From the Inside Out
HARMONY = LEARNING
HOW TO PAUSE

SIMPLE ABUNDANCE:
A Daybook of Comfort and Joy

Quotes, poems, meditations and practical exercises for every day of a woman's year include thought-provoking, inspirational messages, money-saving suggestions, gardening and decorating ideas, and thoughts on personal fulfillment. There are so few books which can actually add something to your life, day after day, month after month, year after year. This is one of them. It is a book for women on the search to find more meaning in their daily ritual as caretakers, more joy in the everyday. The author reminds us to take time out for ourselves because if we don't, how can we take care of others?

By Sarah Ban Breathnach
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One day a friend of mine came to my apartment in utter panic. He discovered he had unintentionally infested his brother-in-law’s laptop with viruses. The night before I had managed to break a window in my kitchen. I am a computer engineer, he’s very good with his hands. It struck me that in each other’s helplessness we also had each other’s expertise ...

That was the day the idea for Karmawish started to take form. I had vaguely heard of local exchange groups and was also trying to remember what the movie “Pay It Forward” was about, but something was missing in the equation. A few months later I realised how wonderful it would be if the favour could come from a third person. You wouldn’t be limited to the abilities and time and willingness of the person you had just helped. With one simple twist your good deed could now be repaid by anyone. Chains of help could be formed that could never be broken, as anyone could now pick up the wish and fulfill it.

It took a year for the project to take shape and with no money to hand, I relied on sweat, tears and help from friends. The public version of www.Karmawish.com went out on the 1st of October 2009. Less than a month in and the site had around 1000 subscribers. And not a cent went on advertising or agencies, only word of mouth. The vision here is to change the way we live and interact with one another. It’s not a naïve vision, it’s about getting people to work together. Helping each other becomes about trading skills instead of cash, which in the end, might be a MORE rewarding way for people to get what they need. Who knows, it might actually change the way society works – for the better.

One thing that always amazed me is eBay and its mechanisms. Send me the money and I’ll send you the goods. How fishier could this be? But it works! Why so? Maybe for two reasons: one obvious one more unconscious. My credibility will be compromised if I fail to deliver. As an aftereffect, I won’t be able to use this system anymore. I’ll have trouble gaining others’ trust and won’t be able to make as much money if I play with this trust. The second one I feel is more hidden. To me, it refers to the psychological need we have to be trusted. Being the recipient of trust is empowering and a feel-good factor somehow. Trusting someone is a bit like letting go of control and wait to see what the recipient will make of it. Ultimately it’s about asking the question: Are you able to respect someone you know nothing of?

We live in a strange world. As the majority is racing to get shiny accessories to their life, needy ones await recognition. It’s fair to say we were not born equal. This is not getting better, I am afraid. But we all have this ability to give and receive. You've heard about pay-forward systems. Funnily enough, nothing on a global scale has been done to join the dots. I think most of us have experienced this rewarding feeling that giving procures, even though being on the receiving end is nowadays past the norm, it’s well… a given.

Why is Karmawish different? Most of the time people either exchange favors limiting their abilities to the two parties or they give to the next person creating a chain where each person is involved one by one only. Here the whole world is involved from day one.

Simple start: give to someone first. You earn a token and are entitled for help. The twist is that you don’t get it from the one you’ve just helped, but from someone else in the world. The scope of abilities has suddenly widened from the person you’ve just helped to the whole world’s abilities! Anyone is entitled to help you. By doing so, just like you, they can be helped by guess who? Anyone else! It becomes infinite.

You got it. This triangular system is where a mini-revolution lies. There’s no limit in terms of who can help and helping gets you some help, so on and so forth…

Second, there can’t be any graduation between our needs. Changing a window is like climbing Mt. Everest to me, while it’s nothing for you. Getting viruses out of your computer sounds like a mission to you, but it’s easy for me! Lawyer’s advice is very expensive for everyone except …. lawyers. That lawyer probably won't have the time to learn designing skills to create his one-page website, but it should take only an hour or two for you, no? Now that’s all very nice in our western world, but what about people who are victims of hurricanes or floods in third world countries? Sending food or clothes shouldn’t be too difficult and it makes it possible for someone to come and change your damn window! There was no link between these two before, do you see one now?

So go on, make a wish, help someone and let’s see what happens. There’s nothing to lose and everything to win here: www.Karmawish.com

~ By Guillaume Besson, Co-Founder of www.Karmawish.com a webplatform where people can
exchange favours on a global or local scale. It’s free for its users and based on goodwill. Money
is not allowed at any time to grant or to reward a wish. At Blog.Karmawish.com Guillaume
expresses his opinion about social change, activism, karma and other related topics.

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