Random Acts of Kindness For The Earth

Here are some gift ideas for our Earth this Christmas (and the rest of the year of course). If we are all mindful of these things, we can make a huge difference! These are also fun challenges to set for the New Year, in case you are looking for rewarding and meaningful New Year's resolutions. And a hidden bonus: a gift to the earth is always a gift to yourself as well. 

1. Don't buy gifts this Christmas; or even stop buying stuff altogether
This is one of the most effective ways to help the earth, with many personal rewards (financial, emotional, mental and spiritual). Instead of giving gifts, you can give your time, love, attention and affection to show how much you care. Or get creative and make some gifts!
If you want a more hardcore challenge and an even bigger positive impact and reward, see the Stop shopping Challenge for more details on how to get started, and the entire section on moneyless living on this blog. Most societies throw away enough for you to live comfortably without ever spending any money. It includes all you need (food, clothes, etc) and even all the things you don't really need.

2. Appreciate nature
Most of us take our beautiful planet and all of its resources for granted most of the time, because we are not in tune (=disconnected) and get too distracted by other (trivial) matters. So go outside and enjoy the fresh air, the trees, the flowers, animals, insects, and everything else that makes our home planet unique.

3. Check out the environmental footprint of your next or latest purchase
The result may surprise you. For example, some of the clothes we buy have a huge environmental impact. Did you know that it takes about 1800 gallons of water to grow enough cotton to make just one pair of jeans? The production of clothes also contributes quite significantly to air pollution and the pollution of rivers. That’s a good reason to shop second-hand. I have not bought more than 5 new clothing items (including shoes/excluding underwear) in the last 20 years. I think that is doable for everyone with all the great secondhand shops everywhere. Clothing swaps are another option if you like to update your wardrobe regularly.
When checking the environmental impact of a product, make sure you include all steps of the process: pre-production, production, distribution, delivery, consumption (including durability and environmental impacts of using the item) and waste (e.g. packaging/non-recyclable parts). If you still want or need the product, there may be ways to reduce your environmental footprint by choosing a different brand/company, or making it yourself.

4. Reduce your dependence on utility companies, or move off the grid (eventually)
You can save water by having shorter showers (or keeping your body clean by swimming in the ocean / river / lake), hand-washing your clothes, and growing plants that suit your local climate (and don't need as much water). If you are looking for lifestyle changes rather than one-off random acts of kindness, you can even take steps towards moving off the grid, or practice being more self-sufficient. For example, you could start collecting rain water and use it to water your veggie garden.

5. Ride your bicycle or walk
European cars emit around 120 grams of CO2 per kilometer. You can save one pound of CO2 for each mile. Plus cycling and walking are way more fun and good for your health! I will write a post about the joys of walking and cycling soon.

6. Pick up trash when you see it
Always carry a bag to gather trash you may find on your way. You may even find usable stuff! You can find the strangest things out in the wild.

7. Consider your diet
Aim for locally-grown, organic, in season, unpackaged and mostly plant-based foods. It's good for the earth, and good for you.

More ideas to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle can be found here and more information about reducing your environmental footprint can be found here. Or get inspired by this list with more  Random acts of kindness (probably a bit more random than the ideas in this post).

Let me know if anything is missing from the list, or what your commitment will be this Christmas / for the upcoming year / the rest of your life.

💚 Happy holidays! 💚

My 3-Year Moneyless Journey In Review

It has been almost three years since I started the Stop Shopping Challenge, and since I started this blog. Also, with my PhD almost coming to an end, I feel that this is a perfect time for review.

Granted, I have not lived 100% moneyless for the entire time (only for about 2.5 years with some breaks in between), and I have not lived solely off of nature (without any help from others) for more than a few days. For example, I have still used tap water for most of the time and (public) internet connections. This is why I prefer to define the journey as a 'rewilding' experience. But what's in the name, right? For me it is the experience that counts.

The experience was about letting go of the attachment to money. The way I chose to do this was to find ways to live 100% without bills and without spending money (with just a few exceptions).  Because living moneyless took the focus off of money, it allowed me to reconnect to everything that brings real, tangible value to my life: friendships (with humans and other animals), food, nature, meditation, etc.

We all grow up with and get used to the idea that money is what gives us access to everything we need. Over the years, we start to (unconsciously) desire money and we forget our true desires. In exchange for choosing money over everything else, we lose our connection with everything that has real, inherent value. Nature, love, friendships, time (being present). It becomes an unconscious fixation and obsession for most of us that gets connected to everything we do. We start living more in the future rather than in the now; always working for a better life somewhere down the track.

We don't realize how deep this (dis-)connection goes until we start letting go of it. We long for money because we think it buys us what we really need and desire, but in fact it is a sham. Money has no value and chasing empty goals can only bring misery in the end. When we let go of this illusion, we can see clearly once again.

Here are some of the things that my moneyless journey has helped me do.

Being mindful and observant
I see more because I was not part of the system for a while. This new way of life has given me a new perspective for looking at the world. It is easier to observe the forest when you are not walking through it. It is easier to see the water when you are not submerged in it. And similarly, it is easier to observe society when you step back and cease to participate in it for a while.

Living in the moment
Without the fear of losing a job or the pressure of having to make money to survive (knowing I can always count on nature), it is far easier to relax and enjoy the moment. Stress is a thing of the past when we can live the way nature intended: without worries about the future, in the abundance of what nature provides, flowing with the seasons. I have also learned to have more patience and to accept (or love) things as they are, which is easy to do once you see that nothing is static but rather in a constant state of change... no matter how slow. I have learned to trust life and to believe in miracles. I know everything that needs to happen will happen in due time. This doesn't mean I have become complacent. I have learned to step up to the plate when I am able to do something to help another being without causing harm. And when it is clearly not up to me, then I have learned to let go without losing sight of what part I could help with. When I feel a strong need for change, I won't assume it is beyond my control without trying first. Thinking outside the box encourages me find new ways to help.

Appreciating what I have
Gratitude is something that developed within me naturally on this journey. In my experience, money often brings a sense of entitlement, and it can result in people taking things (as well as each other) for granted. When you live in closer contact with nature and observe keenly, you realize that while everything is given freely, you are not entitled to anything and nature doesn't owe you anything. Neither do other people. Therefore everything is grace, and while I remain conscious of this I don't take anything for granted. Habit can make people unconscious, and that is when we stop appreciating things and other beings. When we get too comfortable, habit slips in. And habit destroys our consciousness. Don't let your comforts lull you to sleep.

Building character
One of the biggest benefits of this journey was that it helped me to be the best version of myself. It inspired me to look within constantly, and to look at the way I relate to other people. It inspired me to have high standards of myself in my relationships with other people, because this way of life connects me to people in a different way. This lifestyle clearly demonstrates our interdependence - with each other as well as with other species - and it motivates me to be at my best and to help others whenever I can. Also, working on myself, exploring the boundless depths of my being and uncovering all that I am is the best way I can contribute to a better world.

