The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life

190 Pages·2006·0.8 MB·English

by  Twist, Lynne, Barker, Teresa

Advance Praise for The Soul of Money
“[A] must read book for those who regard asset accumulation as a necessary
evil, and philanthropy merely an easy way to reduce taxes. Written by a
professional who understands how to make philanthropy more enjoyable, this
book will greatly benefit investors, fundraisers, philanthropists, and successful
laymen who want to make the world a better place.”
—Alan B. Slifka, Halcyon/Alan B Slifka Management Funds, The
Abraham Fund Initiatives, The Coexistence Initiative
“The Soul of Money shows with exquisite sensitivity that the way we treat
ourselves and the way we treat our money are two sides of the same coin. Lynne
Twist puts the magic back in money by understanding that it is a form of energy
with which we can perform miracles.”
—James Garrison, president, State of the World Forum
“Lynne Twist is a creative artist, who generously shows us how to give the gift
of giving and through this process, realize our deepest dreams. The Soul of
Money is a must read for anyone who wants to make a difference.”
—Michael Toms, New Dimensions World Broadcasting Network and
author of A Time for Choices: Deep Dialogues for Deep Democracy
“This is a beautiful, surprising book, rich with practical advice, inspiring
stories and wisdom. The Soul of Money will transform your relationship
to money and heal and delight your soul.”
—James S. Gordon, M.D., Center for Mind-Body Medicine; author of
Manifesto for a New Medicine; President’s Commission on
Complementary Medicine “Lynne Twist’s eloquent book, The Soul of
Money, is an indispensable resource for all those interested in
transforming their relationship with money and its influence in their
lives. It sheds much light on this critically important subject at just the
right time.”
—Charles A. Garfield, Ph.D., author of Peak Performers; University of
California Medical School, San Francisco “The Soul of Money is a long
overdue wake-up call for the transformation of ourselves and our world
to peace, harmony, and abundance for all.”
—Robert Muller, former UN Assistant Secretary General and cofounder
—Robert Muller, former UN Assistant Secretary General and cofounder
of the UN University for Peace in Costa Rica
“I want to warn you, your life will not be the same after you pick up this book.
The Soul of Money delivers a message that will move, inspire, and touch your
soul so deeply that you will not be able to live your life in the same way.”
—Paul Dolan, president, Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland, California
“What a truly great book! Profound, passionate, and practical. If sanity around
money were a virtue, Lynne Twist would be a saint.”
—John Robbins, author of The Food Revolution and Diet for a New
America; founder of EarthSave International “Lynne’s journey into the
soul of money can teach us all how to reclaim the sacred with our
money.”
—Theodore J. Mallon, businessman, philanthropist, and author of The
Journey Toward Masterful Philanthropy
“Lynne has taken the topic that occupies us most—money—and turned it into a
profound spiritual teaching of enormous practicality.”
—Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and
Turning to One Another
THE SOUL OF MONEY
Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life
Lynne Twist
with Teresa Barker
W. W. Norton & Company
New York London
Copyright © 2003 by Lynne Twist All rights reserved
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write
to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York,
NY 10110
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Twist, Lynne.
The soul of money: transforming your relationship with money and life / by
Lynne
Twist with Teresa Barker.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN: 978-0-393-32950-6
1. Money—Psychological aspects. 2. Money. 3. Conduct of life. I. Barker,
Teresa. II. Title.
HG222.3.T855 2003
332.4'01'9—dc21
2003008423
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110
www.wwnorton.com
W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., Castle House, 75/76 Wells Street, London W1T
3QT
This book is dedicated to my grandchildren,
Ayah, Isa, and Ibrahim,
who embody the beauty, love, and possibility
I see for the world.
—LYNNE TWIST
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part One • Love, Lies, and a Great Awakening
Chapter 1 Money and Me, Money and Us
Chapter 2 Into India: Heart of Hunger, Soul of Money

Part Two • Scarcity and Sufficiency: The Search for Prosperity
Chapter 3 Scarcity: The Great Lie
Chapter 4 Sufficiency: The Surprising Truth

Part Three • Sufficiency: The Three Truths
Chapter 5 Money Is like Water
Chapter 6 What You Appreciate Appreciates
Chapter 7 Collaboration Creates Prosperity

Part Four • Change the Dream
Chapter 8 Change the Dream
Chapter 9 Taking a Stand
Chapter 10 The Power of Conversation
Chapter 11 Creating a Legacy of Enough
Chapter 12 The Turning Tide

Resources
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It took a village to write this book. It has been one of the most challenging and
difficult things I have ever done and would not have been possible without the
support, participation, collaboration, and generosity of many, many people.
I first want to acknowledge my brilliant collaborative writer, Teresa Barker,
who became one with me during the three-year process of creating this book.
Her keen intelligence, deep partnership, and sturdy professionalism made what
you are about to read possible.
My remarkable literary agent, Gail Ross, encouraged me in a way that
transformed the idea of writing this book into a reality. She has stayed with me
and supported me every step of the way.
My editor at W. W. Norton, Angela von der Lippe, brought her wisdom,
graceful intelligence, and years of experience to each page. Her assistant,
Alessandra Bastagli, managed the complex production process of turning a
manuscript into a book of which both W. W. Norton and I could be proud.
More than twenty years of experience with The Hunger Project were the
platform for much of what I have written here. My teacher and mentor during
those years and for most of my adult life has been and will continue to be Joan
Holmes, the president of The Hunger Project. Her example, her brilliance, her
integrity, and her unyielding commitment have in many ways forged and shaped
who I am.
Other colleagues during my Hunger Project years were vital contributors to
my understanding of money and how it relates to the deepest issues we face as a
human community. John Coonrod, Carol Coonrod, Mike Wick, Franc Sloan,
Tom Driscoll, Ted Howard, Dick Bishop, Jay Greenspan, Sherry Pettus,
Catherine Parrish, Bill Parrish, Kendra Goldenway, Ronn Landsman, Mike
Cook, Les Traband, Lee Traband, Larry Flynn, Raul Julia, Merel Julia, Janet
Schreiber, Fay Freed, Joe Friedman, Dana Carman, Jane Shaw, Michael Frye,
Tom Henrich, Gunnar Nilsson, Scott Paseltiner, Lalita Banavali, Naji
Loynmoon, Fitigu Tadesse, Badiul Majumdar, Tazima Majumdar, Shingo
Nomura, Mikio Uekusa, Hiroshi Ohuchi, Ian Watson, Peter Bourne, John
Denver, Robert Chester, Annetta Chester, Valerie Harper, and countless others