I have just finished reading the enlightening book, "The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living" by Mark Boyle.
This challenging book covered November 2008 to November 2009 in the life of Mark Boyle when he decided the best way to try out his beliefs on money, ethical living and as he says "be(ing) the change (he) wants to see in the world".
Mark's way of doing this was to live moneyless for a year. That meant he had to find moneyless ways to be sheltered (someone gave him a caravan and he paid "rent" for parking it at a co-op farm by working on the farm), to be fed (farming, foraging and skipping), and to get around (he used his bicycle, walked or hitchhiked).
The book follows the challenges that face mark on everyday things we all take for granted, as well as his personal journey of acceptance of both himself and the world as it stands around him.
The book doesn't tell anyone what is the right way to live but rather shows by actions what differences a person can make living by their beliefs. I was inspired to think about my own consumption, my own carbon footprint and my own view of money.
As Mark says in the book, he is "an ordinary guy, doing what he thinks is best right now, knowing, all too well, that he has as much chance of being wrong as of being right".
Ultimately, this is all we can hope for as well. But it's the thinking that can make all the difference.
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