Currently, I am still living mostly moneyless, living mainly off of food from supermarket dumpsters, supplemented with foraged and homegrown foods. I still dive at least two times a week, and preferably daily. I still marvel at the waste of society and will never forget what I have come to understand about society and money. However, at the same time moneyless living is no longer a compulsive goal for me at this time. This doesn't mean I will give it up in the near future, even though perhaps I may become less rigid about it for a while.

Having said that, I am still aiming to set up a sustainable, self-sufficient home base somewhere. I have no desire to be part of a system that doesn't serve me (nor other people, other species or nature). I will not give up the consciousness and awareness I gained through this experience. I will stay present and remain aware and observant. I will keep my eyes open to the truth, and see what is happening around me, beyond how it is presented to us by the media or people in power who have a vested interest in certain perspectives being pushed onto the public. I will keep questioning everything so that I can keep living my own truth, and not anyone else's.

Thanks to Dörte Giebel for this picture :)

(You may also enjoy reading The Moneyless Mindset vs. the Exchange Mindset: What moneyless living has taught me)

Foraging Challenge Attempt Number 1

Last week I attempted the Foraging Challenge for the first time, and I already quit on the third day. Here are my notes so that I can try again and hopefully get better results next time. The challenge was to live for one week on foraged foods only. Since this time I did not complete the full week, the challenge still stands, to be completed at a later time. This blog post is intended to show that foraging is not as easy as it might seem!

I also did not manage to forage all of my water intake, although I did learn to source and filter water, and I am planning to make a water filter for when I attempt this challenge next.

A review of my week

Day 1: Monday 20 June 2016
I started the day with some red clovers. In the evening I had some yarrow tea and a large mixed salad with Lamb's Quarters, Hemp nettle and chickweed.

Notes: I noticed how accustomed I had gotten to eating all the time. I have a lot of food around me everywhere due to all the food I keep rescuing from supermarkets day after day. This has made me very careless about my food intake. I noticed how often I would almost automatically reach for a bag of cookies, nuts or berries, just because it was there. Maybe this is why I felt quite hungry on the first day. Also I had a  slight headache on the evening of day 1, although I am not sure if this is related. Perhaps I was detoxing or slightly dehydrated. I think I did not drink enough water. However, I also felt lighter, and more focused and energetic - probably also related to eating less.

Day 2: Tuesday
I felt like eating something salty today, so I went to collect seaweed at low tide, which I ate straight from the sea. I tried a handful of gut weed (Ulva intestinalis). It tasted okay, but it soaks up quite a lot of sea water, which is not particularly healthy. I also rinsed some before eating it, but I found it ruined the taste and texture a bit. I also tried some rockweed (Fucus gardneri), which was surprisingly tasty and crunchy.

I found some wild roses on the way, so I picked some of the petals for my evening salad. I ended up with a beautiful salad with a base of chickweed and some lamb's quarters, hemp nettle, rose petals, ox-eye daisy and even common lady's mantle. I also tried out a few very young (green) large-leaved linden seeds during the day. Those were surprisingly tasty!

Notes:
No headache in the evening on day 2. I did have some bouts of hunger, especially after eating the seaweed. Perhaps a coincidence. I felt light and energetic all day and my concentration and focus were significantly higher than usual. Therefore I worked productively without breaks and only minimal distractions for most of the day. I did not eat nearly enough because of that, and again did not drink enough water.

Day 3: Wednesday
Woke up feeling feverish, jittery, weak and a little bit nauseous. I felt like I had to eat something immediately but I had no foraged stock on hand, so I had to resort to my dumpstered gatherings. This is where the experiment ended. I think it was caused by slight dehydration (combination of seaweed and not drinking enough water for two days) and subsequent lowered blood pressure. Since I already have low blood pressure, my body did not handle this well.

What went wrong? What did I learn?

I think several things can be improved before my next attempt:

1. Improve my knowledge of plants: I found out I did not know enough about plants to have a varied diet. However, starting the challenge prematurely did significantly increase my knowledge of plants and helped me identify and try out new things. I always remained on the cautious side though (as one should), because even a small amount of the wrong plant can be fatal. In addition to knowing which plants are edible, I should also know what their effects are (e.g. diuretic), so that I don't inadvertently mistreat my body (see also point 2).

2. The importance of a varied and balanced diet: It is quite a challenge to get a balanced diet from foraged food, but this is the most important part. Many wild plants have strong medicinal qualities which means they should only be eaten in moderation. This also means that one cannot rely on just a few plants for survival, but should use a wide variety of plants and trees. On top of that, the food should provide enough fats, proteins and carbs. Now that is a challenge. Of course, when doing this type of survival for a week this is not as important as it would be if I would keep going for longer.

3. Hydration: I need to remember to stay hydrated. Water can be difficult to come by, so it is important to carry enough water around at all times, or to drink a lot when I have the chance. I also need a water filter and be able to make a new one at any time.

4. Try cooking some food: I ate all plants raw. This is not always a good idea and some plants are better cooked: in a stew or steamed. Drinking tea from fresh foraged herbs is also a good idea to ensure water intake.

5. Quit sugar: Our conventional diet is usually loaded with sugar. This can cause some extra difficulties when suddenly shifting to foraged food, because that usually doesn't have that much sugar (especially when berries are not in season yet). Therefore it helps to cut out any (latent) sugar addictions before getting started.

6. It takes time: It doesn't just take time to learn foraging skills, but once you start foraging, it also takes time to gather meals every day. It is important to take this time. I did not spend enough time foraging for food each day and I underestimated the effort that is needed to gather enough food to maintain optimum health (even for these few days).  Also, nature offers different kinds of food throughout the seasons, so gathering some essential items might take careful preparations too. E.g. nuts and seeds are generally only available in autumn. So, gradual shifts may be more effective in this case than radical changes.


My plan of action:

* I will be studying the local flora intensively from now on, carefully keeping track of what grows where and when it is in season. This will help me familiarize myself with the plants and how to identify them. I will learn about edible as well as inedible plants, medicinal effects and poisonous parts.

* I will continue to eat foraged food in addition to dumpstered food so that I can get used to eating and preparing wild plants and encourage myself to continue learning more.

* I will consciously minimize my sugar intake from now on.

* I also want to learn about natural cleansing practices, because I think my body has accumulated a lot of toxins over the years from eating conventional food (as well as dumpstered foods). I am looking for a black walnut tree so that I can make a tincture to take on my travels as well, but I have not found one yet.

Interviewed By Maaike Wijnstra (Dutchies)

Link to the original full interview text (in Dutch).

Name: Liselotte Roosen
Age: 34
Living in: Trondheim, Norway
Since: 28 September 2014

Personal life

How did you end up in Norway?
At the beginning of 2014 I lost my job as a psychologist due to pneumonia (caused by burnout) and I decided it was time for something new; I didn't want to work as a psychologist anymore. In August 2014 I got two job offers at once: one as a teacher of psychology at a women's university in Riyadh and the other as a PhD candidate in environmental psychology (climate change and art) at Trondheim's university in Norway. After much deliberation (it was a difficult decision), eventually I opted for Norway, because I was hoping that having a PhD would lead to even more job opportunities in the future.

