Tim Minchin - No sense, all is meaningless

Tim Minchin (Thanks Simon) - Click here
His advice to graduates on how "to be" is funny, inspiring, beautiful and real. To sum it up very very simply, he says:
1. You don't have to have a dream.
2. Don't seek happiness.
3. Remember, it's all luck.
4. Exercise.
5. Be hard on your opinions.
6. Be a teacher.
7. Define yourself by what you love.
8. Respect people with less power than you.
9. Don't rush.
Listen to these words of wisdom, and you might just get through life perfectly...Or at least, kind of unscathed.

Single task

There is a skill that you want to acquire. You are aware it you will need more mental energy, space, time and possibly money to make its application smooth and seemingly endless. Yet, you are no willing to give up any time. You choose to multitask. The main issue is that it is not a focused way of acquiring a new skill and your other project are paying the price of your carelessness. You are taking twice as much time. Your mind is scattered. You are feeling tired. What is advisable then. Stop for an instant and focus your time and energy on one task only. You will be more efficient, faster, freer.

Creating Change - the 5 ingredients

To create change, 5 ingredients are needed:

1) Vision

2) Skills

3) Incentives

4) Resources

5) Action Plan

Missing one of those key ingredients and we are heading to failure.

No vision create confusion

No skills raise frustration

No incentives demotivate

No  resources makes you anxious

No action plan, a false start

So thinking of what you want to achieve, what are you currently missing ?

You are ''It''

You have been looking though job description and you convinced yourself that you are not good enough for any of them. Yet, you have been working on various ventures, you have built up things from the ground up, others are aware of your value. Yet, you are certain that you will never fit in any of those descriptions, earn as much, succeed as much. The language they use is intimidating. You do not feel that any tasks actions you have complete could match their requirements. To boost your confidence up, you attend a career workshops. I am not the only one there, there are many others like me who have the skill, the training, the experience of dealing with compllicated projects and they do not feel that they are it.
''You are ''It'' the facilitator say
''Really?'' we wonder
First action to take > to believe it.
Results will follow through

Does exercising make you run a mile?

The main exercise I have to complete each day is writing.

I am an amateur.

If I was a professional. I will not lose focus. I will not jump from one task to the other. Wait for inspiration to strike. I will just be disciplined and I will work my crafts until the muse goes to sleep. The concept of exercise does make me run a mile away for sure.

I have all the warning signs of an amateur artist (you too?).

Whilst before starting I convince myself that there is nothing fun about exercising. During the exercise when the flow is on, I feel good. After the exercise when things have been completed. I feel awesome. So why dreading to start? Why being scared to be disconnected and to fly? Taking off is difficult but the flight is more than often awesome, the place of landing too. There is certainly uncertainty about the outcomes. This can be difficult to deal with but who cares. Carpe Diem this is.

Child of artists

I was born in a family of artists where paintings and theatre plays danced together throughout the night. In my first home, the walls from time to time will display new colours. I always admired art appearing on the walls of our buzzing home. My second home was the theatre. I always love the sight, smell and sound of the rehearsals. My favourite moment in a theatre is when the light goes off and that you know you cannot come out until the play is over.
Growing up, I became petrified that my own art will be judged as insignificant compared to my parents. It has taken a lot of time and crafts to have pride in my work and for me to take over my own world. I met mentors along the way who helped me to become what I am today channelling my vulnerabilities towards greater schemes. I am forever grateful. I thank my parents to have open my eyes to opportunities. They have managed with almost none or little education to create a world of their own. A beautiful one. Sometimes, I wish that they would have shown me earlier on how to create my own. At the same time, their laissez faire attitude forced me to find my own solutions, fending for myself. It will all pay off at the end.

Tell us your experience as an artist's child

An Evening with Leicester Positive Money

Once in while Positive Money Leicester meet up. It was long time. It finally happened.

---

A year ago, we had our first Positive Money Leicester event - People & Money -with a panel of individuals sharing with us the impact of money creation on society, the impact of policy making on the livelihood of individuals, the impact of corruption and tax havens , the law and meaning of money.

Six month ago, we had a workshop on the Ethics of Money exploring the relationship with money and a lot of tips on how to live with less of it and enjoying life more.

A month earlier, Money Creation and its impact on society was debated in the House of Commons. Conservative, Labour, Greens, UKIP etc. question the impact of money creation by private entities on society. It was like Christmas in the middle of November for me. all at the results of the immense efforts of social activators throughout the UK interested in Money issues.

