Is it time to rethink our ideas about money? Money is many things. It is really an agreement between individuals and groups about the value of various items. One problem with the current system of money is that it’s controlled by central institutions. Most of us take this for granted, but should we?

When we read about the economy, it tends to perpetuate a feeling of powerlessness. If you think about it, why should you or I be subject to the whims of bankers, governments, speculators, the Federal Reserve or other large institutions?

What are the alternatives? One is to get involved in political movements that promise reform. This tends to be a very slow process, in the rare instances when it works at all. Another solution is to create alternatives that we can start to implement right away. How might we do this?

One possibility is to create alternative forms of money or exchange. Barter is one possibility. Another is to create actual currencies, such as can be used in local communities and on the internet. These already exist. You can do a search online for “alternative currencies” or “local currencies.”

Also, check out this site:

Open Money

To find true abundance may mean defining and creating abundance for ourselves. The old definitions and institutions may not provide us with the best ways of doing this!