Why did you decide to move to Norway? (and what was the deciding factor)
I knew for a fact that I didn't want to stay in The Netherlands... ever. The Netherlands lacks space, nature and mountains. I never really felt at home there. There are too many people, too much red tape (due to the multitude of rules and regulations) and there is too much pollution. The weather in the Netherlands is also not that great, although Norway is not much better in that respect. The winters here are very long, cold and dark. This was the main reason I was not sure about the move at first. But eventually I decided to go, mainly because temporary nature of the job, which can also result in a PhD. The contract was for three years. This suits me quite well because I like change (and after this I can always decide to go to Riyadh if I would really want to). So I went mainly for the job and not so much for the country, even though almost everything here is better than in the Netherlands, but that is true for almost every other country in my view.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Norway compared to The Netherlands?
The advantages are that there is plenty of space due to the low population density, the mountains and the (relatively clean and abundant) nature. The disadvantages are the long, cold, dark winters, but that is not just compared to the Netherlands, but compared to all the countries I lived in. Also I find it relatively difficult to make friends here and to find like-minded people. That is tough, because now more than ever I feel a strong need to connect with others who have similar views, although the blog helps a bit in that respect.

Do you feel like there is more understanding for your lifestyle in Norway than in the Netherlands?
Not necessarily... although it is difficult to compare because I mostly got serious with moneyless living after I moved to Norway. However, it does seem to me that people in the Netherlands are generally more aware of environmental issues than the people here. Maybe that's because there is so little nature left in the Netherlands (less than 12%) and therefore people might feel more inclined to protect what is left and to get environmentally engaged. Of course it also helps if you have traveled somewhat to other places. Otherwise you may not realize that anything is missing.

Life without money

How did you come across the no-money lifestyle?
I came up with the idea after I had started dumpster diving almost daily, before I came to Norway. I liked it so much that I kept going after I moved here and got a little bit obsessed with it, because I saw so much good food being thrown away daily. Next I started to apply the idea of 'living on leftovers' to more and more aspects of my life. This is how eventually I ended up living 100% moneyless (=without spending anything). It wasn't until I started my blog that I heard about others who were also living the moneyless lifestyle; most notably Daniel Suelo and Mark Boyle. I hope to meet them someday.

How did you get started living moneyless? What are the first practical changes you made?
The first step on my journey was dumpster diving and it was inspired by environmental activist Rob Greenfield. I had been following him for about two years via Facebook and I was very inspired by his lifestyle, because he is always following his passions in everything he does and that makes him free, in contrast to most people, who believe they have to work to make a living and they have to own a home. This idea more or less gets spoon-fed to us from an early age and I think that that (in part) leads many people to give up on their dreams and even forget about them altogether.

When did you decide to take it to the next level and really want to live without money?
At the end of November 2014 I decided to take up the challenge to live entirely without spending money (other than rent), because I saw that it was possible. Shortly after that (at the start of the summer in 2015) I figured I could also try to find free housing, Around August 2015 I found a family who kindly offered me their spare room. I lived there for a few months and after about three months I moved to a farm where I got my own little cabin, with a bathroom and kitchen in the nearby barn.

What are some of the first things you realized you did not really need?
It started with the realization that I did not need to buy anything, because everything that is sold in supermarkets can also be found in the dumpsters. I have found absolutely everything there, including cleaning products and hygiene products. Even (functioning) rechargeable batteries and a charger! But the challenge has also made me question my need for all of these products. It made me ask myself the question whether I could live without, or what I would do if I would somehow run out or no longer have access to certain things. And then it turns out that most of us really don't need so much. For example, I discovered that we don't really need laundry detergent to wash our clothes. Also most hygiene products are completely unnecessary and even harmful for the body and for the environment. And recently I also came to the conclusion that we don't really need the food that is sold in supermarkets, because much more nutritious foods can be found in nature. And of course the process of finding out we don't need as much as we think we do doesn't limit itself to products: for example I also know now that I don't really need a job - and perhaps that is the most liberating discovery of all.

Can you describe what the core of moneyless living is to you?
In the beginning it was mostly about no longer wanting to contribute to the destruction of the earth via the products that I was buying. For example, if I buy a pineapple in Norway, then I know that it had to travel a long way and that I am therefore contributing to the pollution that comes with that.Or if I buy new clothes, then I know that I probably indirectly support the exploitation of workers, perhaps even child labor, and again a lot of pollution. If I buy non-organic produce I am contributing to the extinction of bees, which would mean that many plant species would disappear. I no longer wanted to carry that heavy burden and I also no longer wanted to do so much research every time I wanted to buy something to make sure that it was a sustainable choice. So when I saw that there was a way out of this destructive cycle, because so much food (and other products) gets wasted on a daily basis, I went for it. And of course another great benefit was that I could save 100% of my income to build an eco-home or to start an eco-village in the future.
While I was living moneyless I discovered that there are many more advantages to this lifestyle, which are all the result of developing a new perspective on the world. Money promotes an exchange mentality (a calculated mindset of doing each other favors to get something in return). If you live moneyless then you can slowly let go of that mindset and then you notice how much impact it has on everything you do. That mindset has made its way into almost everything now with most people.

What is your ultimate goal?
For me the goal is total freedom and my mission on a larger scale is bringing awareness to the destruction that we are all contributing to. I hope that I can inspire people to consider making changes in their lifestyle, or at least show them that it is possible to choose another way. Many people consider the status quo as their only option. Before I got started on my journey, I also thought there was no way out. And that is a very depressing and discouraging view of life, especially if you want to give your life meaning and contribute something of value to the earth (instead of just the economy).

You get a lot of questions about how you are living without money, but you are still using facilities that other people pay for. What is your opinion on this?
It is true that I am still using certain facilities that have been paid for by others. For example, I am still using internet and water/electricity, which is paid for by the owners of the farm where I live. In addition I make use of roads and other public structures. However, for me it is irrelevant that these were paid for; it does not make my moneyless life somehow less moneyless. The reason is that when people make this comment, they often mean that they think you are some kind of parasite: leaning on others for support without really contributing anything of your own.
But the purpose of my lifestyle is not to get everything for free and make my life easier. The purpose is also not to do everything by myself without the help of others and be completely independent (although I would probably have the knowledge to survive without anyone’s help for quite a while). The goal and purpose of my lifestyle is to free myself from the structures and constructs that are destructive to the earth – and unfortunately it appears that money is one of those.
If everyone would live the way I do, then of course these comments would not matter anymore, because then everybody would live for free. People would contribute to society because they believe what they are doing to be important, instead of just to make money. Unfortunately my lifestyle is not that common yet that people instantly know what it is like and what it entails. Many people also have wrong assumptions about it and incorrect associations with it.
People often seem to fear that if there would be no money, there would be more people who will no longer contribute to society in any way and therefore take advantage of other people’s hard work. I think this will not be the case. Of course there are always people who will want to lean on others and abuse the system, with or without money. But I think that in a moneyless society this will happen less. That’s because in a world without money, there are a lot more natural (and direct) consequences for inefficient behavior. For example, if your community is in a potential flooding area because it lies below sea level (such as parts of the Netherlands), then it is important for the group to make sure that the dikes and dams remain strong enough. Everyone will be motivated to contribute to this, because it is a common interest and everyone will be equally affected when things go wrong. If everyone would just rely on others to do the work, and there were only a few people left doing everything, then eventually they would get fed up and start a community elsewhere, leaving those lazy people to fend for themselves. It is the same with food: everyone will need to go get their own food and look after the food forests, because that is what sustains you. The links between between actions and consequences are much more straightforward and it is much more likely that there are natural consequences for unhelpful or selfish behavior. It is much fairer that way. In a society that uses money there is also a lot of hidden laziness: people who simply pay others so that they don’t have to do anything constructive, and even people who do have a job, but a job that only causes damage.

