I have felt drawn to gift economy for a long time, since I first learned about it close to a decade ago. It just feels right deep in my bones, like how we are meant to relate. And I resonate so fully with the thought that relationships of reciprocity are the only true security we can build in this life. Who will come when you fall down? They will come if you have been there for them.
And yet.
I find it so so hard, so far impossible, to lean all the way into this.
I have tried, and found that people think things lack value when they are given for free. Or when I've tried "give what you want" models, people have felt uncomfortable and confused. Our conditioning that the higher the cost = the higher the value runs deep.
But reading your piece, I feel reinvigorated to explore this more.
I am currently offering my one-on-one empathy and presence support to someone as a gift, and giving a workshop on Sunday as a gift as well.
Sometimes I get caught up wondering if I don't value my work enough to charge for it, if I don't believe in myself, because that's what marketing people say.
Sure, sometimes I have imposter syndrome.
But when I am in the moment, actually giving of my gifts, I feel so very and deeply sure of their value and magic.
YESSSS!! I couldn't agree more about the reciprocity- I feel like we've been moving from the individual space for so long that we've forgotten about the strength and wholeness of the collective.
AND when it comes to my business I take gifting and charging on a case by case basis and what feels really good. All I can do is move from there and give the invitation. So in some cases I give away my courses for free or do a trade and in other cases I offer the payment because that feels right.
I ran a local business for 10 years prior to moving online and now I have a hybrid and that was a piece of this puzzle that I wanted to tackle in this article but didn't have it formulated yet- because:
1. This concept is so much easier to practice when you're embedded and moving from your local community right- it's easy to see a neighbor and hear their problems and say I have a solution and feel into whether payment or reciprocity is the most helpful in that situation.
2. BUT we live in a global economy where we're fortunate to get to speak with people from across the world (but that also makes the engrained deeper relationships harder)
Then this narrative swept the space of "value yourself and your work and if you're not charging you're not doing yourself and others a disservice." And when I bring it all together it honestly makes me mad because it doesn't feel true to me.
I also think we're told to put so much weight on this one thing so instead I've become aware and opened myself up to many sources of income which makes it even easier to gift and share with others because I'm not putting so much pressure on the one thing.
I certainly don't have the answers but that's what came up for me and because of that article I now like to move from the question: 'how can this best help sustain life and enhance the quality of the world?’ in any given moment/a case by case basis instead of a forever decision.
Megan thank you for writing this!!
I have felt drawn to gift economy for a long time, since I first learned about it close to a decade ago. It just feels right deep in my bones, like how we are meant to relate. And I resonate so fully with the thought that relationships of reciprocity are the only true security we can build in this life. Who will come when you fall down? They will come if you have been there for them.
And yet.
I find it so so hard, so far impossible, to lean all the way into this.
I have tried, and found that people think things lack value when they are given for free. Or when I've tried "give what you want" models, people have felt uncomfortable and confused. Our conditioning that the higher the cost = the higher the value runs deep.
But reading your piece, I feel reinvigorated to explore this more.
I am currently offering my one-on-one empathy and presence support to someone as a gift, and giving a workshop on Sunday as a gift as well.
Sometimes I get caught up wondering if I don't value my work enough to charge for it, if I don't believe in myself, because that's what marketing people say.
Sure, sometimes I have imposter syndrome.
But when I am in the moment, actually giving of my gifts, I feel so very and deeply sure of their value and magic.
As you can see, lots of thoughts about this.
Thank you for bringing this conversation to us.
YESSSS!! I couldn't agree more about the reciprocity- I feel like we've been moving from the individual space for so long that we've forgotten about the strength and wholeness of the collective.
AND when it comes to my business I take gifting and charging on a case by case basis and what feels really good. All I can do is move from there and give the invitation. So in some cases I give away my courses for free or do a trade and in other cases I offer the payment because that feels right.
I ran a local business for 10 years prior to moving online and now I have a hybrid and that was a piece of this puzzle that I wanted to tackle in this article but didn't have it formulated yet- because:
1. This concept is so much easier to practice when you're embedded and moving from your local community right- it's easy to see a neighbor and hear their problems and say I have a solution and feel into whether payment or reciprocity is the most helpful in that situation.
2. BUT we live in a global economy where we're fortunate to get to speak with people from across the world (but that also makes the engrained deeper relationships harder)
Then this narrative swept the space of "value yourself and your work and if you're not charging you're not doing yourself and others a disservice." And when I bring it all together it honestly makes me mad because it doesn't feel true to me.
I also think we're told to put so much weight on this one thing so instead I've become aware and opened myself up to many sources of income which makes it even easier to gift and share with others because I'm not putting so much pressure on the one thing.
I certainly don't have the answers but that's what came up for me and because of that article I now like to move from the question: 'how can this best help sustain life and enhance the quality of the world?’ in any given moment/a case by case basis instead of a forever decision.
“I store my meat in the belly of my brother” 😭
Amazing right?? She shared how much that concept has impacted her!