Two weeks ago, I have sent an email with excitement to all Leicester Members to have a coffee in Green Oasis to cheer for the debate and discuss what next

Thursday, Yesterday, was the day of our meeting

---

Discussion topic of the evening

Art, Advertising, Politics and Activism

To which extent the political role of art has been diluted was one the question we asked ourselves?

Various perspectives were given to the subject without any academics references but who said that citizens could not be philosopher without a Ph.D. One argued that the attractiveness to art degree produced a tremendous amount of artists who were looking a lot like one another. At the end of their studies, many ended up in advertising and marketing agencies using their talents and ideas at the profit of others. Whilst art lost its credentials as a powerful force to contradict status quo, advertising became almost better than art supporting the vested interests of large corporations. It could be a possibility. I do not know. Others suggested that whilst art disappeared, activists and campaigning groups were not using effectively and efficiently advertising tools. They even say that the impact of communication campaign is not effective. Face-to-Face interaction to build community has more impact. It could be true. Further was added, the saddest things is that large corporations to find their gap on the market do large semiotic analysis to understand how they can compete against their competitors but also understand the deep-seated value important for their consumers. How could they have the full picture when all community groups and other social activist do not communicate through images? It is a question. To which extent community groups are dismissed by large corporations in the marketing analysis? To which extent corporations are blindfolded by what is happen in the other  reality?

For those living in the midlands, there will be interesting series on art and politics at Loughborough University. Check it out

Role of Comedians and Poet and Politics

In France, Moliere used to write satire to mock the ruling power, king queen churches doctors etc.

Coluche, founder of the Resto du Coeur and great comedian also challenged status quo. He even run for presidency.

In England, there is Russell Brand with his Trews and probably many others who use humour to take us beyond the boundaries we have ourselves created.

Semantics, Money Creation, Banks and Society

The question is:

What is the difference between lending a customer money and a customer depositing money to the bank?

Answer:

None

Why

When the bank lend money to a customer, the bank deposity money into the customer account.

When the customer deposit money into the bank account, the customer lend money to the bank.

'The 'Account' is only an interface helping the circulation of money in a system. creating both asset and liabilities equal to each other on the balance sheet. 

By creating liability on one side, asset are created on the other side >> Money is created

By reimbursing liability on one side, asset are destroyed on the other side>> Money is destroyed

Simple accounting.

The way we use words and the meaning we attribute to them has to be closely scrutinise. Our compliance was suggested to be at a result of the social conventions associated with those words that we have learnt. The collective knowledge of those conventions is so ingrained that we cannot even recognise when two things are the same thing.

House of Commons, Positive Money, Debate Money Creation and Impact on Society

This year is a special year. Between The Bank of England confirming that Money is being created through loans made by private banks and the debate brought in the house of commons after more than an 100 years on the impact of money creation on society (Watch the video). It is incredibly exciting. It will get the ball rolling for academics, researchers, policy makers, financial analysts, businesses, homeowners who have big mortgages to question the situation we are in.

Since money is not backed up by gold standard (Collapse of Bretton Woods). Money is a currency which loses value every instant. Watch the video Rich Dad Poor Dad, he will tell you all about it if you do not want to get in too much economic jargon with the positive money book. Nevertheless, whilst money lost its credentials, promises to pay (back loan) did not change in nature at all as much as deeds from the bank. Ultimately considering the large inflation in prices for houses, anyone can wonder where the money is coming from and secondly the validity of a promise to pay back a loan. Why would you pay a loan back if the money is created out thin air?

And More...

Law, Health and Safety, Poverty, Science, Religion, Terrorism, Spirituality were covered over the evening.

Shake yourself out from the poor collective knowledge we have of economics and learn some more!

For more information about the money system please visit Positive Money website, read the book, set up a reading group, read some more, share it with your friends and if you are in Leicester, drop me an email. 

We have informal discussion with members of Positive Money Leicester time to time. 

We meet at the Green Oasis on London Road, a little philosophical paradise in the midst of the city.

Drop your comments!