At the moment you have a job and you are saving all your money. You want to quit working towards the end of 2017. I am curious:
1. What will you do with the money? Three years of salary is quite a lot of money.
Yes, that is correct :)  I am not sure what I will do yet exactly... Originally I wanted to save up so that I would be able to buy a block of land and start an eco-community, but because of my new lifestyle and new perspectives on life I am not so sure now. If I buy something, then I will be locked into costs again (and once again connected to money) and that is the very thing I wanted to give up and get rid of. So probably I will keep it available as a plan B, but first I will see what life will be like living the nomadic lifestyle, living completely on what nature provides.

2. What will you do with your time?
I would love to take up a nomadic lifestyle for a while, traveling to many different places and learning all about plants along the way (living off the land). For my next project (hopefully starting next year) I am planning to travel from Norway to Spain, either on foot or on horseback. I am already searching for a suitable (free) horse. Horses are given away here on a regular basis, because it is very expensive to keep them. Most of the ones that are given away are retired horses from the sport's industry, or very young and inexperienced horses. I can keep a horse for free at the farm where I live if I find a suitable horse.
I may travel to more countries as well. I would love to complete the silk route one day, also preferably on horseback. It seems like an epic journey! And while traveling I can give (free) workshops and lectures to further spread the word about alternative lifestyles and moneyless living. This is what I would like to devote the rest of my life to: to the well-being of the earth and to promoting and inspiring a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

What is most difficult about your lifestyle at the moment? Are there any issues, concerns or obstacles you've come across?
Strangely enough I can't really think of any difficulties of this lifestyle, other than the growing fear that humanity is destroying too much nature (and will continue to do so), which threatens my way of life and that of many other life forms (including the lives of everyone who is contributing to it)... I think many other beings must be feeling this also. There is less and less undisturbed space and increasingly less room for nature to thrive and flourish. Yet it is nature that gives life to us all. Not the supermarket, not the companies and certainly not the state or government.
But that is the global perspective. Personally I have especially noticed that my life has become a lot simpler and easier and that I am a happier person and feel free. However, I can imagine that if I would get very sick (or if I would already have some serious disease) it could get a little more difficult. Therefore I am learning about natural and herbal medicine and I am trying to look after myself as best as I can. Also, I think that the average lifestyle is much more devastating to health than mine, so even that would not be a reason to give up on my dream. In any case I would do all I can to continue living this way, no matter what happens.

Our discussion on Facebook triggered quite a few reactions when you say you live your life in this way. What are the reactions of the people around you? And in the beginning?
At first most people around me thought I had lost my mind :) but fortunately this changed very quickly. When it turned out that everything I planned to do was possible, my friends and family were very pleasantly surprised and also proud of me that I made it happen (they didn't believe it was possible). On Facebook there are fortunately also a lot of positive responses, but for some people living moneyless is still too big a step. I do empathize with those people on some level, because for me the process was also gradual, so it is understandable when other people (especially if they haven't followed the blog from the beginning) don't always understand how you could do and see things differently than the usual way.

What would you like to offer the world? What changes would you like to manifest?
I would like to see us (humanity) interact with nature in a different way. That we once again consider ourselves to be one with the ecosystem we live in and that we become more aware of the resources we are using. And that once again we start to take responsibility again for the consequences of our choices for example with the kinds of purchases we make and the companies we support. I would like to see humans regain some of their self-sustainability, because that will make the world more sustainable as well. I'd like to see humanity focus more on long-term effects and solutions, instead of clutching onto the usual "throw-away" mentality. That we will once again explore how each of us can add real value to the earth, instead of just in terms of financial contributions. And that the interest of the earth is once again our main concern instead of just self-interest.
I think that moneyless living is a very suitable way to achieve all of these effects, because if you see nature as your most important and primary resource (which of course it is), then you will automatically appreciate it more and be driven to protect it.

For you, living moneyless equals freedom. But isn't it true that many people believe that the exact opposite is true? That they can use money to 'buy' their freedom, so that they can afford doing the things they really want to do or so that they can retire early?
That is true; that is the current trend and belief. And I used to believe this too. But now I see that it is actually a trap; a trap to keep people in the system. Of course there is a lot you can do if you have money, but I can do the same things without money (especially if you value experiences rather than things). And also: what is the price? If I do the things I want to do without spending money, then I don't need to earn money first and so I actually have the time to do those things. With a full-time job and high costs of living you may have money to spend, but you don't have the time anymore to do all the things you may want to do. Then you can only do things that really matter to you in weekends and during holidays. That means your life is suddenly substantially shorter! Now I can do the things that matter to me whenever I want to. Not just at some time in the future when I am retired, but now! I can even dedicate my life to a cause of my choosing.
Also, I can retire right now if I wanted to. I don't have to save up money for years, because money is not a necessity for me anymore. I don't need to stay in a job that doesn't really give me a sense of fulfillment and that doesn't give me the feeling I am contributing anything valuable. Without the need for money, nobody would do those jobs anymore. The world would be a very different place. We wouldn't have to do work that pollutes the earth. Instead we could quit working and dedicate our lives to looking after the planet and do all other things that really matter.

Working hard to eventually retire is not freedom. It is delayed freedom. You never know when it will happen. If the rules change (for example if the state pension age goes up), then it may take longer than expected, and it's not even in your hands. Someone who is free, is not bound by rules. Whatever the rules may be, I can always retire whenever I want.

That is freedom.

You point out that living without money to you means living without stress. How does that work? Because I personally (and I think many others also) feel a lot of stress when I have no money. When I don't know what I will be eating tomorrow and when I have no money to buy anything, then the pressure is very high to find a way to make money. Then it would be really comforting to be able to go to the shop to buy something.
Yes! You hit the nail on the head :) If you don't have any money, it gives you stress because we have not learned to take care of ourselves. This also makes it very stressful if you lose your job (or if the possibility exists). But what if you can just take care of yourself and you know where you can get food? What if you know that you can always rely on nature for your next meal? Then you don't have stress anymore, because you know you are always safe. You can always take care of yourself, also when the government or the system lets you down. And the system lets people down all the time. It happens every day.
If you know how to live without money, then it won't matter if you lose your job. If the supermarkets don't have any food in stock because of some environmental or political crisis, it also doesn't matter. You no longer depend on the supermarket.

