Issue #16: Cultivating Abundance: Embracing Gift Ecology in Machuca Valley by Keri Shinn
From Generosity to Gratitude: Fostering a Community of Giving and Growth
By Keri Shinn
Cultivating a Gift Ecology
In many communities and ecovillages in the Machuca Valley, we are exploring new ways of relating that move beyond the economic systems we were born into. One potent expression of this in my own life is a "gift ecology" or "gift economy" which invites giving from abundance, in never-ending cycles of gratitude and generosity, rather than trying to organize an exchange of things of comparable value.
The driving force in a gift ecology is gratitude. I am gifted everything needed to thrive - the life-giving sun, fertile earth, pure water, vital air, the diversity of beings creating regenerative ecosystems, the constant nutrient cycling. These primordial gifts flow freely, without obligation for reciprocation. Even lacking just one piece, I would pay any price to have it back! How could I repay all that sustains this life? That question makes little sense when considered deeply.
When I fully allow that in, I find myself in a state of overwhelming gratitude, and from this, a profound, spontaneous generosity emerges, allowing my gratitude to move into the world in tangible ways. The cycle moves through me; I don't let it end in my being and deplete the broader system, but allow it to move through me and begin anew elsewhere. This gratitude-generosity cycle is the heart of a gift ecology.
Abundance and Scarcity
In a gift ecology, I give freely from my abundance, without expectation of receiving anything specific in return. The gifts flow from an embrace of richness already present, rather than trying to acquire the relatively small sliver of things I perceive I lack.
This contrasts with the exchange economy built around agreements, contracts, and delivering on future expectations regardless of changing circumstances. The exchange economy fixates on scarcity - only what is rare or lacking holds tradable value. It invites cultures of competition where each party tries to get the most while giving the least. Things highly valuable and essential to a truly thriving personal and collective existence, like cleaning, cooking, teaching, caring for children and elders, nursing, home construction, growing food, and artistic expression tend to have comparatively low value in an exchange economy. Most of us can do some of these things without extensive training, and because they are easy to come by, they hold relatively little value in an exchange economy. But each is tremendously valuable for true flourishing. In fact, many of us wish to acquire more money through the exchange economy precisely to access these vital resources.
A gift ecology is intrinsically collaborative and rooted in abundance. When my focus is predominantly on what feels deeply nourishing and regenerative to give, rather on what I want to get from someone else, competition evaporates. There is no impediment to two people who wish to give the same gift, but two people who want to obtain the same object or service may create competition or conflict, or create demand for more than the system can sustain. When people give freely from abundance, we are all nourished by the spontaneous offerings of those we are in relationship with, just as we see in any ecosystem. We begin to notice what we have that could further enrich life, rather than what we lack and want to get for our personal selves.
Gifts flow in appreciation for who we already are and the abundance we already have; I need not prove my value to anyone to receive The gifts I give are at once an expression of my intrinsic value, and an appreciation of the value I have already experienced in relationship with others, rather than an attempt to get something more from them. The more we embrace this gift flow, the more richness circulates throughout the community. When no one holds on to surplus in an attempt to ensure their ability to independently trade for all necessities at some point in the future, resources are naturally distributed in more equitable ways that invite collective wellbeing, while also creating interdependent relationships that make personal wellbeing more accessible and less resource intensive.
Honoring Cycles
Importantly, a gift ecology honors our natural creative rhythms and life cycles. I am never expected nor obligated to give to depletion or self-sacrifice. Whatever I have to offer in that moment is enough - the open-handed sharing of my current surplus, without stockpiling or hoarding. Whatever I have in abundance or that truly brings me alive, I give; whatever I have is enough. This rhythm of giving from the overflow creates a regenerative cycle of nutrient exchange that doesn’t need to be figured out in advance. In this way, we give and receive without depleting ourselves or the systems we're part of.
When I create and share from inspiration, rather than commitment or obligation or fear, the creations themselves are nourishing to me. I feel more free to play when I don’t consider whether what I’m doing can be commodified. I share my gifts where most inspired and in service of aligned people and projects. If inspiration wanes or I feel depleted, I attend to myself, resource myself, and reorient what I'm offering to what feels most regenerative now. I deepen in intimacy with myself and others, and live into my own fullest moment-to-moment expression.
A Truly Relational Model
Years ago, a dear friend and mentor first opened my eyes to this profound concept. He has been embodying "the gift" now for over a decade - offering his gifts solely from inspiration, without expectation of exchange. With incredible generosity, he shared his immense depth of knowledge and skill in facilitating self-directed learning communities with our community.
While the skills themselves were a tremendous gift, the deeper offering was the cognitive shift it sparked within me. His embodiment of the gift ecology's principles disrupted my old mindsets and invited me into an entirely new perspective on what true wealth is. Even more precious was the blossoming of our relationship over the years - the collaborations, the trust, the play, the love shared through our experiences together truly transformed my life.
His living example rippled outward, generating beautiful gift cycles in its wake. I know I am only one of many people he has impacted in this way. I relish creative ways to continue gifting him all these years later - not out of obligation, but from a space of profound inspiration to nourish his life and work. I've loved finding simple and occasionally extravagant ways to enrich his life, knowing he never expects it, and trusting that whatever I offer will be amplified as it moves through him and out into the world. The better I know him, the more my gifts are aligned with his true needs and desires - this model is optimized for depth in relationship.
Each gift from that space creates yet another bloom of generosity rippling outwards. After playing more casually with the gift ecology over many years, My partner and I decided to experiment with co-creating a self-directed learning center offered in a gift ecology in our homebase of Gainesville, Florida. That project has exceeded our wildest expectations and brought immeasurable value to our family and community.
A Regenerative Culture
What I've noticed in practicing a gift culture and co-creating communities that exist within a gift ecology is: when offered a container inviting only giving from abundance and inspiration, there is an astonishing vibrancy and depth of relationship that emerges very quickly in a community. We begin to trust more fully in ourselves and each other, really listening to our inner wisdom and guidance. This may be the most difficult aspect of fully stepping into a gift ecology. Many of us are so conditioned to give to feel valuable that we often give to depletion, or give what we think we should rather than what truly brings us alive or from places we already feel real abundance.. A gift ecology requires the deep responsibility to give in regenerative ways. If I give in a way that feels depleting, or to try to get something else, I end up feeling resentful or taken advantage of, revealing it wasn't a true gift in the first place, and helping me to see my own conditioning more clearly.
None of this dismisses the role of exchange economies - I still rely on them heavily, and they serve vital purposes. My partner still earns income through exchanges to help provide for our family's needs. A gift ecology orientation can create a resilient underlay of abundance even within an exchange economy. If I seek to fully receive the gifts even when there is an exchange layered on top, I feel more nourished by the exchange, and honor the person I am exchanging with more fully. I notice less the expectations they are not meeting, and more they ways they have enriched my life.
The key, as I understand it, is bringing gift mindsets into my daily life and relationships. It’s not an all-or-nothing leap from exchange to gift, but a daily practice and exploration. How might I open myself to receiving fully the gifts of each moment? Where do I find opportunities to experiment with sharing my skills, wisdom, and surpluses freely, trusting the generative ripple effects? What am I taking for granted right now? How do I feel when I offer a gift - enlivened or depleted, and what gifts does that information hold about how I am relating? What creative inspiration is calling me to offer my own gifts in the world?
As I take small steps in this direction, the gift loops can expand organically. A community rooted in a thriving gift ecology creates a fertile atmosphere for all life to flourish. The gifts already abound; the invitation is to fully receive them and allow them to move in truly regenerative ways.
— Keri Shinn