of what I call a micro-community. It illustrates how quickly and easily money can regenerate, multiply, and flow. It is the most simplistic way to look at the energy behind money.
You see, money is simply a tool that allows us to barter and trade. Money is a piece of paper symbolizing the energy you expend providing a service, or the gratitude you feel for the service someone provides to you.
Our economy is built on us generating services for one another. The flow of money relies on us spending and receiving. When I spend money with my clients, my clients will have more to spend with me. I love to think of this like reimbursements from the Universe.
I used to have a strict rule of no trade. As the whirlwind of the pandemic unfolded, I was feeling the fear and uncertainty that every business owner was experiencing. I realized I needed coaching services to help me navigate the changes that were happening. But I was scared to spend the money.
What if I didn’t have enough?
Then I remembered that my coach mentioned she really wanted to go through my money mentoring program, but needed to wait until she had the money.
So, we decided to purchase each other’s services. We are exchanging 3 payments of $1,111. We have just created $3,333 of income for each other and we are getting services we both want and need. How does it get better than that?
Micro-communities can be as small as two people exchanging payments for services, or as large as a town. The key to creating these micro-communities is to be deliberate in how you spend and receive.
When we are scared to spend, and live in fear that there will never be enough, we stop the natural flow of money. Now I am not saying it is irresponsible to save money, or to frivolously spend. Quite the contrary. I believe that conscious spending and receiving is one of the most empowering and transformative actions we can take to change the world.
What can you do right now to generate and support micro-communities?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Hire a friend or someone in your network for services you need
- Ask yourself how you can be of service to others (paid and not paid) and take action!
- Buy from your local farmers markets
- Seek out and encourage micro-communities that support you and your needs
- Order take out from local restaurants
- Bank at a local credit union or community bank
- Buy gift cards from your favorite businesses that are struggling right now
Money is always expanding. Because our ability to create and be of service is limitless, so is money. Money is infinite. Money loves to flow.
One of my favorite emojis on my phone is the money with angel wings. I love to think of money coming in and going out like a feather happily dancing in the wind.
If you trust in the flow and realize how money regenerates, it is simply a matter of time and making some deliberate choices before the money you “spent” comes back to you.
Want to learn more about the flow of money? Download a free chapter of my bookThe Land of Plenty: A Soulpreneur’s Guide to Finding Joy, Possibility, and Abundance through Money Empowerment at www.moneyempowermentproject.com.
Carolynn Bottino is an author, speaker, and founder of the Money Empowerment Project®. Her international best-selling book of The Land of Plenty: A Soulpreneur’s Guide to Finding Joy, Possibility and Abundance through Money Empowerment was featured on the Spirited Woman’s top 12 book pick list for 2020.
After empowering more than 100 clients in her bookkeeping business, she discovered her passion helping soulpreneurs find joy around their money. Carolynn approaches money from a practical and holistic standpoint, with no judgement, helping you find abundance and transform your relationship with money.
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