Bestselling author and fundraising trailblazer Lynne Twist proposes reimagining our relationships with money in her recent Peaceful Exit podcast interview. Lynne invites listeners to transform unconscious scarcity narratives that fuel discontent to discover deeper fulfillment. In her words, “legacy is how we live, not just what we leave." I’ve been channeling this thinking into my life since I first read her book “The Soul of Money,” and our recent podcast interview was an excellent reminder that the work is never done.
Here are four takeaways from our conversation:
1. Cultivate daily gratitude for "enough"
Temper chasing "more" stuff by resetting a mindset of appreciating what you already have. Lynne says start defining success by non-material qualities like ethics and helping others. Daily gratitude for health, family and life's simple pleasures fuels contentment.
2. Align spending with values, not vanity
Rather than overspending to "keep up,” build financial decisions like budgets and investments around values, purpose and legacy. If leaving an inheritance or volunteering to teach disadvantaged youth makes your heart sing, prioritize accordingly.
3. Generously give time, talent, and treasure
Consider involving kids in philanthropic giving early on - whether money, volunteering time or sharing talents. Lynne shared a touching real-life example of a grandmother gifting each of her 13 grandchildren money before passing. She personalized love letters highlighting what made each special.
4. Let death be your financial advisor
Contemplating mortality puts the mad scramble for assets and possessions in perspective. Create end-of-life legacy and inheritance plans that thoughtfully care for loved ones versus getting distracted by scarcity fears. Rethink money through the soulful lens of what ultimately matters most.
Whether you feel financially abundant or anxious about scarcity, Lynne's soulful money manifesto provides much food for thought. Her ideas challenge cultural narratives about chasing wealth as the keys to happiness and success. Instead, Lynne recommends self-examination, intentionality, and reconnecting money with core values (not our egos).
As we kick off 2024, what better time than now for soul-searching about how we earn, save, spend and donate money?
I encourage you to listen to Lynne's practical and philosophical money discussion on Peaceful Exit's recent episode and read her book. Her thoughtful approach will guide you toward finding more fulfillment, meaning, and social impact in every dollar.
Lynne is expanding the definition of wealth. It’s not what’s in your bank account or the assets you leave behind that make someone wealthy. During the holidays I’ve been thinking about all the different forms of wealth I have in my life: my family and friends, my Peaceful Exit community. This daily gratitude lays the foundation for “enoughness.” Please let me know all the “unconventional” types of wealth you’re grateful for. You can visit PeacefulExit.com or your favorite podcast platform to tune into this rich dialogue.