First Things First

while we’re building a global economy

there are a few things we need to consider

before we get too excited

and our hearts get all a-twitter

the first thing we need to realize

about this thing that we call money

is that it came from our imagination

just like the easter bunny

every mark put in a ledger

every euro, yen, and penny

every dollar, peso, rupee, and pound

the forms money takes are many

but the reality is that we made them all up

they sprouted from our minds

we would be wise to best learn how to use them

if we’d like to take the time

to consider the larger economy

beyond the market we invented

the economy that truly defines who we are

as a people and a planet

because we’re more than just what we buy and sell

we are more than the things we make

and we are certainly more than money

it is high time that we wake

up to the reality before us

that we’ve been caught up in our obsession

with sacrificing reality and the world we live in

for the sake of our most ubiquitous invention

but if we can take a deep breath

and realize the breath doesn’t cost us

it may help us to realize

how we’ve been taking hostage

to the way we use money and the debt it creates

and how it mostly serves the wealthy

the way we push ourselves and the planet’s limits

really isn’t healthy

but our very breath can free us

and bring us to the now

where we can give thanks to those who have gone before us

and realize they didn’t know how

to build an economy any better than we do

and they certainly made mistakes

but we built traditions on their bad habits

and it’s our responsibility to break

the patterns that are no longer serving us

and the ones that are wearing us down

because a global economy affects everyone

every person in every country in every town

while markets are very helpful

we’ve got to realize that life is more

we’ve got to think about who we really are

right down to our core

we are emotions and minds, bodies and spirits

we are simple and we are complex

and as we move forward to build this world together

let’s remember that life is a gift