A Practical Guide to the Economics of Self

The economics of self may initially appear as an abstract concept, yet it encompasses the intrinsic value you bring to the world around you (self, friends, community, work etc.)—stemming from your naturally endowed gifts, innate and trained talents, acquired skills. Most importantly, it emerges from self-worth and integrity. It extends beyond mere monetary transactions. It encompasses the management of your time, energy, skills, talents, gifts, and actions in a way that promotes personal well-being, fulfillment, and community connection - instead of external validation like status, prestige, power, money, and control.

Why Read This Practical Guide to the Economics of Self?

This guide is an invitation to explore the facets of your life and self that bring ease, flow, and joy, as well as those that manifest patterns of difficulty, stress, and tension. By delving into these domains (beyond right, wrong, good, and bad), you gain insight into whether you’re living authentically or adhering to societal narratives, pressures, and expectations that may lead to imbalance and discontent. 

How Does this Guide Work? 

Designed to help you express your unique gifts through life, work, relationships, and more, this guide advocates for alignment between self-care, spiritual practice, and personal and professional behavior, fostering a sense of wholeness and integration.

The economics of self is a journey of self-discovery and alignment, guiding you toward clarity, impactful decisions, and personal fulfillment across all aspects of life. It’s a process rooted in self-love, integrity, and conscious action, leading to a life lived with purpose and authenticity.

Step One: Understanding Economics Beyond Money

Contrary to common misconceptions, economics encompasses the collaborative relationship with energy, resources, ideas, actions, and services for the benefit of the healthy self, other individuals, nature, and society. This perspective, often termed the “economics of self,” emphasizes personal empowerment within a collective framework, acknowledging individuals’ pivotal role in shaping personal, relational, community, professional, and societal outcomes - we and you are the inputs that affect the outputs of not only our own life but those around us (human and otherwise), By aligning personal values with collective well-being, individuals contribute to a harmonious and prosperous inner-world and outward experience. 

Step Two: The Intersection of Integrity and Economics of Self

The relationship between the economics of self and integrity is fundamental to personal well-being and effectiveness across various domains of life. Economics of self involves conscious management of resources like time and energy, while integrity ensures alignment with personal values, fostering fulfillment in how one engages their time and expresses their energy. 

Both concepts guide decisions, with the economics of self prioritizing long-term sustainable well-being and integrity ensuring choices (regularly) reflect moral principles in moment-by-moment/day-to-day life choices. This alignment of resource allocation and ethical pursuit of outcomes contributes to growth, promoting well-being and fulfillment beyond monetary gains. In essence, the economics of self serves as a self-care system rooted in ongoing discovery and practice of integrity, guiding individuals towards clarity, impactful decisions, and personal fulfillment.

Step Three: Reclaiming Integrity for Clear Expression 

Living in integrity entails aligning thoughts, actions, and values with mind, body, spirit, and lifestyle. Individuals in integrity actively explore and refine their values and beliefs; taking consistent steps to enhance their ability to make aligned decisions. They prioritize deep connections with themselves and others, nurture their well-being, and live purposefully by consciously aligning life choices with self-care, meaningful work, valuable service, and inner truth. Such is the process of reclaiming your integrity from a place of joyful, self-love.

• Examples of Integrity: Speaking truth, prioritizing self-care, being of service using integral gifts, setting boundaries, acts of kindness, seeking personal growth.

• Signs of Misalignment: Inner conflict, chronic stress, disconnection (psychological) and Fatigue, physical symptoms, disrupted rhythms (physiological).

Step Four: Process for Identifying and Reclaiming Your Integral Gifts

Organizing the Geometry of Self

• Integrity serves as the cornerstone, aligning your values, beliefs, and actions, fostering a state of effortless engagement and peak performance.

Organizing for Flow

• Prioritizing integrity paves the way for experiencing flow states, enhancing presence and connection, and allowing your true value to shine through.

Connect Flow with Faith and Discipline

• Recognize the interplay between flow, faith, and discipline, shaping your unique expression and guiding your actions towards meaningful endeavors.

Speak Lovingly to Yourself and Others

• Nurturing intimacy with yourself fosters harmonious relationships with others, enabling clarity in interactions and fostering a supportive environment.

Respect and Protect Your Personal Time

• Investing in self-care and personal growth is essential for sustainable well-being, nurturing your capacity to contribute positively to your own life and the lives of others.

Stay in Self-care and Service

• Prioritize self-care, service, and spiritual practice to cultivate a fulfilling life and make meaningful contributions to your community and beyond.

Step 5: Explore and Discover The Value of Your Integral Gifts

1. Reflect on Core Values: Identify the values that deeply resonate with you—integrity, compassion, resilience—and integrate them as guiding principles in your life.

2. Uncover Strengths and Passions: Explore your strengths, talents, and passions to identify areas where you excel and find joy.

3. Clarify Your Purpose: Reflect on your life purpose and envision the impact you want to make in the world.

4. Assess Skills and Expertise: Take stock of your skills and expertise to leverage them effectively in pursuit of your goals.

5. Calculate Your Time Value: Evaluate the cost of living and income, list preferred daily and yearly activities with their time and cost, and rank them based on their value to you. This calculation provides insight into your life’s value, guiding your priorities, time allocation, real cost of living and income projections (goals, aspirations, etc.).

6. Seek Feedback: Solicit input from trusted individuals to refine your understanding of self, gifts, and value.

7. Set Clear Goals: Establish goals aligned with your values and purpose, and experiment with reorganizing your life to prioritize self-care, spirituality, and service, allowing earning to flow from an aligned self.

8. Take Action: Your actions towards self-care and alignment enable you to serve others with clarity, connection, and impact personally and professionally.

Step 6: It May Not Always be Easy but It Does Create Ease

Life can be difficult sometimes. And it can be deliciously divine. Such is the nature of existence. Life is in motion. Instead of exerting excessive energy trying to bend life to your will. Experiment with the more difficult but enriching path that creates more ease. 

Ease results from clarity about life, commitments, and relationships, achieved through a balance of discipline and spontaneity. Embrace practice over perfection, initiating the process of realigning your life with values you believe in and live by.

Curious to explore further? Wanna get into the simple math of assessing your time value based on your gifts and lifestyle? Interested in discussing sane, sustainable ways of living? Feel free to reach out for a conversation.