Sorting finances

More than a year ago, the Spreadsheet Geek (here) had asked to analyse finances and sort them out.
Between income statement, cashflows and budgetting, numbers were flowing in every directions.
The task was over and I felt rich, content and free. Since then, states of affair are reviewed from time to time and outgoings controlled.
None is spend on futility. Time at hand seem infinite. Debts are disappearing
More is spend to create and contemplate how beautiful the now is.
Next steps, shift to cash payments only and no more temptation to dip in the digital money.

What about you?
Have you thought about looking more in details at your finances?
What stop you to open the pandora box of your bank statements?
What is your vision of the future in relation to your finances?
What are your next steps?
I am curious to hear more, do not hesitate to comment this post.

Retiring early or not?

My dear colleague, 60, is retiring this Christmas. In his own words 'It is the end of my working life and I shall now spend more time with friends and family.

This couple retired at the age of 30 after investing a considerable amount of money in private pension,
giving them sufficient return to sustain themselves for next x years. They can now focus on the projects they want to work on rather than working for any corporation as an employee.

He is 75 and would not stop creating and innovating. Retiring is out of the question. It keeps him young at heart and sharp in his thoughts.

'Should you retire early or not?'is not the right question to ask
The question should be 'Why retiring?'

Retiring is not dissimilar to quitting when it is chosen or getting fired when it is imposed.

Better quitting early to follow dreams of a lifetime... better not retiring when you are already living the dream...

Designers of Money Futures - Permaculture

The latest Permaculture session I had was 'Money Futures'.

We discussed the reasons why we need Money, the impact of money on the global and living world.
Questions were asked about the other alternatives of money and whether we could do without it.

It became clear that the discussion was a difficult one to have as we recognise our needs to belong.
We recognise our needs to improve our surroundings.
We recognise how much unskilled and clueless we were.
We recognise the power of money in making our wishes reality by filling the gap of our own inabilities.

Human relationship is probably the most expensive commodity. It forces some to enter the rat-race for happiness and belonging.

It is an unfortunate conclusion. Luckily enough, it is not the end of the story. There are many alternatives to money and the gift economy is actually in scale a lot more prominent that people might think. It is not promoted on television but for sure it exists. Join a voluntary group, knock on your neighbour's door, use freecycle and streetbank, define the community you want to be part of and let go of the rest. A system cannot be changed, another one need to emerge to replace it. Let's be the designers of our destiny!

Keynes vs Minsky

I am truly a beginner in economics. By reading Positive Money book 'Modernising Money' by Ben Dyson and Andrew Jackson, my eyes and brain are getting wide open to new possibilities. My interest grew in the work of Minsky and encouraged me to read more about Keynes.

Keynes economics promote the view that in the long run economics system converge into an equilibrium with the support of the government. Nevertheless you cannot help the role of banks in the system and wonder after reading the following quote:

“But this long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead. Economists set themselves too easy, too useless a task if in tempestuous seasons they can only tell us that when the storm is long past the ocean is flat again.” (Keynes, 1923)

This implied that economists did not comprehend why we had a financial crisis and collapse. Minsky with  his model 'Financial Instability Hypothesis' strive to answer this question. The idea in Minsky's work in a 'simplistic summary is that in very good environments economic decision will be made with an overconfidence of financial stability. Ultimately it motivate excess leverage that advance farther than a stable economy' (Coates, 2009)

We could summarize the whole in three words 

'STABILITY IS DESTABILISING'

Some links:

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-06-02/adam-smith-vs-keynes-and-minsky

http://relevantfp.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/keynes-vs-minsky-financial-instability.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-dismal-state-of-economic-theory-and-the-opportunity-for-a-new-beginning-2010-9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_Minsky

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26680993

I will be grateful if you would comment this post and give me some indications on other good sources of information I could read on. Thank you!

Want to understand better how money works?

With the housing bubble tamed down by the bank of England, the latest bulletin confirming that the bank are creating money out of thin air and the psychological effect debt has on reducing feelings of empathy amongst human kinds, here are a number of resources if you want to learn more about the money system:

Videos

The Positive Money Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PositiveMoneyUK
A Crash Course :http://www.peakprosperity.com/crashcourse

With the part more concerned with money starting here: http://www.peakprosperity.com/crashcourse/chapter-6-what-money
Money as Debt : http://www.rinf.tv/video/money-debt

A Century of Challenges : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJKZT5TNjYw 

Sacred Economics :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEZkQv25uEs

Keiser report with David Graeber : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3T17h6tNzoM

Books:

Modernising Money - Andrew Jackson and Ben Dyson

5000 years of debt - David Graeber

Website

http://streetschooleconomics.wordpress.com/

www.positivemoney.org

The list is not exhaustive. If you know other links to follow, please leave your comments below.

