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You haven’t heard from me in a long time through this channel. But now that autumn is in its ending phase, and life is slowly contracting, it is time to say goodbye & pay gratitude for what has been.
Around the world people are unplugging from ‘the system’ and decide to follow their spirit of heart. They start to express their purpose through starting social enterprises, rediscovering the artist within themselves or start to do more charitable work. All in service for the whole.
Every single day we get bombarded by news about the financial and economic crisis. What causes these crises? Our economic system?  Our banks?  Think again.
Recently, our crew organized yet another Give Shop. At TEDxMaastricht this time. Once more, the experience was mind blowing and many people got reconnected to their hearts by the simple act of unconditional giving.
We’ve entered an exciting transformative period in which the role of money in our society is being reconsidered. Did you know for instance that all over the world alternative currencies are popping up? No? Well, buckle up then!
Dear friends, I would like to introduce you to two of the most inspiring girls I have recently met.  With their being, teachings & initiatives they are of major inspiration to humanity. 
Many forces are lined up to create that heart based society we're talking about. An interesting report by 'Share the World Resources'.
You probably feel it within. You’re capable of doing so much more. Probably you’ve been educated within our current educational system. Geared towards restriction, standardization  & specialization, it is perfectly suited to prepare you to contribute to our current economic system. No wonder you feel locked down.
It would be great to have a world where gift- and money economy exist side by side. A world with many different types of currencies, so you could always find the currency suitable for your needs, and money would only be considered one of many ways to exchange.
  Like I said before, all of us want to give. Many people I encounter express their belief, support & enthusiasm about Giving is All we Have for which I’m very grateful.  Most of them ask the question: “What can I do to realize this world that you’re portraying?”
  Every now and then, I catch myself being distracted by the benefits of that ‘old way’ of doing things. Shouldn’t I just get a job like ‘normal’ people do? With security of income, a predictable career path and all? Sounds tempting.
That very moment you step into your office. ‘More efficient. Faster. First-to-Market. More Growth. Increasing productivity.’ Are we captured in the speediness of our organisations?
The so-called ‘We first’ Economy. It proclaims the inclusion of social and environmental aspects into our way of doing business and economy to be of crucial importance for our next era. However, from a consciousness perspective, defining ‘Me vs. We’ keeps the same origin of our old economy in place.
Want to raise your consciousness & leadership skills, but don't know how? Easy! Check out these 99 pointers to help you out in your quest. Enjoy.
buy-nothing-new-month   Recently, the Buy Nothing New Campaign was introduced in the Netherlands. This campaign has the aim of making people aware of  their consumptive patterns. Check it out!

Living from the heart. It seems like a popular quote nowadays. We all have a heart, so we can directly relate to it. But are you really living from your heart? I found out that one simple question can provide the answer.
We have reached 1001 likes! For this special occasion, I would like to share the insights with you that I've gathered over the past couple of months. They will help you playfully create our future and become a 'consciousness warrior without a fight' yourself!
A new world firmly rooted in giving. Right. It might sound a bit too far-fetched for some. Some even say it's overly idealistic. After all, how on earth would we ever be able to create such a world? Here are some quick insights for those willing to engage in an, actually kind of funny, game of world-change.
[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/59650088[/vimeo] Last weekend at Lowlands 2012, our Giving is All we Have crew have been working their asses off to help people remember what it is like to give & receive unconditionally. Results were mind boggling. Read all about it here.
  Giving is All we Have joins forces with Lowlands to engage in a big giving experiment! Announcing the Gift Shop at Lowlands 2012.
Our monetary system bares some fundamental flaws that will eventually take care of its own collapse. It appears that we’re on the verge of the most radical financial innovation ever.

At some point in time*, we were urged to live in the fragmented illusion of our minds. Living from this duality consciousness unfolded as a brilliant and major teaching for our souls.

“We can’t tackle our challenges with the same kind of consciousness with which we created them”

In order for the giving society to physically manifest, we will first have to experience some shifts in our collective consciousness. This process has already long begun, and follows the path from the mind to the heart.