Do you still visit the Netherlands sometimes? And how do you travel without money?
I have visited the Netherlands briefly last year to attend a conference (it was a work visit so the university covered the travel costs), but I was glad it was only for a few days. I noticed that the air pollution was bothering me a lot, especially on the first day. I think that happened because I was no longer used to it. When we are exposed to it all the time, we don't notice it so much anymore. This is another danger of what is happening to the earth right now: changes are gradual and so we get used to it and that makes it seem less bad than it actually is.
By the way, after I complete my job next year I will aim to travel solely by bike, (hitch)hiking, or on horseback.

Tips

Can you write a short step-by-step guide for the average consumer like me, to save money and to spend less?
1. Dumpster diving is a very good start. This is how I got started as well. (Foraging is an alternative if you don't have dumpsters nearby).
2. After this you can work on finding free alternatives for all your expenses, step by step. Every time you spend money, you can ask yourself: Do I really need this? And if so: How can I fulfill this need without spending money? And then it is a matter of trial and error; experimenting; getting creative.
3. Every alternative you come up with can also be tested for the sustainability factor. If it is not more sustainable than the ordinary way of doing things, then it may not be very valuable. It may not give you that lasting sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. You will see that if you choose to do things that are really good for the earth, they will also be good for you!

Finally, here are some links with more information, with practical tips to get started with the moneyless lifestyle:
More about the Stop-Shopping-Challenge, which started everything
More about Dumpster diving
More about Free Housing
More about the Moneyless Mindset
More about freedom (living free)

We Are All Aboriginal

Today is National Aboriginal Day in Canada and I would like to take this opportunity to explain why this matters - a lot - to all of us.

We are all aboriginal
We all used to live off the land and have enough knowledge about nature that we could support ourselves. We all used to live in small communities with appreciation for the land and without having to 'own' anything or pay rent. We all used to live in harmony with nature; supporting creation rather than contributing to destruction. We all used to know what it really means to contribute to the earth and to fulfill our roles as human beings; protectors of nature overseeing and maintaining the balance in the ecosystem with as little intervention as possible.

And then something changed. Some of us decided we needed more. Perhaps it was greed, perhaps it was a hunger for power. Whatever it was, some of us started to create new rules. Segregation happened. Inequality happened. Clearing of entire forests happened. Loss of species happened. Agriculture happened. The balance was lost. The earth was up for grabs and each and every part needed to be 'used' by and for humans.

The land was taken from us all
As a consequence, we all had our land taken from us. People who were driven away by invaders, as well as people who were invading. We all lost. Whether we agreed to the movement or not; whether we participated in it or not. We all lost our land. There are no winners in this type of game. When one loses, we all lose. It is a law of nature.

If you don't believe me, look what happened:
We started selling the land. We started exploiting the land. We forgot how to live in harmony with other beings and each other. We forgot the importance of trees and plants and how they all contribute to our survival throughout the seasons, which is why we need biodiversity. We started to believe that humans are the most important being on earth. We forgot that instead we need to work together with other beings in order to survive. We started acting like a plague. We forgot our identities and we forgot how to live.
We thought we needed jobs to pay for our homes. With that, we lost our lives. We lost precious time; time to ponder, time to experience, time to live. We thought we needed money for all our needs, and with that many of us lost their integrity and modesty. We could now afford more than we needed, and so we lost our sense of fulfillment too. When you combine material abundance with greed, no amount of stuff can bring fulfillment. And so we sacrificed the natural abundance we already had to feed our insatiable need to fill up the void. We forgot that living our lives with integrity is what brings true fulfillment; it can never be found in material stuff.

Meanwhile we had others work for us, and so we forgot how to survive and how to look after ourselves (the most basic skill required of any being on earth). We forgot our heritage: all the knowledge we had about self-sustainability, knowledge of plants, knowledge of wildlife, and knowledge of how all beings work together to support life. We lost our independence and made our survival dependent on strangers: sellers of stuff and food. We created a gap between what we do every day and what the results of those actions are on our environment, because the results are usually happening far away. Most of us have not seen the effects of climate change with our own eyes. Most of us have not seen rain forests (and/or our main source of food) being cut down and vanishing completely, right in front of their eyes. Sure, most of us have seen pictures or videos, but it is not the same. You may not have heard the scared screeches of animals who are afraid they are losing their home. Just like we all lost our home when we agreed to this way of life. Have we forgotten this too?

We are all homeless, or soon to be
Maybe we should all be angry. Maybe we should all be outraged. Maybe it is time we unite as humans, together with all beings on earth to claim back our land; not as something we own, but as something that cannot be owned. It is time we claim back our lives and claim back our futures. And most importantly: Restore the balance to our ecosystems. This is our home. This is where we live. We should not be segregated. Nature should not be segregated either. So no more cities, but communities. No more fear of other cultures, but instead uniting and learning from each other. No more mass productions of food, but self-sustaining food forests everywhere. Biodiversity over monoculture. No more clearing of land and leaving it bare. Bare soil is dead soil. This is why nature has invented weeds: fast growing greens to help restore the damage we are doing. But nature can't keep up with our misguided minds anymore; not without our help... not without your help. Are we going to watch on the sidelines while our home is being taken down?

I hope not.

What can we do?
Words are a great start, but not enough. If we really want to make changes, we will need to take action. The bolder, the better. Here are some suggestions:
-Learn to support yourself; e.g. move off the grid or choose to live moneyless. Start or join small communities. The more people live this way, the easier it will become. We deserve to live on earth as much as any other being, without payment and in total freedom.
-Rediscover your place in the ecosystem. See how you can help restore the balance. Bold actions may be necessary, because we need to counteract the vast destruction that is going on at the same time.
-Support biodiversity anywhere you can. Plant seeds of species that are struggling to survive. Protect nature. Protect wildlife. Demonstrate. Spread the word.
-Help others. Support others in the changes they make and seek support regularly from like-minded individuals.
-Inspire change. Let people know that other ways of living are possible and that they don't have to participate in and contribute to the loss of biodiversity and harming our ecosystem. Change is necessary to live a life of integrity.

In short: Make a difference! Take steps today and share your progress here. We can all support each other in our efforts to change the tide. We lost the balance and now it is time to restore it. We can only do this together. All the species of the world are counting on us. The clock is ticking. Every day we are losing species of plants and animals forever.
Don't wait.
Rise up.

Can we count you in?

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the questions that I have been asked most frequently by readers of the blog or whenever I posted articles from this blog on Facebook pages, or when others shared my posts.


Feel free to ask another question if yours is not yet listed or insufficiently answered!

N.B: Recently I have decided that 'rewilding' is a better term to use to describe this way of life than 'moneyless' because living without money (as much as possible) is only a very small aspect of this way of life. So this FAQ is not entirely relevant anymore, although I have made some changes to my answers. I might write an updated version as new questions come up.
 
