“When you let go of trying to get more of what you don’t really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you have. When you make a difference with what you have, it expands.” – Lynne Twist


On my recent trip to Asia I tucked the recently re-released “The Soul of Money: Reclaiming the Wealth of Our Inner Resources” by Lynne Twist into my carry-on. Before I could get to reading it, my husband John had casually picked it up to skim the back cover— then there was no prying it out of his hands. When I finally had my turn, I found my self taking intense internal nods and deep sighs of relief.

Like any powerful message, this book stretches the mind by asking provocative questions. This one takes us down some uncomfortable mental roads to explore our own personal relationship with money and how we assign success to ourselves and others. It encourages us to move away from an economy of fear, consumption, and scarcity, to one of sufficiency, one of enough. “There is enough for everyone. To access that experience of enough, however, we have to be willing to let go—let go of a lifetime of scarcity’s lessons and lies.”

Ok so to be honest, this concept of “enough” really got me. If people had enough then why are so many suffering? I found myself wondering about all that we are attempting to do at GoPhil, knowing from experience that when we sleep, so many are going without — access to health, education… their rights as human beings on this planet.

Without giving it all away, the enough Lynne refers to relates to the potential we all have in us. Philanthropy is then perhaps less about a redistribution of resources and more about unearthing more of what is already in each of us— all around the world. She reaffirmed the importance of so many of Gophil’s core values and beliefs around helping people do for themselves by tapping their own resources, by finding their own greatness. She had me remembering something that is becoming more clear every single day. In order to help others find their own greatness, we must continue to find our own.

Lynne’s words resonated on every level for me — personal, professional, and simply human. I am confident that it will for many of you as well. We need to be looking at why and how we give money away, our hopes to make a difference — to matter.

Since turning the last page of her book I have thought about its messages daily, while making lunch, on my walks in Provence, during GoPhil meetings. It now sits on my nightstand as I read it once again. We have always talked about our ethos of philanthropy as being one that is “more than just writing a check.” This book captures this beautifully — how money, if we so choose, can have a more powerful, higher value. I would love to say more but will let Lynne do all the talking herself in the pages of this amazing book. 🙂


Happy Reading!

– Lydia Dean, GoPhil Co-Founder


“Money doesn’t have soul. It is innocent, just like water. But we can imbue it with soul, with commitment, with vision, and send it into the world in a way that does good and makes a difference.”

• Lynne Twist •


About Lynne Twist

For more than 40 years, Lynne Twist has been a recognized global visionary committed to alleviating poverty,  ending world hunger and supporting social justice and environmental sustainability.

From working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta to the refugee camps in Ethiopia and the threatened rainforests of the Amazon,  as well as guiding the philanthropy of some of the worlds wealthiest families, Lynne’s on-the-ground work has brought her a deep understanding of  people’s relationship with money.  Her breadth of knowledge and experience has lead her to profound insights about the social tapestry of the world and the historical landscape of the times we are living in.

Lynne has co-presented on stage with some of today’s most influential thought leaders, including Oprah Winfrey, Marianne Williamson, His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall, Van Jones, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.