Thursday, August 28, 2014

Hey! Focus!

A blurry picture is useless.

An actual blurred image
There are faint outlines of something, but you are not really sure what you are seeing.  My wife and I walked out of a movie one time because the projectionist was more interested in other things than focusing the film on the screen!  Fuzzy images are hard to enjoy.

This is a lesson I am learning.

I have a lot going on in my head at any given time.  Thoughts, ideas, plans.  It's all raw data just bouncing around, and as a result there is no clear picture when it comes to communicating my ideas to others.

I blame the internet.

Because of the internet, I can indulge any line of thinking I want, whenever the moment strikes me.  If I am thinking about that old episode of "What's Happening?" from the 70's, and can't remember which one had the Doobie Brothers in it, chances are that someone has uploaded it to YouTube!

You see my dilemma?

I am a free stream of non-linear thought with no coherent purpose other than to explore!

The problem comes when I want to present an idea to someone else using "words".

Focus means that there are clear thoughts set forth in such a way as to convey a message to a willing listener.

I find this a challenge, because my thoughts seem disconnected and rambling, changing from second to second!

My wife will tell you, I am a horrible teacher!  I get frustrated easily if people don't "get it" like I do.  I struggle to express what I want others to know.

Is there hope for me?   Yes, I think so!

I believe I have found help for myself and others that share my ailment!

Writing!

Putting words to paper (or pixels) has helped me to organize what I want to say and refine it to be better than it would be if I tried to spit it out my mouth!

When I take a thought and commit it to the written format, it's an opportunity to step back and examine what I am saying with a unique perspective.

I can choose more effective words, delete-over used phrases and organize sentences so my points become clearer.
Wow!

Recently I have decided to re-consider what I would call my profession.  Instead of "radio guy", I would now call myself a "writer" if asked!

It's true!  We write bits, spots, blogs, shows, news, cut-ins, ads, liners and so on!  Of course we need to "perform" the things we write, but without good writing, the performance suffers.

Another added bonus that comes from writing is a renewed fountain of creativity.  It happens regularly with me that during the process of transcribing my musings, the brain is free to add to the original premise in fresh ways, and the results are really worth it!

If you want scripture to lean on for this it's in Habakkuk 2:2  Then the LORD said to me, "Write my answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct message to others." NLT

So, like, it's in the bible and stuff to.

Give it a shot.  Write me with your results!

Now THIS is a nice clear picture!

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