1. I am just one person among billions. Why would it matter what I do? Can I really make a difference?
2. What are the benefits of living moneyless? Why would anyone do it?
3. How do you get <insert random “need”> for free?
4. What motivates you to do what you are doing? 
5. How can you say you live moneyless when you are using other people's facilities that cost them money?
6. Are there exceptions to your moneyless life?
7. If you want to be free full-time and live completely moneyless, then why don’t you quit your job?
8. What do you do for fun?
9. What will you do with all that money you have saved while living moneyless and also earning a salary? 
10. What if everyone would live like you? Would society as we know it still exist? Would we still have the comforts we have today?
11. But what about things that are mass produced? Will we still be able to have things like computers and such? 
12. Are you against money? If it were up to you, would you ban money? 
13. What if the majority of people just doesn’t want to risk losing what we have and want to keep things the way they are? 
14. What about healthcare?
15. What if you get old/sick/etc?
16. How can I support a moneyless world? How can I best inspire others to change?
 
1. I am just one person among billions. Why would it matter what I do? Can I really make a difference?
The short answer is YES, you can make a difference! Not just for yourself, but also for others.
You'd be surprised of how much one person can do, and if you make it your mission to create change you will continue to discover new ways in which you can help your cause and make changes in the world that go beyond the scope of the personal / individual level. As long as your intentions and motivations go beyond personal rewards and benefits, then your reach will, too.
For example, your life mission to support the environment and the ecosystems through targeted actions may inspire many other people to make similar changes and to start working towards this common goal. You may even create a social movement in the process of reaching out to others and sharing your personal story. Every single action counts, and it is impossible to see the reach of the outward ripples that even one single action can create.
Once you have made steady changes to your life, you will see that you can't help but affect others differently also, perhaps inspiring them to change without even trying (in fact, it only works as long as you don't try): they will notice how you respond differently, how your vibe is different, that you are a happier person and that you express yourself differently. They will notice how you choose your words and actions more carefully and how they are more aligned, because your actions (as well as your words) are now directly guided by your values and beliefs. They will notice how your new way of life works much better for you and everyone around you. They will notice you live your life with more integrity, and how your life seems somehow more meaningful for that reason. They also notice how they could do the same thing and start living within their values instead of doing what everyone else is doing. All of this is contagious; it is inspiring.

2. What are the benefits of 'rewilding', or living moneyless? Why would anyone do it?
 There are so many benefits to the moneyless life that it is difficult to list them all. Let's look at some of them:
-Overall:
One of the biggest benefits to the moneyless lifestyle (or what I now like to call 'rewilding') is that it promotes freedom, in every sense of the word.This includes having more options for how you want to live your life, having more time, being more in control of your health and what you eat, and increasing your own skills for survival instead of relying on others. It puts you back in control of your own life and you no longer have to participate in society's obligations such as jobs, consumerism and taxes.
- Physical:
Rewilding is also likely to get you in a better physical shape because you are solely responsible for your own health once you quit money. Rewilding also leads you to de-clutter your life, which is a huge contributor to a more relaxed and happier life, because you have so much less to worry about (and you realize you didn't really need all that stuff in the first place!).
- Emotional:
Rewilding can make you a happier person, because it encourages living life from a place of gratitude at all times. It also gives your life instant meaning and purpose, and therefore you will experience a sense of fulfillment more of the time. Living with integrity helps you become more balanced and remain centered through most of your experiences in life.
- Cognitive:
Your mindset changes for the better when you focus less on money and simplify your life. It helps you to get back in touch with the reality of being part of an ecosystem and to live in harmony with the beings around you. It also stops the calculated type of mindset that money teaches, which promotes conditional giving rather than unconditional living. Unconditionality is another key to happiness. Having more time will create necessary space for you to reflect more and integrate new experiences. This also helps you stay grounded and equanimous. More about the moneyless mindset in this post.
- Social:
Rewilding (and living without money) promotes independence (from the system and others) as well as collaboration with others. This means your relationships with others will also improve. As with all aspects of life, you will no longer be looking for what others can do for you, but more for what you have to offer and how your relationships with others can be as meaningful as possible.
-Benefits beyond yourself:
Rewilding has also many positive impacts on the environment in that it helps other beings thrive, it halts the destruction that we are doing to the earth (mainly driven by money, ownership and our loss of connection with nature), it brings your focus back to supporting the ecosystem you live in and brings you more in touch with the natural resources you use, which promotes efforts to protect and help replenish them.

3. How do you get <insert random “need”> for free?
When your main focus is contribution (instead of just getting everything for free) and you start getting creative, you will see that there are many ways to get things for free. Of course you can work your way towards living completely for free in steps/ stages, as I have done (that is: without using money). You may also discover along the way that you no longer need certain things, even if you really believed you needed them in the past. So it is best to just get started somewhere and see how far you can take it, without anticipating too much on things you might think you need. You can simply eliminate one cost after another and deal with each need as it arises. I have to add though that 'getting something for free' is a misleading way to describe this way of life and it puts the focus in the wrong places. Contribution and giving is always the main focus. All needs should therefore be questioned in the process of simplifying life.
Some ideas about how to find basics for free can be found here, how I found my first free home is explained in this post and some ideas on what to do for fun can be found here.

4. What motivates you to do what you are doing?
When I started the challenge, it was mostly about saving money and doing something practical to help the environment besides just studying environmental psychology and doing research. However, very soon into the challenge the other benefits mentioned above took over, or rather supplemented these initial goals. This helped me to keep going, and turn my vision into a mission; a way of life. The journey became self-rewarding. This last year my life has felt more meaningful than ever before. Also I have felt happier and healthier than I have felt in a long time. And I have definitely felt more focused, determined and successful than ever. All that is left now is for me to gain total freedom after I finish my final job (the PhD degree) in 2017. Then I will be completely free. I am very much looking forward to taking this last step towards personal freedom.

5. How can you say you live moneyless when you are using other people's facilities that cost them money?
This question has come up a lot. So much so, that I decided to write a post about how I see it. You can read more about it here. The bottom-line is that living moneyless requires a different mindset, which will develop once you get started on the path. It is therefore difficult to describe, but perhaps with some imagination it can be understood from the post that I just mentioned. Money can create a mindset of exchange and a focus on calculating cost and value in all our interactions with others, which makes our relationships less personal and less rewarding.
In addition, the distinction between what costs money and what doesn't is completely artificial and made up. In the end everything comes from the earth and returns back to the earth. What is free and what costs money has changed over the years and will keep changing. So why would we even make that distinction?
When you live moneyless, you are no longer constantly thinking about exchange. People don't give to me conditionally, and I don't give to them conditionally. All interactions are unconditional. This is what happens when money is taken out of the equation, and that is the point of 'moneyless living' for me. The focus is on what you can give instead of how much you can get.
In this context I also think it is important to remember that not paying money does not mean that one does not contribute. The contribution just happens in a different form, which is more focused on serving others directly and serving the ecosystem that we are all a part of than on "financial contribution" (which sounds rather vague and unspecific in comparison, doesn't it?). Read more about that here.
One final point is that the answer to this question ultimately doesn't matter, because living without money is not actually the goal of this way of life. The goal is to get more in touch with nature: to increase awareness and consciousness. I would like to call it 'rewilding'. That is freedom. Read more about that here.

