an abundance of time. time to think.

inspired by The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

“I cherish the notion of the gift economy, that we might back away from the grinding market economy that reduces everything to a commodity and leaves most of us bereft of what we really want: relationship and purpose and beauty and meaning, which can never be commoditized.”

—Robin Wall Kimmerer - The Serviceberry. An Economy of Abundance.

‘I have an abundance of time,’ I thought to myself. The seed was planted.

Ever since reading Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book “The Serviceberry”, an idea has been marinating in the back of my mind. This week, I finally found the courage to name it.

The seed was this idea: What if I gave away my time freely?

Photo by Georg Eiermann on Unsplash

It doesn’t sound so radical when I read it now, but coaching business advice like “You’ve got to know your value—charge what it’s worth!” is hard to escape. What if they’re right? What if I just need to change my money mindset? What if deep down I don’t believe my offer has value? Maybe those voices are right (I doubt it); and maybe I’m onto something (I think so). I’m willing to find out with an experiment. Let’s talk about abundance, gratitude, reciprocity.

an abundance of time

Robin Wall Kimmerer writes in her essay, The Serviceberry - An Economy of Abundance: “In a gift economy, wealth is understood as having enough to share, and the practice for dealing with abundance is to give it away. In fact, status is determined not by how much one accumulates, but by how much one gives away. The currency in a gift economy is relationship, which is expressed as gratitude, as interdependence and the ongoing cycles of reciprocity. A gift economy nurtures the community bonds that enhance mutual well-being; the economic unit is “we” rather than “I,” as all flourishing is mutual.”

I might not have berries to offer¹, but I, too, am a natural creature. And I have gifts to give. At the moment, I find myself with an abundance of time; I have enough to share.

So, my gift to you is time. Time to think.

time to think

What is time to think? Time to Think is a space for you to untangle your thoughts;

a container to verbally process and feel validated for your experience;

it’s room for creative, generative thinking;

a way to gain clarity on a question;

it’s a time to step into courage, to say the scary thing out loud for the first time;

a place to experience relief from knowing you are not alone.

What do you want to think about? Schedule your time to think now:

the experiment

For the months of May, June, and July, I have reserved time on my calendar for Time to Think on Tuesdays and Fridays. You can book 30 days in advance and select up to 3 slots (45 minutes each). Keep reading to find out what I expect in return (spoiler: it’s nothing. I expect nothing in return). Make space for Time to Think now.

gratitude + reciprocity

“Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy, and they have the remarkable property of multiplying with every exchange, their energy concentrating as they pass from hand to hand, a truly renewable resource.”

—Robin Wall Kimmerer - The Serviceberry. An Economy of Abundance.

Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy.

“Gratitude”, Robin Wall Kimmerer says, “is the thread that connects us in a deep relationship. It creates a sense of abundance, the knowing that you have what you need.”

Reciprocity, to give a gift in return, is our second response to the presence of gifts. As Maria Gehrke articulated so beautifully: “At the core of abundance is reciprocity — not transactional, not tit-for-tat, but the deep knowing that giving and receiving are not separate acts. They are one continuous breath.

To lead with abundance is to trust that what we offer will return to us, not always in the same form, not always on our timeline, but always in the right season.”

no expectations

I want to be clear about this part. In a world filled with lead magnets and free offers that lead to pushy follow up emails to “buy the course now”, it would make sense for you to read my gift as an attempt to bring you into my funnel.

So, what do I expect in return for time to think? Nothing.

No expectation to share, like, or subscribe. No “free sample” as part of the marketing funnel. No nudge to upgrade to a paid subscription. Not “in exchange for a review”. No request to “pay it forward”.

My time is a gift; from a place of abundance.²

In this experiment, the whole point is to see what happens when there is no expectation. And I know that someone somewhere will feel the ripple effect.

relationship

The currency in a gift economy is relationship, which is expressed as gratitude, as interdependence and the ongoing cycles of reciprocity. A gift economy nurtures the community bonds that enhance mutual well-being; the economic unit is “we” rather than “I,” as all flourishing is mutual.

—Robin Wall Kimmerer - The Serviceberry. An Economy of Abundance.

If a gift economy nurtures the community bonds, then what might reciprocity look like in the context of relationship? Who might feel the ripples? There’s no transactional exchange, and yet…

You might get curious about your own abundance of gifts.

You might choose to support a Substacker from a marginalized community with a paid subscription.

You might gift someone a paid subscription to your own newsletter.

You might send someone a zine or a letter or a piece of art.

You might donate your time at a food bank.

You might grow more strawberries than your family can eat this year and share the rest as gifts.

You might share my newsletter with a colleague or friend.

You might use your Time to Think with me in a way to have a bigger impact on your community.

Or you might not. A gift is a gift.

I can’t predict where this experiment will lead, but I can tell you that new relationships have started to blossom when I have acted from a place of abundance. That leaves me curious about the possibilities. I wonder: what I can learn from this experiment about the relationship to my work, our relationship to each other, and the webs of relationships between all of us?

abundance. again.

“When we speak of these not as things or products or commodities, but as gifts, the whole relationship changes.”

—Robin Wall Kimmerer - The Serviceberry. An Economy of Abundance.

Now, over to you: Fill in the blank:

I have an abundance of ____________________.

What are you going to do with it?

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I truly hope you’ll accept my gift of time. Schedule time to think now. (and if none of the times work for you, let me know via DM or email)

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Next week:

Wicked Wednesday. I hold space for wicked things, the ones that make your stomach turn when you think about them. Join me via Zoom or in the Substack chat. Find all of the info and links to sign up here.

Wordplay x Purposeful Connection: Live. I’m going live with

Rachel Connor, PhD

to talk about creativity, coaching, and more on May 9th at 9:30am Pacific. Rachel has such a warm and loving presence and I am truly looking forward to this conversation.

Time to Think vs Coaching. What’s the difference? Next Friday, I’ll share more details on how I see Time to Think and coaching. Who is it for, what’s the difference, and what might be the better option for you?

1. at least not yet. We did just plant three more blueberry bushes.

2. which also means I will not give more than I have. When there are no metaphorical berries left, will I be courageous enough to ask for nourishment? For time, for patience? Will you tend to my soil?