What Does it Mean to Co-Create Our World?
If you had all of the money in the world, what kind of world would you create? What kind of fuel and energy would power our lives? Would you opt for organic food, if it were affordable and available? Would you invest in the company that makes or delivers sustainably sourced sustenance? How would people move around in your utopia?
There is great power in how we spend our money. There is even greater strength in where we invest. This is a largely untapped source of influence for Main Street. When we don’t know which companies are fueling their future off of the money in our retirement, insurance and tax dollars, chances are quite high that we are profiting on the very companies that we picket – from polluters, companies that denude the forests and other last-century products and services that have led us to the climate crisis we face today.
Align Investments with Goals for Sustainability
We can save the planet, while enriching ourselves, when we make sure that our investments are aligned with our goals, when we put our money where our heart is. And yes, this can be very profitable. That’s why ESG Investing have become buzz words. [ESG Investing includes an evaluation of a company’s Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance or their conscientiousness in this metrics.] Many companies that are not planet-friendly are providing products and services that we line up to buy. It’s just as important to green our lives as it is to embrace ESG Investing.
In 2020, the pandemic forced changes upon all of us. Overnight, many of us began working, and doing almost everything, from home. As a result, the skies had never been cleaner in my lifetime. Traffic had never been so light and calm. Global carbon emissions dropped -7% between 2019 and 2020. In Europe and the U.S., the plunge was even more significant, at -11% and -12%, respectively. (China’s emissions were down only -1.7%.)
Demand for gasoline sank to the point that oil futures holders were paying not to take delivery on April 20, 2020. (Storing oil is very expensive.) The historic low price for oil is now -$40.32/barrel.
Sadly, emissions are on track to be higher in 2021 than in 2019.
How do we take charge of our portfolio when the financial advisor is encouraging us to let her handle things her way, and then “do good” with the profits? Is this the right approach today?
Rethinking and Recreating our Investments of Time and Money
The pandemic’s interruption of our lives is an opportunity to rethink and re-create everything, putting the health of the planet that nurtures and sustains us at the forefront. Every cent we own and every moment we spend is always an investment. We are a co-creators of our world. Our retirement and tax dollars are invested in the corporations that define our existence. When we realize the power of our money and investments as tools to make us rich and to also enrich our world, we will start aligning ourselves with other creative and motivated people who are invested in our success, the success of the companies we choose to support and the world at large.
Believing you have to make money fast before the world ends, the dollar becomes worthless, or the bank takes back your home is the kind of vulnerability that scam artists and shysters feed upon. Drink in the education and research you need in order to make successful investments. You’ll be less vulnerable to predators and more available to money while you sleep. Wisdom is key. Life math is something we should all be learning in high school. If we think of all the time we have wasted worrying about money in the past, we know that getting smart about budgeting and investing is actually going to take less of our time.
If you can shop, you can pick stocks. If you tithe, you can become a millionaire. If you can pick a great life partner, then you can select the second most important person in your life, your certified financial partner. If you know your age, then you know what percent of your retirement plan you should keep safe – not invested in stocks. Once you discover how the dollars you invest create our world, you can start investing in the products, goods and services that will save our planet.
Invest with Heart to Co-Create Our World
When people start investing with heart, soul and wisdom, instead of fear, blind faith and greed, this world will become a very, very beautiful place. There is no end to the problems that can be solved when we move trillions out of the old industries of oil, gas and cigarettes, and invest that trove in the clean energy, goods and services that contribute to a healthy, sustainable world. A life like this increases in value every single day and becomes more valuable, not just to each one of us individually, but to those around us, and the world at large.
What it Really Means to Live a Rich Life
True wealth is not a rollercoaster. Living a rich life is priceless. Having a planet that nourishes and sustains us is a divine blessing, and is essential to our survival. So, let’s put our money where our heart is to live a richer life today, and to co-create something worthy of being remembered for generations to come.
Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is
Excerpt from the Introduction of the 2nd edition of Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is, an original ESG Investing book. The 2nd edition was just released as an Amazon Exclusive in September, 2021. The ebook will be offered free for 5 days only starting on October 31, 2021. Visit https://www.NataliePace.com/ for more information.
Natalie Wynne Pace is the co-creator of the Earth Gratitude Project and the author of the Amazon bestsellers The Gratitude Game, The ABCs of Money and Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is. Since 2002, Natalie Pace has been touring the world and featuring the most sustainable businesses, farms, individuals, restaurants and homes. Download your free Earth Gratitude mini ebooks, featuring The Dalai Lama, H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, Elon Musk, The Duchess of Northumberland, Deepak Chopra, Life is Good, the Earth Day Network, Global Green USA, Arianna Huffington, Lynne Twist, Ron Finley and more, at http://earthgratitude.org/. Learn more about Natalie Pace at http://www.nataliepace.com/.