6. Are there exceptions to your moneyless life?
When I say I am living moneyless, it means that I am not spending any money, without exceptions so far this year and with a few exceptions last year. However, I still have a job at the moment (until October 2017) so I still receive an income and I still have some indirect payments (automatic taxes). Also, I use office supplies that are paid for by the university and I get some incentives to use for traveling and costs while traveling. This means there are occasions where I am still indirectly 'consuming'; mostly through my job.
However, after October 2017 I am planning to retire completely and then I will be completely money-free. Then I will no longer burden the earth directly nor indirectly by using valuable resources for valueless reasons. This will be the final step in the process of my personal liberation; the final step towards freedom. It is what I am preparing for right now with the foraging challenge.
However, remember that living without money (or with less money) is only a tool to help me in what my way of life is really about: rewilding - getting more in touch with nature and raising awareness/consciousness.

7. If you want to be free full-time and live completely moneyless, then why don’t you just quit your job?
I have considered quitting my job, but eventually decided against it. I seriously considered quitting my job at the end of last year and with any other job I would have. So this last step of giving up everything is taking a bit longer than I hoped and ideally it would have come sooner. But I do treat my job more like a hobby now (I take it less seriously) and definitely don’t let it dictate my choices and priorities. As a consequence I enjoy it more too, and I am probably even more productive. I used to take my work way too seriously to the point where I would often stress myself and others out (I suffered from burnout a couple of times in my life).
However, a couple of points have made me decide against quitting this job. I started the job before I started this challenge and my job provided me with the ideal circumstances to try out moneyless living to decide if it was right for me. Also, it is a temporary job so it won’t be much longer and it gives me exactly enough time to prepare all my next steps in detail, before starting the nomadic journey. The job also gives me a lot of freedom: I can work from home whenever I want and can even include writing this blog as part of it. It is almost as good as being entirely free, and a great step in-between.
In a way this job helped me discover the moneyless life, because it gave me the final push to take environmental action (with the topic of my PhD being about interventions to promote behavior change to mitigate climate change). So I feel some loyalty towards the people who made this possible (my supervisor mostly, who has been very supportive of my personal efforts with this moneyless project from the very start). I have also found that it works much better to take on this challenge in steps rather than throw myself into the deep end straight away. The process of freeing yourself from society (and changing/ re-building your mindset) takes time. And because at the start I still had my connections with society (through my job) I was able to test the waters first with some peace of mind.
Nowadays my mindset is so different that it is hard to imagine that I was so obsessed with getting a job in the first place. And it is hard to imagine that I would have felt like I needed a job at all. But I did. And I found one. Luckily I also took up the moneyless challenge, because now I know I don't need a job, which frees me up for the future. So in part, I have my job to thank for the idea to go moneyless and for supporting me through this process of transitioning from being trapped in the system and slowly freeing myself. I am very grateful for this and I believe that some loyalty from my side is in order to complete this project. So all of this made me decide to finish what I started.
If I would have been unable to find this  particular job, perhaps I would have tried to go moneyless anyway. It is difficult to say in hindsight. It may have seemed more difficult with the old mindset of not feeling good enough and being so focused on the need to find a job and to be part of society and to ‘contribute’ in the traditional sense of the word. Having said that, others have shown that this way is also possible. But perhaps it is reassuring to know that you don't have to take the plunge right away, and that you can make small changes on this journey and still reach the same destination. I think this makes moneyless living appear much more attainable to many people. For most people, it is much easier to oversee one change at a time than to just changing everything overnight.
You don't have to give up everything right away. You can work your way towards it and just let go whenever you are ready. In the meantime you can just work on preparing yourself.

8. What do you do for fun?
When you follow your passions in life you will notice you don’t need so much ‘fun’ anymore, because your life is already fun and joyful. Fun can be an escape people need when they take life too seriously too much of the time, or when they don't want to face the reality of their lives somehow. However, fun and enjoyment of life is important and I did write a post on how to do certain things that most would consider fun. Read more about things to do for fun here.

9. What will you do with all that money you have saved while living moneyless and also earning a salary?
At the start of the challenge, the plan was to save up a lot of money and then buy some land in France or Spain (or somewhere else with a good climate) to start an ecofarm or even a small ecovillage, where I could grow my own food and live a happy, peaceful life, enjoying nature and all it has to offer. But now I am not so sure what I will do. If I buy land, then it brings more worries into my life and it is putting me back into the system that I have learned to reject and have come to detest (the money-grid), as having land means having to pay property taxes in most countries (yes, there are exceptions). And that means I am yet again no longer 100% free. At the same time I also have the urge to settle down after so much moving around and living a ‘rootless’ kind of life (although definitely not in Norway as I find the cold and dark winters absolutely unbearable).
So I am not sure what I will do. Perhaps I will live the nomadic, moneyless life for a while and travel from Norway to Spain on a horse or hiking, and then I can just see where the road takes me. I can see what I find and if I find a beautiful location where I want to settle, I can do that with or without buying land. Perhaps there is some land that is not used where I can live. It is hard to predict this kind of stuff. We will see what the universe has in store for me. I am sure that I will know what to do once the time comes. In the meantime, as always, it is good to have options. Freedom is mostly about creating options.

10. What if everyone would live like you? Would society as we know it still exist? Would we still have the comforts we have today?
Many people seem to worry that if everyone would live like this, there would be a lot they have to ‘give up’. Of course it is difficult to imagine what a moneyless world would look like now, because we have made a lot of technical advancements since the stone age (and understandably, not everyone wants to go back to that). I do know that when we all live moneyless, a few things will start to happen:
1. We would all have a lot more time, because none of us would need to work anymore.
2. Our collective environmental footprint will be reduced significantly, because a lot of damage is done in the name of employment (‘just doing my job’), profit and (economic) growth (things some like to call ‘progress’).
3. Everyone will take responsibility for their basic needs, which means that everyone will invest time in learning how to grow their own food and purify water. Cities will probably be rebuilt to be more sustainable; more in line with keeping water, air and food clean and accessible. People will do this voluntarily (without payment) because they have the time and it is their home.
4. People will uphold and maintain societal structures they deem important, such as health care. So a moneyless society will demonstrate what people think is important and where efforts should be directed. I imagine that structures like the military will disappear almost instantly, as they benefit no one when money is no longer involved. So will politics and other unnecessary societal structures. I imagine that things like education (mainly of survival and other self-help/life skills), the arts and health services will flourish.
5. Natural resources will once again be valued, protected and cherished rather than exploited and depleted for all they are worth.