Finding a partner in the making

I love working on projects. I love working with others.

When I started to be a volunteer coordinator for Positive Money in Leicester, I wanted to find a partner to create some events on the theme of money. This person had to be reliable, trustworthy and hard working. 

I did not find the person through the various meetings and events which I organised or participated in. The individuals I have met were not there to collaborate in the way I wanted. They were looking to gain other social benefits.

Eventually, one person revealed herself to be the right partner whilst I was volunteering to support her own scheme: Footpaths, a carbon footprint reduction community-based programme. I run some sessions with her as a co-facilitator. Through our preparation meetings, I shared my vision for Positive Money in Leicester and our two worlds merged.

Since then, we are partners. Others got inspired and joined us to develop a taster and full day workshop on Money. After the taster workshop, a reading group emerged. After the full-day workshop, other volunteering organisations got interested in having the money workshop run for them. We are now in the process of editing the workshop to share facilitation notes to every participants of footpaths. They will be able to run sessions on the theme of money with their group members.

As I will be stepping down from Positive Money as a volunteer co-ordinator to focus fully on freeskilling, repairing and making, my partner in crime and I are already thinking of organising a festival which is rather exciting.

A partner is more likely to be found in the making and sharing. You have to be willing to give in order to receive something back. You have to be focus on what you are trying to achieve but also flexible in the way you are going to get there. Someone along the way will join you, ensure to be open to opportunities when this person comes along.

Do you need to be an expert to talk about money?

Debates tend to bring together expert researchers and politicians arguing on the steps forward for the future of humanity. Experts have always good arguments and counter-attack to keep the discussion going and confuse us in the midst of details and jargon. But us, lambda individuals, what can we possibly do?

Learn and share

Ian Tennant from Positive Money Uk explained today at the Leicester secular society how money is created by commercial banks and the consequences this have on the rest of the economy and our state of democracy.

Did you know that 3% of the money available is cash (coins and notes) and 97% is money created by commercial banks?

Did you know that between 1970 and 2012 the money supply increased from £25 billion to £2050 billion?

What shocked me was the idea that a non elected body (commercial banks 80 board members) decide how the 2.9 trillion created by them will be spent. The government has 650 parliamentaries and 2.1 trillions to allocate. Isn't there a more ethical way of doing it?

The bank of England this year acknowledged the creation of money by commercial banks. It confirms furthermore the need for our debtocracy to be changed.

More need to be done and it is our role as citizens to put pressure on our government for change!

In the meantime, reading 'Modernising Money' by Andrew Jackson and Ben Dyson give a good graps on how the money system works. Organising talks and debates keep the ball rolling. Finally, writing to our MPs to put get those questions debated. We do not need to be expert to do those things: just read, speak and write.

Once the debate starts, the experts can be present to develop and put in place a better system with the consciousness that we are watching them.

I am pleased that positive money is a strong voice encouraging individuals to look more into those issues. The majority of followers are no experts but only care.

What's on this weekend in Leicester?

If you are looking for some alternative events to join, this is what is happening in Leicester

Footpaths : Green Open Homes and Living on the 14th and 15th of June.
9 houses in Leicester are opening their homes for visit. For  those interested in learning more about energy efficient measures, renewables and more, give it a go. Click on the link above to find out more

LessBig - Building an Earth Oven at Saffron acres on Saturday 14th from 10.30am to 5pm - Click on the link for more information

Positive Money - Ian Tennant talks about how to stop banks are ruining the show at Leicester secular society on Sunday 15th at 6.30 start. For more info on the event > click here

Et Voila

Highlight of my day - Most public debts illegitimate

It was rightly so the highlight of my day.
9:16 - I opened my guardian app on my way to work. Scroll down to get to the comments section and here it is:

 'The French are right: tear up public debt - most of it is illegitimate anyway' by Razmig Keucheyan.

I am rightly french and highly involved with Positive Money. We have a group in Leicester that you are welcome to join if you are interested send us an email by clicking here

Thinking that 60% of public debt is most likely to be illegitimate and it is not even possible to name the debt holders makes me wonder why we are in such a state of austerity. Is it only there to favour our social elites? I am voting for a debt jubilee, right there!

