Personal Stories of Change

This article was originally published in the Spring 2014 RSF Quarterly.

RSF’s theory of change is based on driving transformation at the individual level. We decided to reach out to our community to see exactly how people have transformed the way they work with money.

Neil Blomquist, Trustee

President, Sustainable Solutions

“How I work with and think about money has not changed a whole lot since mid-1970’s when I found the organic community and embraced it as my life, but the transformation has come with my own maturity and the deeper understanding that Rudolf Steiner and RSF Social Finance have provided. It has deepened my conviction for change and confirmed that this is the path toward a more positive future for humanity and the planet.”

Dorothy Hinkle-Uhlig, Investor

“Many years ago I was led to meditate on a beautiful watercolor by Liane Collot d’Herbois titled “Money”, and subsequently I experienced a spiritual awakening about the nature of money and my responsibility toward this important gift of the spirit. Many important conversations with others and within followed as I tried to articulate what money is, and how am I to work with money. Money became alive as I, in my small way, sent it into the stream of life and saw it transform whatever it touched and then beyond as it flowed into society.

The work with money begins in the very personal realm of a personal decision and then continues on touching, transforming and realizing. Am I awake to the importance of each transaction with money? Does it support transformation and healing? Does it hinder the good? I strive to understand the answers to these questions within each deed with money. When I buy my food and my sweater and my computer, I send money into the social flow; when I invest my extra money and borrow for that big need, I send money into the social flow; when I gift to an emerging initiative and to the needy, I send money into the social flow. I have learned that my personal transformation continues to happen one moment at a time when I am awake to this flow in the moment. May the flow continue to enable the good. It is sacred work. It is community work.”

Mark Censits, Trustee

CEO, CoolVines

“I am working on an initiative that I believe will transform the way money flows in my town of Princeton, NJ. While this is not simply a personal behavioral change with respect to money, my efforts in initiating this new venture are indeed very much driven by my personal relationship to money, specifically with regard to building local economies. When I was looking for a loan for the expansion of my Princeton CoolVines store, I was very disappointed in the lack of connection that I felt from the local “community” bank. The experience was anything but personal, transparent and direct – and it drove me to imagine other ways that local businesses like CoolVines could tap into the resources of the local community for capital support. That combined with the changes afoot with the JOBs Act and web technology spurred an idea that we call the Community Investment Exchange. It is still in the concept stages but we hope to launch it sometime this Spring.”

David Lapedis, Investor

“I have the transformed the way I work with money by seeing it as a part of me and all living things. Each time I make a purchase, I remind myself of that with an affirmation. I actually pause every time I use my credit card and focus on that. Money is just the energy of this universe coming back and circulating through me. I find that I am more grateful for my experiences and the material things in life when I am in touch with that.

A particular experience that changed the way I deal with money was taking a class with Katherine Revoir

called Money, Metaphysics, and the Meaning of Life. That changed the way I look at anything that shows up in my life. She taught me to see money as me and related to all of the energy here on this planet.

Another experience that shifted how I look at money was when I realized that I was making a good interest rate on an online savings account (approximately 3%), but I didn’t know where that money was being invested. I realized that it is very important for me to know what my energy (money) is being used to create. I moved my money out of that account and into one that actively creates the world I want to live in, investing in renewable energy. I felt so much better knowing my money was going towards that even though the interest rate was significantly lower.”

Taryn Goodman, Staff

“I seek complete transparency in all of my investments – it enables relationships and allows me to be more comfortable with the investment because I can fully understand the risks involved.”

Coleman Lyles

Executive Director, Camphill Communities of California, Borrower

“I have been in association with RSF for over 30 years in a kind of organizational alliance, one anthroposophical organization to another. What I have experienced about money is that through anthroposophical insights and principles, money becomes incidental to what is accomplished outwardly and more connected to what is happening spiritually.

A metaphor for this can be taken from art and the way one could relate to a production of Rudolf Steiner’s Mystery Drama. An audience appreciates what is happening on the stage not necessarily because it is a polished performance, but rather because it senses that the spiritual world is interested in what is happening on the stage. This is a new way of relating to drama and art as such. What matters as much as the finished product is the spiritual striving and the intention behind it.

Like deep appreciation in art, money begins to flow towards that which the spiritual world is taking an interest in. Often it is something that is quiet, unassuming and of a seed nature, rather than a fully formed, hot house fruit that is the next big thing to hit the market.”

Birju Pandya, Investor & Partner

“I am transforming the way I work with money by walking towards fear in small ways, practicing two phrases: ‘resist nothing’ and ‘appreciate the chain’.  The first phrase applies to instances when I am being paid for work. I try not to come from a transaction space but from a space of offering and gift for my efforts.  The second phrase applies to purchase transactions. Whenever I engage with money to receive something, I try to recognize and appreciate the entire value chain involved in it.”

Kelley Buhles, Staff

“Because of working at RSF, I better understand what my money makes possible in the world. Since I began working here I have moved 60% of my personal money into socially responsible investments. I pay more attention to what impact different types of money have on me, for example, loan vs. gift or socially responsible investments vs. not-socially responsible investments. Also, I recently challenged myself to start giving more. I selected two organizations to make monthly donations to. Despite tight budgets, I end up prioritizing these two donations over almost everything else!”

Nicole Dawes

CEO, Late July Snacks, Borrower

“Watching and participating in the way RSF works, particularly in the pricing meetings, has opened my eyes to the importance and impact of transparency in all financial transactions. Understanding how others are impacted by your decisions helps ground your actions. I realize that all negotiations can’t take place in the confines of the RSF pricing meeting format, but in almost all cases you can at least bring some of the elements of open discussion around goals and impact. I have made a conscience effort to bring this open dialogue to my discussions with retailers and vendors and found we both end up happier with the result.”