11. But what about things that are mass produced? Will we still be able to have things like computers and such?
Many people who believe in a moneyless world fail to take action because they fear that they have to make (big) sacrifices. This is not the case. In my case, I have not had to sacrifice anything. I have my own little home on a farm with plenty of space, I have access to enough food to feed several families and I have all the stuff that I need and more (I am still downsizing even though I didn't have that much to begin with). Each time I simplify my life more or get rid of more stuff, it feels liberating (and not like a loss or sacrifice at all).
But what if we would all live this way? Would I still have the computer that I am using to type?
Well, if the answer would be no, then does that mean that ‘slave labor’ is the price for our luxuries? Or at least the fear of losing those things is keeping us all tied to the current system. Is that worth it? And is it even an option, realistically, for the long term? I’d say no. It is not sustainable and we will destroy the planet this way, probably sooner rather than later. Again, is that worth it? If all is destroyed, would you regret not making changes and taking the chance of perhaps being even happier than you are now? Would you feel like you had done enough to prevent this from happening once major catastrophes start to happen that affect all of us? (And yes, they have already started, but perhaps none of them have affected you personally yet; at least not as far as you realize.)
Although it may not be possible to keep comforts in the form they are in right now when forced labor falls away, I do believe that production of things that people really want and need will still happen even without the use of money, if it is something people value. Perhaps a different kind of product will be invented, from different materials (that are easier to produce on a smaller scale) and one that lasts much longer because then the aim will be sustainability rather than consumerism (for more information on the purposeful speedy expiry of products, see this video (the end of ownership), which explains the basics of a resource based economy.  You can also watch the Story of Stuff (very insightful!), which puts everything in perspective and explains the circular economy. For more about a circular economy see this TED talk by Thomas Rau).
It is impossible to describe with certainty exactly what the future would look like. But the fact remains that what it would look like is totally up to us. We can create the future the way we want it to be, in total freedom. If we miss something, it is our responsibility to (re-)create it; this time in a more sustainable way. If we don’t like something, it is up to us to change it. This new paradigm is the kind of world that stimulates and rewards innovations and initiative, instead of laziness and complacency.
So to come back to the question: is it possible to keep all the luxuries we have right now? The answer is, I don’t know (although the future is in our hands and I do believe that people are capable of creating anything if it is important enough for them, with very limited resources). But let me ask you this: Is it possible to sustain human life without making radical changes to the way we do things? Is the way we live now, collectively, in any way sustainable? And here I know for sure that the answer is no. And that is all I need to know. It makes the above question completely irrelevant.

12. Are you against money? If it were up to you, would you ban money?
At the start of my challenge, I had nothing against money. I was neutral to money. I did not feel the need for others to change. My journey was purely personal. I didn’t see money as good or bad, just as a tool. But now, through my experiences and reflections, I have seen the links between money and so many forms of destruction. And I would like to see humanity move beyond this ancient (and debilitating) construct.
In a world without money, would natural resources get exploited? Would hierarchies exist in the same way as they do now? Would nature be destroyed or protected? Would we live in harmony with nature or go against it? Would we cherish other beings or carelessly drive them to extinction? Would people still work jobs and would they still work the same type of jobs, or would they do something more constructive with their time on earth? Would people live to support the system, or themselves, each other and the earth? When you really get into it, you will see that many things are directly related to money, consumption and our habits of exchange. We can all move beyond it by getting back in touch with nature.
However, I have also come to realize that money is not the cause but rather the consequence of our dysfunctional way of thinking. So banning money would not work: the root cause is in the mind so we need to change (evolve) our way of thinking first and foremost.

13. What if the majority of people just don’t want to risk losing what we have and want to keep things the way they are?
At the very least it would be great to have some part of the world where this type of society could be trialed: one that does not rely on money and that produces everything on a small scale. This gives people who do not believe in money anymore the chance to opt out and it gives people who do not believe in moneyless societies an example of how it could work. I understand if people do not share my ideas. I don’t want to force them to change. But I also do not want to be forced to remain in a system where I don’t belong.
Additionally, as mentioned previously: if we don't start making changes now, the world will be headed for destruction sooner rather than later. I do not want to wait here and watch it happen. I want to do what I can to contribute to a solution before it is too late. Time is running out. Nature doesn't care whether you believe in climate change or not, and while we are debating this and other pointless topics, the window of opportunity is closing.

14. What about healthcare?
Ultimately everyone is responsible for their own health. Yes, some health problems may be caused by genetic makeup, but the majority of health problems stem from the ways we live our lives (not enough nutrients, not enough oxygen/clean air, not enough movement). The current trend of making others responsible for our health does not promote self-care and healthy decisions.
However, as mentioned under question number 10, I believe that health care will still be accessible in a moneyless society. Until we reach that point, we need to learn to support ourselves in the best way possible. Learn about natural medicine and learn about plants. All the cures in the world are out there, and prevention is the best cure of all. That means living a healthy lifestyle with healthy food (foods from the earth) and natural activities (NOT sitting in an office all day).
Most likely, the same system that offers you health care is also making you sick.
Read more about my views on health here.

15. What if you get old/sick/etc?
Well, we all get old and eventually we all die. This is an inescapable fact of life. And so for me it is illogical to sacrifice my freedom for something like health care (which I may never need, and have not needed in a long time). Why would I sacrifice my whole life (and the freedom to live it as I choose) in exchange for something that I may or may not need some time in the future (i.e. health care)? It doesn't make sense.
So yeah, if I get sick I may die, someone may help me, or I may find a natural cure. If I do end up dying, it is called natural selection. It is how nature keeps its populations clean. And when I get old, I die as well. But I will die a free person, and that's what's important.

16. How can I support a moneyless world? How can I best inspire others to change?
Actions are the foundations for change, because they speak louder than words. Words are only a supplement. On top of that it feels better too, because actions are empowering and can redirect and strengthen the energy generated by having a vision. Doing something therefore always beats doing nothing.
When you want others to change, it must start with you. You cannot get others to change first. If you feel and see that change is necessary and possible, then you must take that first step. I sometimes see people out there desperately trying to change the world, but they forget to take those first steps. Instead they try to change the world before they change themselves by trying to convince others to change first. But how can we expect others to change when we are not even willing or ready to do so ourselves? If you are in this situation and find yourself promoting change to others but are not consistently taking the necessary practical steps that are involved, then you have a wonderful opportunity. Obviously something is still holding you back, and it is likely that that very same thing is keeping others from changing too. So if you explore what it is and figure out how to overcome your personal barriers, then you can lead the way for others to follow in your footsteps, even more effectively than if you would have had no barriers to overcome. After all, how can you be a teacher or mentor if you never had to learn anything?
If you fail to walk the talk, nobody will take you seriously and you won't be able to offer anyone any guidelines on how to get started. Also, you might implicitly contribute to the myth that it is okay to talk about the need for change without taking actual action; that talking about it and being offended by the state of the world is a form of taking action. It is not. We need real actions to create lasting, structural change. On the other hand, if you have walked the path yourself, then you can give specific guidelines on how people can get started, and you can demonstrate to the world that change is possible and beneficial (to yourself and to the world). Inspiring real structural and societal change can only come from personal change.
(See also question 1).



This page may be updated if new questions come in or as my views on life (and hence answers to the questions) evolve.