Knowing Capital, Then Growing Capital (the Many Kinds)

I'm really good at noticing all the things I want, but don't have, in my current living situation (and I'm just as good at complaining about it!).

I am not so good at noticing what I have, soaking it all in, using it well, and making it grow. But this is the only way I can make anything better; better for anyone. So I want to learn to think differently about all things in my life, in a permaculture way, in hopes that I will be able to do more, and do better, by noticing, appreciating, and taking appropriate action rather than complaining.

The 1st step is to notice the capital that I have. But what can I do to structure my thinking that is more that a simple, "Count Your Blessings" exercise? Does anyone else have a Permaculture capital list-making scheme? Three months ago, I started making a list of the 8 Forms of Capital, and sorted some of the resources available to me that fit in each category, as suggested in one of the first chapters of Building Your Permaculture Property (Avis, Avis, & Coen), but I think I need to learn how to see potential resources and think about them properly even to make out such a list.

How do each of you assess the Capitals you have in your situations? How do you know what you have so you can connect these things to other parts of your systems, and ultimately grow everything better together?

One thing I thought I might do today is write a detailed list of my property and possessions for an imaginary heir, to explain all the things I have and why they are such a valuable bequest; i.e., what can be done with them.  (Talking to myself while pretending I'm talking to someone else can be a useful thinking tool, I have found.)

Years ago, I thought of capital as money in the bank, things we owned or were buying.

My first journey was through a book called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

https://www.amazon.com/Think-Grow-Rich-Landmark-Bestseller/dp/1585424331

That book changed my life.  I had already started to climb the ladder of success though that made me never look back.

Then I found Dave Ramsey, who taught me how to get out of debt and become financially sound.

I would like to recommend Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps.

In case you have not heard of him, here are some posts you might find interesting:

https://permies.com/t/140785/saved#1104242

https://permies.com/t/132587/Great-Big-List-Easy-Ways#1040864

Now I consider all the property I own free and clear, and all the money in the bank as my capital.

This is a new concept to me. At first, I thought I wasn't interested because I didn't want to think of everything in terms of different forms of capital, but my curiosity got the better of me. I looked up what these 8 forms are, and I have to admit it makes a lot of sense. (I might typically think of these as 8 forms of resilience, but that's just semantics.) Your exercise is a useful one, but why not expand it beyond material capital to those less obvious categories like cultural and experiential?

I was recently in a meeting with a large group of (sorry to generalize) older white people who were trying to understand their challenges in partnering with folks in the neighboring community on various projects. I told them, "relationship is the currency of the rez, and if you don't have that, you're not going to get anywhere with anyone." They thought this was profound for some reason, when to me it's obvious, but it's a good example of social capital that can't be purchased, because it's not about elitism but trust, which can only be developed over time. (I would say social capital in dominant society usually can be purchased.)

I keep something of an inventory of my living capital, although I wasn't thinking in those terms. It's really useful to refer back to it and remind myself of what all is growing here, especially in winter when I'm planning out the next year. I've also been thinking I should start keeping a CV, not just a resume, because I honestly forget sometimes different project I've contributed to or things I've accomplished that might fall outside a more traditional employment situation. So I think using these 8 forms/categories could be a useful way to organize all of this and, like you say, then have the ability to grow or leverage what we have.

Thanks for the interesting thread!

I want to grow my Social Capital this year! Up to now, I have built a teeny tiny itty bitty bit by walking down the neighborhood streets with my daughter over the last few years, and so I at least have people I can wave to. I need more than this, however (and so does my extraverted daughter). But alas, not only am I introverted, I have a desire to hide away lest people find out how really weird I am compared to them.

It's cute that there have been books like "Own Your Weird" at my library lately, and I do in fact own my weird, but I'm gonna need other people to own it too if I'm going to have them in my network of Social Capital!

"Seek those who find your road agreeable, your personality and mind stimulating, your philosophy acceptable, and your experience helpful. Let those who do not, seek their own kind.”
— Jean-Henri Fabre

I did get my daughter enrolled in a scouting-type of program this year, and we do weekly open gym meets nearby, but enrollment in both of these is irregular and painfully low. Maybe I need to move, ha! People do not seem to be as social as they were when my mother was bringing us up. (Screens? Changes in the social psyche since 2020?) Anyway, I'd love to hear from those who have grown their Social Capital how they do it!

Have you thought about having a block party?

Send out invitations.  Make it a potluck where everyone brings a dish. You furnish hot dogs and buns with all the trimmings.

Everyone could meet in your backyard, a neighborhood park, or somewhere near your block.  I am assuming that it is not convenient to block off the street.

Stay busy with the folks you know enough to talk to and wavy at the others as they come.

Or you could make it a kids block party and invite all the neighborhood kids.

Anne Miller wrote:Have you thought about having a block party?

Send out invitations.  Make it a potluck where everyone brings a dish. You furnish hot dogs and buns with all the trimmings.

Everyone could meet in your backyard, a neighborhood park, or somewhere near your block.

Or you could make it a kids block party and invite all the neighborhood kids.

I just might do this if my front yard garden becomes a raging success--what fun it would be to have a harvest party and give my neighbors tours. That would build Permaculture awareness in this part of town like nothing else! Thanks so much!

Rachel Lindsay wrote:I just might do this if my front yard garden becomes a raging success--what fun it would be to have a harvest party and give my neighbors tours. That would build Permaculture awareness in this part of town like nothing else! Thanks so much!

I quoted you more so that you got the notification of this reply, but will say that you remind me a lot of myself, and I really think your line of thinking will get you far in life. It has for me anyway.

It probably has to do with my personality type, but I have zero interest in money, seeing it only as a necessary tool to get me through life. The way I see it, the extreme poor can get rich, and the rich can go right to being poor so what does it matter, EVERYONE only has 24 hours in a given day. Make the most of that; VALUE THAT, and it will make a person more productive, and from that fiscal resources just naturally come without having to chase after it.

The other thing I highly value is phycology. That is just a fancy word for knowing why people do what they do. I realized that at a very early adult age, and it has served me well. Not so much in terms of manipulating anyone, but knowing why people do what they do, I can emulate the right people, and avoid the wrong people, and realize why some people do need help, and how to protect myself from certain people. Life just takes working with people, and whether an introvert or an extrovert, we do have to interact with people, so doing it well, really pays off. You might get that great job because of a great interview. Or you might get $39,000 off that piece of property. Or you might get help from an influential person. In short, phycology is everything, and it behooves ANYONE to learn all they can about it.

Is it easy? Nope; I have really struggled with long term relationships because they do not value their time, or value my time; quite as much as I do. And they certainly don't understand why I am gracious to some people, avoid others, or fairly curt with others because they do not understand people the way I do. And of course, there is a difference with money; I don't give it much value at all, which of course most people do.

So it is tough, but by valuing time and phycology, I feel I have done well. I am only 48, but I have really accomplished a lot, and lived a very fulfilling life.

Rachel Lindsay wrote:I want to grow my Social Capital this year!

I have had similar thoughts. I'm in it for the long game, so I'm doing some observations first of the community and looking around at facets that intersect in ways that I can engage with in meaningful ways

My hope is to start one or more permie clubs. Hopefully I'll be posting about them if I get them off the ground.