Last week, I was introduced to the concept (yes only now…) and it changed how I think about value and resources. It all started when Misha showed me a list called the “8 Forms of Capital.” She said it could help people see that we still have a lot to offer, who might not have a lot of money, but still have loads of alternative resources to offer.
At first I didn’t know what it meant. Capital for me always meant money. But as we talked more, it started to make sense. Then she mentioned a book that goes deeper into this idea, and I decided to look into it a bit more.
I found it surprisingly eye-opening. After that, I translated the list she gave me into Bulgarian, so that more people in our community or network can understand it easily and maybe use it too. The idea is simple — even if you’re not in a strong financial position, you still have other kinds of capital you can work with, share, or exchange.
So what are these “other” forms of capital?
Here’s a quick summary of what I found out. The original idea comes from a few people involved in permaculture and regenerative living, and it’s now being used in all sorts of projects around the world.
Financial Capital – Obvious one. Money, investments, all that stuff.
Material Capital – Things you can touch: tools, land, buildings, resources.
Living Capital – Nature stuff: plants, animals, soil, clean water, seeds.
Intellectual Capital – Knowledge, skills, things you’ve learned.
Experiential Capital – Stuff you’ve learned by doing, through life experience.
Social Capital – Friends, contacts, people who trust and support you.
Cultural Capital – Traditions, customs, shared values, language, art.
Spiritual Capital – Your sense of purpose, inner compass, what keeps you going.
(Optional) Emotional Capital – Your ability to handle emotions, connect with others, stay calm under pressure.
Sometimes the list stops at 8, sometimes emotional capital is added as a 9th. Either way, it’s a really different way to look at what we “have.”
Why this actually matters
A lot of people where we live — myself included — have been in situations where money is tight. But that doesn’t mean we’re poor in every way. Maybe you don’t have a big bank account, but you have strong friendships, or you know how to fix things, or you grow your own food, or you’re great at connecting people.
All of that has value. Real value. You can share it, exchange it, build on it. And in some ways, it’s more stable and meaningful than just cash.
After doing this, I translated the list into Bulgarian so that it could be shared with others who might find it helpful. People who are trying to build things from scratch, create community, or just live a bit more simply and connected.
I think it can really help shift our mindset — from feeling stuck or poor, to seeing what we actually do have. Link to the Bulgarian version
What Else Do We Have to Offer? Rethinking Value Beyond Money
The other day, a friend of mine, Mischa, introduced me to a concept that completely shifted the way I think about value. We were talking about how hard it can be sometimes to live meaningfully when you’re not in a strong financial position — when you’re trying to create, build, or just live with purpose but your bank account doesn’t exactly back you up. That’s when she showed me something called the “8 Forms of Capital.” Actually, sometimes people say there are 9. The idea is that money is just one kind of wealth — and that we, as humans and communities, hold much more than just what’s in our wallets.
It really got me thinking. For so long, I assumed being “rich” or “poor” was all about cash. But this idea opened up a new perspective: what if we’re richer than we think, just in ways we don’t usually measure?
The 8 Forms of Capital include financial capital (the money stuff), but also things like material capital (tools, resources, buildings), living capital (plants, animals, soil), intellectual capital (knowledge and skills), social capital (trust and relationships), and even spiritual and emotional capital (inner purpose and emotional intelligence). Once I read more about it, I sat down and did a little exercise — just listing what kinds of capital I already have. And honestly? It helped. It reminded me that I’m not starting from zero.
I translated the list into Bulgarian too, so it can be shared with people in our community who might feel like they don’t have much — when actually, they might be sitting on a whole lot of value. We just haven’t been taught to see it that way.
Around the same time, I came across a short TED-Ed video about something called the gift economy. That also hit home. In the world most of us grew up in, everything has a price. You give something, you expect something back. But a gift economy works differently — it’s about giving freely, not because you expect a reward, but because that’s how communities stay strong.
It made me realize: the forms of capital and the gift economy aren’t separate ideas. They actually work beautifully together. Because in a gift-based system, you’re often sharing things that aren’t money — you’re giving your time, your skills, your homegrown vegetables, your advice, your trust. In other words, you’re sharing your non-financial capital. And when everyone does that, the whole group becomes wealthier — not in money, but in life.
Of course, this way of living isn’t always easy, especially in systems built around competition and profit. But these ideas remind me that it’s possible to create something different — whether it’s through friendships, local projects, or even just how we treat each other on an everyday level. I’ve seen it happen, even in small ways. When people give without asking anything back. When neighbors help each other without keeping score. When we share food, knowledge, tools, or even just time.
It might not fix everything. But it’s a good start.
If any of this sparked something in you, I’d be happy to share the Bulgarian translation I made of the 8 Forms of Capital. I’ve also added a few links below to the resources that helped me understand these ideas better — including the TED-Ed video and a couple of short articles. Sometimes all it takes is a small shift in perspective to start living differently.
Further reading and links:
