scarcity vs sufficiency

Do you know what my biggest concern is with all the greenwashing and bluewashing going on in the social impact space right now?

It’s really not making the kind of contribution the leaders want (or claim to want).

I’m not talking about large corporations here (different story, different day).

I’m talking about the solopreneurs and small groups that really feel ‘grassroots’ but are still buying into the ‘business as usual’ lie of scarcity in their marketing and sales tactics, not because they are bad, but…

… because they don’t know there ARE other ways.

Ways that CAN align your efforts and your sustenance in integrity.

Because scarcity and sufficiency are not the same thing.

👉🏾 Case in point:

This morning, a group I follow on Instagram, who I thought were regenerative practitioners putting something aligned out in the world, announced a 4-week cohort.

With enthusiasm, I read about the cohort and decided to apply.

One of the questions on the application was about the financial investment.

It was a multiple choice question.

There was no space (literally) to state clearly what my current circumstances were, what I was thinking. It was just, basically, can you pay this or not?

I chose the answer closest to the truth (since the cohort begins in a few days, I knew it unlikely that I would have the full amount in time).

My application was rejected within minutes.

Now, this was excellent information for me.

I was glad to know quickly that this cohort was being led in a way that felt out of alignment for me (as opposed to a week or two in).

There was quite a bit of dissonance between the application process and what was being presented as the purpose of the cohort.

There was no space for something that didn’t fit in a box, and there was no space to learn about someone before accepting or rejecting their application, if financial capital was not met first.

All of this is true for ‘business as usual’ practices. There was nothing new or unfamiliar here.

And it was clear to me that any “community” being gathered in this fashion would be sorely lacking in important components for me.

In looking at my finances, I currently had half of the amount needed for the cohort. In a conversation, we could have explored whether the cohort or something else was a fit for me and for them. Or if I could have paid the second half later. Or if I could have offered some other value in exchange for the second half of the investment.

But I would not spend the last penny on services that no longer felt aligned with my direction.

Because I know where those saved pennies came from, and the energy my gratitude, fulfillment, delight and clarity have charged them with makes them only compatible with initiatives that will grow these feelings.

And that’s a difference I’m no longer willing to overlook.

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