Let's hope we can follow the steps suggested in the article:

1) Debt audits in all countries

2) The disclosure of the identity of debt holders

3) The socialisation of the banking system

 To understand those various steps and get more info on the research, check the article out!

Keynes vs Minsky

I am a beginner in economics but reading Positive Money book 'Modernising Money' by Ben Dyson and Andrew Jackson. My interest grew in the work of Minsky and encouraged me to read more about Keynes.

Keynes economics promote the view that in the long run economics system converge into an equilibrium with the support of the government. Nevertheless you cannot help the role of banks in the system and wonder after reading the following quote:

“But this long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead. Economists set themselves too easy, too useless a task if in tempestuous seasons they can only tell us that when the storm is long past the ocean is flat again.” (Keynes, 1923)

This imply that economists did not comprehend why we had a financial crisis and collapse. Minsky with  his model 'Financial Instability Hypothesis' strive to answer this question. The idea in Minsky's work in a 'simplistic summary is that in very good environments economic decision will be made with an overconfidence of financial stability. Ultimately it motivate excess leverage that advance farther than a stable economy' (Coates, 2009)

We could summarize the whole in three words 

'STABILITY IS DESTABILISING'

Some links:

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-06-02/adam-smith-vs-keynes-and-minsky

http://relevantfp.blogspot.co.uk/2009/05/keynes-vs-minsky-financial-instability.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-dismal-state-of-economic-theory-and-the-opportunity-for-a-new-beginning-2010-9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_Minsky

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26680993

The Moneyless Manifesto by Mark Boyle - Review

I have recently read, Mark Boyle's Moneyless Manifesto. It resonated with me in many ways. He highlights the extent to which we are disconnected from the system which support out lives as we strive through and around the lenses of money. During my master thesis with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation at Cranfield University, those who I interviewed highlighted this issue as the main challenge to achieve a truly sustainable system. Individuals, businesses, politicians and educators are all slow down in their innovation pathways by the money paragdim.

But the question remain can we really live without Money? Mark Boyle did it over three years. Throughout the book, he offers advices and personal experiences to support the idea that it is possible to do without. Other authors, researchers, practitioners in their own field offer guidance on how to implement some solutions for a moneyless living.

Sometimes, his own experience such as successful healing from an infection using plants made me slightly skeptical. I recognised that my reaction was based on fear by asking myself question starting with 'What if'. 'what if I don't have money and get very ill?' 'what if the plants I used are poisonous' what if? what if? what if?' 

I also accepted that I do not know much about the healing abilities of plant and promised myself to get to know them better. 

Gift Circle on the 7th June 2014 at 3pm Riverside Festival 

But there are three things that I will do:

First organising a 'gift circle' (On the 7th of June 14). Getting people together is my forte and I really like the idea of giving out of generosity. 

Secondly, using 'MoonCup' because with standard hygienic pads, I pollute every month, with the MoonCup I won't!. 

Finally, why not organising a festival...'a festival of making' in Leicester in 2015 (I'll keep you posted)!

Gift circle at the Riverside Festival on 7th June 2014 3pm

In the Moneyless Manifesto by Mark Boyle, I stumbled across ‘gift circles’ and we are going to give it a go at Riverside Festival on the 7th June 2014 at 3pm on the Bede Island by the Transition Leicester Marquee

Gift circles are an organisational format to facilitate gift giving and promote community. For more info on its structure have a look here > http://wiki.gifteconomy.org/Gift_Circle

We need people who are happy to share contact details with one another. We are happy generally speaking for those who do not want to participate to the circle to listen and watch!

Come directly on the Bede Island at the Transition Leicester and Green Light Marquee at 14:50

For more information, contact me directly on moneyleicester@gmail.com

Reading group starting in June: Modernising Money

The Leicester's Positive Money group is starting a reading group. Our first session will be the 6th of June 2014 at the Green Oasis from 6pm. We will start with reading the first 100 pages of 'Modernising Money' by Andrew Jackson & Ben Dyson. We are at the moment seven individuals eager to understand better economics and to discuss some of the arguments introduced in the book.

If you are interested in joining the reading group, email me directly on moneyleicester@gmail.com.

If you don't have a book, I have 3 books left for sale sent by Positive Money to support the Leicester group (£10). Don't hesitate!