Hello people of the world; let’s talk about money, finances and exchange. My name is Jeremy and these topics are of great interest to me. I am what you might call an angel of finance so I guess I’m an expert! I think what angels have to say on these subjects is deeply revolutionary so prepare yourselves to be surprised.
First, I want to break ranks a bit with the other angels with whom I am working on this book and spend a bit of time addressing the current difficulties with the world’s financial systems and tools. As you’ve probably noticed, my other angel companions skip right to solutions! And that is as it should be. It’s far more productive to focus on what you want to do differently or what you want to create, rather than focusing on what is wrong. However, I think what we angels are recommending in terms of structural changes around your global financial systems justifies some explanation based on the problems with your current system.
I have identified three basic problems with your current financial systems and tools.
The way you exchange money, and digital information that equates to money, is deeply impersonal. In other words, there is no need for relationship whatsoever between any two people making an exchange. This is true whether you are in the checkout lane at Wal-Mart in North Carolina or trading stocks in Hong Kong. This is a far cry from the way in which your financial systems and tools, like currencies or money, began. Back in the day, whenever two people made an exchange they knew one another personally and had multiple connections through the community to which they both belonged. People making trades or exchanges were part of an interconnected web of mutually supportive relationships. This is no longer true.
Money itself, and the financial systems in which money is a part, have grown exponentially in influence. Not so very long ago, it was land or property ownership that was the source of dominant influence in your world, and before that it was knowledge. I know your people like to say you are living in an Information Age, but in truth you are living in the Age of Money. It’s not a good thing.
The third problem with your current financial systems is they are tied to the whims of a very small, very capricious and sometimes outright self-interested minority of people. There is ample talk of this phenomenon among you. I understand there are frequent references to the growth of economic inequality and the concentration of global wealth in the hands of a few very people.
So, to review, your financial systems have three critical flaws that are contributing to the continuation of a large number of social, cultural and environmental problems. These flaws are the impersonality of exchange, the dominant influence of money, and the concentration of wealth/growing economic inequality.
On behalf of 150 angels who are avid observers of your world and advocates of a world where all people and all life forms flourish, we suggest the following changes to your financial systems and related tools.
The first 10 of these suggestions are for everyone who uses money of any kind and/or makes exchanges with others for goods and services. In other words, the first 10 suggestions are for every human being on the planet.
The second 10 suggestions are for people in a position to influence the creation of new methods of exchange and the development of new financial tools and systems.
For everyone:
Buy everything you can locally from people you know and trust.
Travel as much as you can and when you do, buy your goods and services from people in the places you are visiting.
Spread word of people who are making good products or offering excellent services. Use technology to do this.
Be wary of purchasing items online via computers. This disconnects you from the people making the item and even the people selling the item in an alarming way. Yes, we know this advice runs counter to current trends.
Reclaim your traditions around bartering and similar exchanges. Taking currency out of the equation increases the amount of relationship building that takes place between people around the exchange of goods and services. Yes, we know this takes more time and effort than paying for something with money.
Say no to more. Buy less stuff.
Buy and eat locally grown food and purchase very little, or nothing at all, that is brought to your market from out of your area or country.
Do everything you can to reclaim your right to know the person that made the product or service you have purchased.
Begin to revisit the idea of buying products, so-called durable goods, that will last you a lifetime and occasionally need repairs. These are items such as automobiles, tractors, household appliances and similar things.
Bring your heart and soul into the question of making purchases and seeking services.
And now for those people who will influence the unfolding future of your local and global financial systems:
Do your best to bring integrity and concern for the wider community into conversations about financial systems and related tools. Another way to look at this question… Discuss, make decisions and take action based on the implications on future generations.
Tie everything you do to an ethical principle and have regular conversations about ethics.
Work on building tools of exchange that will support local community members in connecting directly.
Work to reverse the legal power of corporations.
Bring young people and even children into discussions about financial systems and tools. Listen to them speak and follow their lead.
Do not follow the trends towards increased globalization. Think global, act local.
Divest yourselves of ties to fossil fuels and related industries.
Go solar in every possible way and promote the solarization of the planet.
Support the rebuilding of local economies and especially local food systems.
Bring your conversations about financial systems and tools into the public for open discussion and transparency.
What we angels foresee in your near future is increasing pain and challenges around your financial systems. They are deeply flawed and unsustainable. They are also accelerating the destruction of your biosphere and this is dangerous for your species given that you are completely dependent on a healthy biosphere to survive.
The actions we are recommending might seem so simple as to border on being ineffective, but each one of these recommendations has the capacity to accelerate change in a positive direction in such a way that miracles, literal miracles, will unfold on your planet if just 10% of the people on the planet embrace them. We know that is still a lot of people, but hey, we’re angels. We’ll be working behind the scenes to move this mountain right along with you.
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