What Is Value?

Money doesn’t grow on trees is a belief we are given whilst very young.  It tells the story of having to ‘work for the man’ rather than work with nature.

This old belief system couldn’t be more wrong, if I look around me at abundance I see money on trees literally.  I see money as trees as well.

Likewise I see money growing beneath me.  Whilst we have been given the idea that the only way to grow wealth is to indeed work for the man – we are never encouraged to work amongst the Living System that exists.  

This in part is due to the value of things being given to that which only we build and create, not to what naturally is created. It is also due to how we see value!

This stems from the separation from nature – to humans control over nature to our system built around what we can control and create.  

Including the way we can manipulate or coerce nature into our own needs.

I question what we value.  That value in itself is only seen in what we can gain.  Of course this means greatest value is given to that which gives us the most gain – the most money.
Little value is given to anything that offers anything other than that.  Value is not measured in reciprocal energy exchange only by gain.

We need to move past the value of something being measured only in productivity and that value be found in presence and participation as is the way of the Life’s sacred Living System

I talk about this using bees as an example.  Their presence is always undervalued.  Their life span and productivity questioned – 40 days for a teaspoon of honey.  Yet take away the bee and we have no life.  Their presence is of far greater value than we could ever gain.

Yet still we see value as a matter of monetary gain only.  We use Life as monetary value only. WE USE everything for this value of monetary gain over and above all else. This value of gain then – through old mindsets – gives worth or purpose to that creation. We just couldn’t be more wrong.

What purpose anyone gives cannot be only valued by the gain they offer in return.  Many people like the bee are a silent part of a system that would not happen without them.  This is the way within Life’s sacred Living System.  

All things matter. All things are a part of the whole. All things are equally valid and of value as a part of that system.

The value in growing one strawberry is enormous to me.  The first of a season to come.  Rather than only wanting enough money to buy a punnet from the supply chain – I can value what this process is in having this abundant living system around me.

Not to mention that I do not have to eat the strawberry for it to have been a valuable process – everything in Life is not created for Humanity’s pleasure – Life, can express of offer itself without it needing to be of value to our needs – Life creates and gives for its own expression and joy, and in this case the soil is one of its great recipients – with the strawberry able to nurture and nurish it rather than my plate.

We need to change our perception of value when it comes to truly living within the Living System. It’s existence isn’t simply for humanity’s survival. it grows, expresses, nourishes, nurtures, sustains, all things within it for Life itself to offer, we are simply one of a plethora of gifts to be nurtured…… more than human…. there is more than our value to consider.

by Cari Taylor