The Generation of Generousity. They're taking up one of what I consider to be the coolest challenge in the world: raising the vibration of our planet to a next level of consciousness. Do you belong to generation G?
Some interesting stuff is going on our humble little planet. I’m not talking 2012 Mayan prophecies here*, but about the earthly prelude to a fundamental transformative period that will unfold over the next period. Which might be sooner than you think.
A single thought creates your universe. Now what then do you want your thoughts to be? A question that not only applies to each one of us personally, but for our organisations as well.
Two days ago, Alice Thuss, a dear friend of mine, organised the Giving is All we Have 'Share & Care' event during the national celebration day of our Queens' birthday. With this experiment, we had the intent of exploring an economy based on giving in real life.
A couple of months ago, I walked over a zebra crossing. A car stopped to let me cross the road. I gave the driver a smile and a cheerful nod of gratitude. But before I knew it, I was struck.
When you give, do you expect something back? Is giving with those reciprocity expectations true giving? Or is it merely an action to achieve your chosen end?
In my last article I've explored the idea that our current systems & structures are a reflection to our historical state of consciousness.  Now that our consciousness is on the move, what effects will it have on these systems & structures?
It seems like it was yesterday; coming back from my travel with a crazy idea of changing this world to evolve around giving. From the firm belief that I couldn't change anyone else, I changed myself. Up to this day, I continue to be in awe about what is happening. A short sum-up and a moment of gratitude.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEZkQv25uEs Yesterday, I stumbled across this video on Sacred Economics, in which author Charles Eisenstein takes you along his ideas on money and a gift society. Be inspired to do things differently in only 12 minutes.
Social enterprises. These game-changing companies show how business is done in the 21st Century. And thus deserve all the attention of the world. This spotlight is a first of a series of blogposts on social enterprises. This time: PIFWorld, Buttwrap Berlin & Doonited.
Many of you have probably heard of  ‘cogito, ergo sum’ (‘I think, therefore, I am’). But  does consciousness stem from our brain? What about the role of our body? Of our feelings, and emotions? Is consciousness ours anyway?
Allow me to shortly take you through my reasoning of how I concluded giving to be all we have. It is not about giving money to a good cause, as people usually ask me. It  basically constitutes the very essence of life.
Starting up a social enterprise can be quite a venture. So I am experiencing with Givolicious at this very moment. There’s general fuzziness around social enterprises. So I went on a short investigation into this wondrous world of social enterprising.
For over decades the idea has been that markets are characterized by competition. Leading business thinkers up to this very moment still stress the importance of competitive spirit. But this business paradigm may render irrelevant in our 21st Century.
Some feel we live in an awful period. A period of uncertainty and imbalance. Some are anxiously waiting for the storm to pass by. But we've reached a point of no return. And I must say;  I am very excited to live in this era. Not without fear, yet whole-heartedly embracing the unknown, our vulnerability and sheer endless possibility.
Do you believe you have control over the world around you? That the world is controllable causality? That you can simply isolate particular events to shape your future? Think again.
  The purpose of management development lies within its potential to attract, retain and develop people in alignment with organisational goals. But be aware! The 21st Century poses some daunting challenges...
Okay, this might sound a little counter-intuitive. But it seems that the only way to progress into an era in which conscious businesses play a central role, is to give up on our search for purpose.
  Recently, I came across this little excerpt that I would like to share with you all. Latest developments in neuroscience prove striking similarities between how our brains react to financial gains on the stock markets and how they react to the effects of cocaine.
Giving makes us Happier & Healthier 'Happiness Economics'. 'Social Capital'.  Economist imperialists are introducing fancy terms in their urge to expand their rational economic approach into 'the Social' . Meanwhile,  you and I already know by nature, and now for a fact, what makes us happier; Giving.
Scientists at CERN are racking their brains about what they have actually discovered.  About what the possible implications these billionths of a second could be, if their findings appear to be true. Meanwhile, people around the world already let their imagination go wild. Will we be able to travel into the future? Or even better, to the past?
‘Listening’ to your customers. Quantifying ‘Customer Segments’. Identifying ‘Unmet’ needs. A bunch of gibberish? Well, most of all a dangerous dog turd on the pavement for managers. And nobody wants to slip over that, do we?
The times are changing. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) executives will have to shift their attention to deal with the biggest challenge for our 21st Century.
iRobot. The Matrix. The Terminator. Somehow we seem fascinated by the thought of a robotized future. Some are freightened by this idea. Others fully embrace it. Some people even think of ourselves as robots. But wait a minute: Are we robots?
One could argue that over the past centuries we have been cultivating a society that builds on some very 'masculine' traits. Trend watchers are prophesizing that our 21st century’s society will be dominated by ‘feminine’ characteristics. ‘Who will win?’, I hear you ask.
Thanks to all of you for becoming part of 'Giving is All we Have'; a movement that is changing the world as we speak. Allow me to elaborate a bit more on the intent of  'Giving is All we Have'. On what you can expect the next coming months. Just to clear things up a bit.

 

Boiling down everything to its bare essence only one thing remains: Giving. It manifests in nature, social forms and ultimately the giving of life.  But what is this notion of “ Giving” exactly? And why do we need this economy to change towards one that thrives on both gift and money? Will this whole idea of “Gift” add anything to our current reality?
The past couple of days have been an amazing experience. Let me shortly recap what happened. Recently I had some profound insights and embraced a new philosophy of giving, which can (very shortly) be condensed to the following:
Ever since the existence of a campingflight to Lowlands paradise, I have been a loyal visitor of this wonderful festival (ever since I was 14, that’s 17 years ago). I believe this 3 day- (and to the hardcore Lowlander a 5 day-) event creates some enchanting magic: it gives people an opportunity to see the bands they love and to  submerge in a mind-blowing experience that transcends every penny this wonderful organization charges.
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