I have this wonderful poet-philosopher-songwriting like friend who goes by the name of John DeYoung, and he lives in Ojai with Mother Nature and all her flora/fauna like friends, and sometimes he goes off on these very thoughtful and endless spiritual journeys on life, sorta like he does with his music, and I told him to put one of those tangent-journeys down in writing so we could see what he was talkin’ about. And you know what? John did have something wonderful to say. Talkin’ about getting into that place, that zone that lines up with all that is. Getting into…
The Flow
Several years ago I read “The Artists’ Way” by Julia Cameron. She speaks a lot about “artists’ block” and ways of working through it. It’s a very inspiring book and I got a lot out of reading it, but as a songwriter I haven’t really suffered much from artists’ block. For me, the lyrics and music that I write seem to come from out of the ethers, from our source, whatever you want to call it. I believe we are all connected to our source at all times. That spiritual side of us that is in each of us and available always. It’s up to us to focus upon that Source and allow it to flow through us. When we do, amazing things show up, like songs about subjects we may not have thought about, or the answer to a problem we may have been struggling with. The more you allow it to flow, the stronger the current gets, and the stronger the current gets, the ride becomes faster and more exciting. This applies to all aspects of our lives, in everything we do or say. Hence the song I wrote after reading Julia Cameron’s book is titled “The Flow”. “The Flow” is life. We can allow our inner connection to our Source or not. It’s up to us. But when we do, life is a lot sweeter. Fewer things go wrong and doors of opportunity open for us to places we may not have thought of. “And the birds in the trees carry on, even though we look away and worry…..” Remember the song “Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream….” I’m not saying that I am capable of always being in this state of mind, but I try to stop, pivot and allow other more positive thoughts about a subject that may trouble me. A different point of view, if you will. The more we practice it, the easier it gets. The more of us who practice it, the stronger the flow becomes. They say 51% creates critical mass and then things change rapidly. Perhaps if more of us practiced peaceful resolutions, looking for solutions, and remembering that we are all connected in this one universe, there would be fewer abused children and spouses. Maybe there would be fewer crimes committed by children and adults and fewer children in prisons. Realization that our thoughts create our reality is a good place to start. Everything begins with a thought, conscious or unconscious. Catching ourselves when the unconscious thought begins to take over and paying attention to how we are feeling about the thought is a good practice. If you feel good about it in your heart, then you’re focused in the right direction. If you’re feeling bad, then you’re not in line with your Source. Better thinking for a better planet! Peace, John DeYoung
