For more than a decade now, I’ve had this idea that I call ABC Squared Economics. The basic gist is that every human exists in the world as the Artists of their lives, offering service through their Business, the engagement of their Citizenry, and the development of their community. The greatest challenge that I have is that whenever I try to explain it to anyone, their eyes roll back in their head and they enter a state of waking catatonia before I get halfway through.
So I thought that I should express it through song. After all, I think that I’m a pretty good songwriter and have penned about forty original songs. Few people have actually heard them, but those who have told me they liked them.
I started playing with chords. The melody started humming it’s way in. I felt the verses blend into bridges and back to the chorus, and then the lyrics started appearing. That’s my basic songrwriting process.
Although the song is called “Let It Flow”, those were the last words to come. Throughout the process, the chorus was just a bunch of moaning as I awaited inspiration to guide me to the song that was waiting for me. Anyway, I recorded the song back in April or May, and even added in a rainstick that I had laying around.
I think I may have played the song at an open mic night somewhere, but the version I produced is not high quality enough for me to release as a single so few people have year it. But on the first day of the Gregorian New Year, I felt inspired to produce a video for it as an encouragement for the rest of 2023. I remembered that I’d shot some water flowing when I was in Clifton Forge, Virginia in September, and it just seemed to fit with the song.
Despite my reservations about supporting the grand corporations that own our media platforms, I loaded the video to both YouTube and Facebook to see which would get more listens. As usual, the immediate response was underwhelming, but I still really like the song and would love for someone else to produce their own version of it one day.
Essentially, the song, and my theory on ABC Squared Economics, is about taking a Heart, Mind, Body, and Spirit approach to life. I believe that we each have an emotional body, a mental boy, a physical body, and a spiritual body. It can be made a lot more complex than that, but I like to make things as simple as possible, even though it makes some people catatonic.
Now the spiritual part can be a challenge for some. Historically, this realm of existence, at least in my culture, has been ruled by the mandates of the Christian tradition and their limited understanding of divinity so many people are still fighting against this notion altogether. However, beyond the manufactured dogma surrounding the mystery of existence, I have found that returning to the Source of all of my breaths and touching upon the essence of spirituality gives me the strength to balance my emotions, thoughts, and physical yearnings.
I hope that continues to flow to all who are seeking balance in who they are and where we all go from here.
LET IT FLOW
She came to me in memory
And said if I had eyes to see
I could see beyond this world of pain
She gently took me by the hand
and told me I would understand
She whispered to me wisdom was her name
Life it is a river that directs us where to go
We can fight against it or we can let it flow
Live your life as if it’s art
In your business use some smarts
Be a citizen of humanity
And invest in your community
Let your heart be filled with love
Know that you are worthy of
A healthy life so you can grow
As you let the spirit flow
Let it flow
She told me to look beyond the words
To forget everything I had heard
The only way to grasp is to let go
You didn’t earn a single breath
Nor a moment between life and death
But you are here for more than you may know
We each get 7 days a week to help us find our way
We each get 14 hundred 40 minutes everyday
Live your life as if it’s art
In your business use some smarts
Be a citizen of humanity
And invest in your community
Let your heart be filled with love
Know that you are worthy of
A healthy life so you can grow
As you let the spirit flow
Let it flow
Your path it may be fraught with fear and shadows
But for every low there also is a high
As you make it through the darkness to the plateau
To someone else, you become a light
Let it Flow
We classify and generalize
We magnify and magnetize
and we fight through our fabrication of complexity
We can simplify and pragmatize
And see the world with all new eyes
Who we are can re-create reality
The gift of life is yours to give as well as to receive
Open up to faith in life beyond what you believe
Live your life as if it’s art
In your business use some smarts
Be a citizen of humanity
And invest in your community
Let your heart be filled with love
Know that you are worthy of
A healthy life so you can grow
As you let the spirit flow
Let it flow
