Do you think you could live without money for a day, a week, or even a month??? Most of us would probably be able to handle it for a day, and perhaps for even a week, but definitely not any longer than that.
There is an incredible German woman by the name of Heidemarie Schwermer who actually has pulled off living money-free now for sixteen years, and she says she is very happy. She had previously lived a “normal” life, but after her two daughters had grown up, she decided to give all but a few of her possessions away and live without money.
It first started out as an experiment for her back in 1996. She thought she would try to live without money for one year as she was sick and tired of living within a greedy consumer society. She traded her skills of gardening, cleaning and doing therapy sessions in exchange for food and shelter. Talk about gutsy!
Not too many people that I know would be so bold as to take such a big leap of faith. But this German grandmother truly is unique.
To share her experiences with others, Schwermer has written three books, and a documentary film entitled Living Without Money is available on DVD.
To learn more about this amazing grandmother, check out this Yahoo! article entitled German Grandmother Lives Money-free and Has Never Been Happier and watch the short video clip.
She truly is an inspiration. Although most of us won’t be able to imitate her lifestyle, at least we can get a little insight into what truly matters in this world. What Schwermer really wants is “to help people reflect on their way of life and their relation with others.” And she says that for her, “giving up money gave me quality of life, inner wealth and freedom.”