I'm not sure where to start this.
My mind instantly wants to go into vindication mode when talking about asking for money (how fascinating right?! Definitely something to work through in my money mindset).
I first saw an online kitty/'tip box' at an Instagram account I follow and I remember I thought to myself, what a lovely idea this was.
All of us who have an online presence know how much time and work goes into creating posts/stories/blogs/websites. Isn't it lovely to have a way of appreciating the effort!
Then I started creating my own website here and I was debating in my head to put up a "Kaffeekasse" as well.
It feels weird asking people for money, doesn't it? We grow up being taught that we must be independent and self-sufficient.
Asking for help or even money is something you don't do (at least not in south Germany, where I'm from).
But then I thought about my friends at home, all the coffee dates and beers in pubs, something I really miss since I moved away.
The habit of paying for your friends drinks because you value them and it's a nice way of appreciating them as a person.
And I thought about all the trail hikers I follow on Instagram. Of course you can support some of them by purchasing things through affiliate links but then that usually means you end up with a product and quite often pay not a small amount of money for it. But simply saying 'Hi, I really like your work, here's $3.'. Feels like not enough? Do you think the recipient might think 'wow this person only values my work as $3, how rude!'?
What if you'd think instead 'Hi, I really like your work, here's $3 for your next coffee because I saw you're always up early'. Feels different? But in the end the amount is still the same.
How is it, that in our culture we hold onto money with such a firm grip that every time someone asks for a donation, our instant response is no? Most of the time without even thinking.
When I started educating myself around money mindsets, my beliefs and thoughts around money, something came up a few times: money has to flow. If you desire to have a loving relationship with money, you have to first learn to accept it, then to cherish it and then to let it go again. And that can start with as little as 10 cents.
It is the intention of giving, that creates a cycle and a space of gratitude.
So I want to try something different and am putting up a PayPal link where anyone can send me a small amount of money as appreciation for my work and a way to virtually shout me a drink (and some treats for Sousa :)).
I would love to sit in a small country pub, buy a nice cold beer after a days worth of hiking and share a picture of toasting to a virtual friend!
(if you would prefer your money not being spent on alcohol but something else, please send me a message and let me know!)