There’s a moment I can’t forget.
A couple of years ago, I was sitting under a canopy of stars at a retreat center in Puerto Rico—a place that had been transformed from near ruin into a sanctuary of evolution and quiet reckoning.
The owner, a luminous soul and scholar of many esoteric traditions, joined us for dinner on our last night. As our plates emptied and our conversation about prosperity deepened, he smiled and said softly:
“Look around you. Nature is free.”
I felt my whole body flinch.
No, it’s not.
✨ I had to book a flight to Puerto Rico.
✨ Rent a car to drive to the opposite side of the island.
✨ Pay to stay on this sacred land he lovingly restored.
I didn’t say that to him, of course. We weren’t in a coaching container. I didn’t have his consent to try and change his mind, but inside I laughed a little—because it wasn’t even free in theory.
Even if I were to step into the forest behind my house—no plane, no retreat, no gas money—it’s still not free.
Nevermind my mortgage…
🌱 I breathe out carbon dioxide, which the plants take in for their survival.
🌿 They breathe out oxygen, which I need to survive.
There is always an exchange.
Always a current running in both directions.
Can we pause reframe “free” to mean “freely given, generously received”—but never without cost?
🎨 A painter gives form to beauty, and we offer our attention, our awe in return.
🗣️ An activist speaks truth into the collective, and we respond with action, amplification, or alignment.
This is the original economy.
The blueprint of all prosperity.
Breath for breath. Beauty for awe. Voice for movement.
Exchange.
Reciprocity.
Relational currency.
We don’t just take.
We give, receive, and circulate.
Even this moment—this post—demands an exchange.
I offer my thoughts, my time, my energy.
You offer yours by reading it, engaging with it, carrying it into your day.
It is beautiful. Sacred. Necessary.
But it is 👏🏽 not 👏🏽 free 👏🏽.
👉🏽 Reflection Prompt
What do you currently offer for “free” in your business—and what are you asking for in return? (for example that “freebie” that they get in exchange for their email)
Is the exchange aligned with the energy, impact, and care you pour into your work?
Where in your life or business could you more consciously name and honor the exchanges already taking place?
🔥 Daily Affirmation
I honor the sacred exchange in every interaction.
My energy is valuable.
My generosity is discerning.
My prosperity is relational and alive.
PS: Profit is never one-sided. It’s a protest against the lie that only money has value. You are exchanging energy, time, intention, and care every single day. Make sure your ledger reflects the real cost—and the real worth.
🎧 Song of the Day: The Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthews Band
Hello pretty
Oh, I have been working to internalize this lesson! Reciprocity has often been twisted to a game of ledgers or who-owes-who, and returning to the breath-for-breath is freeing.