Money isn't the only currency!!

So I've been in the middle of launching my second business, a coastal fitness holiday around NZ and as with a lot of start ups when you haven't yet got the cash flow, it's hard to be able to afford to financially remunerate everyone you'd like to get involved. I have had to jump into social media advertising fast and spend a lot of time spreading the word online and in person, which I love, but it has opened my eyes to a sad state of affairs of where the world has got to. So many small actions and things have been monetised to the point where people seem to have lost sight of just being a good human and helping each other out where they can without expecting money in return.

The biggest example of this that I have seen is the liking and sharing of posts on Instagram. It blew my mind the amount of people not willing to share a post out of kindness without getting insisting on getting something back. I appreciate we are all battling but guys, come on! We are on the same team and wouldn't you rather know that you helped someone with a strong desire to spread some good rather than only helping out if you get something back there and then? Acts of service are so much more worthwhile than being constantly self serving. I am not saying just give give give without receiving but if you are in the position to help someone, do it and in my experience you will be rewarded tenfold! You might not notice it, but I promise you, these things get remembered and appreciated and come back to you. Something I am really passionate about is the idea of 'paying it forward'. It might not be a direct giving back to the same individual but if someone did good by you, I make sure I do good by them and/or someone else as soon as I am in the position to.

My main point I wanted to stress in this article is this: Money is not the only currency (and often, nor should it be)!!! This is something I also strongly believe. I have partnered up with a few rad people for my retreats and was chatting with one particular couple that run an amazing camp site with glamping, cabins and camp sites in Tatapouri Bay. We talked about this in depth, about how often people aren't willing to do the smallest of things without monetary gain these days. As they build their business, they have managed to be successful in trading things for things, skills for services, etc. and it something I really want to spread the word about because I think it's awesome. They give accomodation to some of their tradesmen in return for helping them on their builds and have traded in other ways as well, like a nights stay at theirs with a night stay at another place. This is something I am applying to my retreats. I am a start up with limited cash flow whilst I get things off the ground. So I have friends helping out with photography and in return I am feeding them for the retreats and giving them a space to stay etc which for the right person is worth just as much, if not more than paying them in cash. It's just a mindset shift.

I think we really need to move away from being totally self serving to more community minded and these types of actions are just that. If we come together as a community and support each other in whichever way we can, we all win. I think we now live in a world where it's all about 'me'. We look out for ourselves before others, have to feel like we are on top and someone else isn't 'winning' at our expense. We compete in the silliest of things, and our ego doesn't allow us to ask for help. Building this new business has really opened my eyes. I have connected with some rad smaller communities that are moving much more towards this sharing of skills way of thinking. But, especially in bigger city environments I travel to, I often see the opposite.

We can apply this to a recruitment context as well in its own way. We all know employers often employe like for like whether subconsciously or not. What if we recognise what skills we lack ourselves and in our team and aim to recruit skills we don't have that would raise us up and those around us. This could be technical and soft skills. Think about your team and what could be improved and try to recruit someone that balances out the dynamic rather than just replicating what you already have. We have so much to learn from one another if we let ourselves be open to it and not be threatened by it.

I really hope this resonates with some of you out there. I just have been having this pull on my heartstrings that we need to start talking about it and trying to move away from making everything commercialised because it really isn't making very good humans. I challenge you to think of a friend that has a skill you really wish you had, and then think of something you have to offer them that you reckon they don't have or might benefit from. It can be as simple as this - you want to learn the guitar and your mate is awesome at it. Why don't you ask for lessons every week/other week in return for cooking them dinner at the same time?

Finally, whilst skills swapping and trading in different currencies other than money is awesome, don't forget the simple act of selflessness. Do something that doesn't necessarily serve you in any other way than just doing a good deed. My gut instinct is that they will remember your act of kindness and be compelled in a small or big way to do something good for someone in return. Being kind is addictive, start practising it and see for yourself.