The Gift Economy

A group of radicals converged upon Palm Springs this month. Led by Nipun Mehta, this unlikely band of revolutionaries turned my thinking upside down. Or maybe, I should say, right side up??

They were a part of the Association for Global New Thought's annual conference, The Evolution of Revolution. Together, they brought forth an economic model that left most of us scratching our heads: The Gift Economy.

Each member of this posse had launched a business fully grounded on the concept of giving. No price tags for services. No fundraising. No asking for resources. Ever.

Their prime directive: HOW CAN I SERVE YOU?

This is more than a corporate slogan. These visionaries had launched projects like the Karma Kitchen, where you show up and your meal is a gift. No prices listed. Your chefs and servers are all volunteers. Your meal is loaded with love. Before you leave, you are given an envelope and invited to pay it forward.

Then there was Silas Hagerty, who started a film company based on a documentary he had produced. SmoothFeather Productions operates on the gift-economy model.

I left their session awestruck at their courage and faith. But more than that, I could feel the passion and joy they were experiencing in giving their gifts so purely to the world. Their stories woke up something in me.

What if, as the What If Up Club continues to grow and expand, we make a commitment to this "gift economy" concept? What if everyone who leads and participates does so purely out of a desire to expand possibilities and uplift the world? What if others join in, gifting their talents, so that there is virtually no overhead for sustaining a global organization?

I returned home from Palm Springs to find a package in my mailbox. It was from "EfferVaCious," a member of our What If Up online community out of Surrey, Canada. When she first joined our online community, I helped her "What If Up" the growth of her clothing line, and have since connected with her commitment to finding work that supports her in putting her family first.

Wrapped in beautiful tissue paper and ribbons, I found a beautiful gift... Something from her clothing line (See picture above!). It's light, comfortable, stylish, and right there over my gut, the words: passion, courage and vision. Can you imagine any better words to have there at your core?

It occurred to me, we are creating gift economies. Maybe not consciously, like Nipun and his friends, but simply as a natural expression of the consciousness of gratitude.

I took the picture above last night at our Austin What If Up Club, next to Anneliese, who tirelessly promotes our gathering at Unity of the Hills each month. She gives her gifts so I can bring mine.

There is a new economy being born. It is grounded in gratitude. It is sustained by faith. It is fueled by passion. It requires courage and vision. And it is absolutely recession proof.

What do you have to give today??