1st Event: January 25th, 2010

Amount given away at the event: $42



In order to make peace, we need to learn how to share. I have made a committment to practice sharing by giving away a portion of my own money every month to someone else in support of who they are. How much, and who, is determined through honest, heartfelt conversation.

On January 25th, 2010, four other people gathered with me to run the first official experiment of giving a portion of my own money to someone else in support and solidarity for community and sharing.

The idea and intent behind this ceremony, was to demonstrate that we, as people, can choose to take interest in each other, and water each others dreams with love, support, and even money. To me this act is one more step towards a society that shares and understands each other.

We spent an hour and a half opening up about our lives, and then through heart felt conversation, determined which one of us present should be the recipient of the allotted amount.

Even though this time around the amount wasn't big, the quantitative figure was not that important. What really mattered, was the gesture. The gesture was a seed which was planted in people's hearts. That seed can eventually grow into very large sharings and offerings. At least that's my vision.

As a group, we discovered together that it isn't easy to make a request for support. We realized that actually, there has been so much negative programing and disempowerment around ones own needs and dreams, that it was quite challenging for people to express what they could use the money for in their own lives. The tendancy was to base requests on who it was perceivedd was in need of most charity. However, we tried to abandon that sense of charity, and instead delved more into a realm of vision, to determine as visionaries, who our hearts told us to award the money to. This in no way indicated that the ones not chosen were less important. As a group we had to make a decision to distribute the amount in some way, and we did, honorably and in full agreement.

After some initial opening up, each person openly expressed who they felt should be the recipient of the money, and why they felt that way. This forced all of us to be very honest with ourselves and each other. We learned a lot about our own inhibitions and discomforts.

In the end we were able to come to an agreement quite easily. It was an amazing feeling for me to be able to sit with a group of people and practice being a community that takes a vested interest in the fate of other people's lives. In giving my money away, I felt that I gained tremendously. I can't wait to do it again next month.

Peace

Money Is Water

Money is not Power!
It is like water to a plant.
That which gets watered grows.
That from which it is whitheld
withers and dies.
Water that which you love.
Water actions of love, and love will grow.

That is the business of tomorrow!
That is investing in the future!

It makes no sense to hoard it.

Money is water.
Let if flow.