Making Sense of Life (Audio)

A few months ago I modified my blog site in a number of ways. Along with migrating to my new Domain name (MichaelGurley.org),  made better choices of photo’s (if any), changed the things I was writing about and practiced writing quicker and slimmer. I did not change my personal photograph of my time in a hot air balloon with my kids. I think that one photo describes who and what I am the best. Besides, I’m wearing my favorite shirt that has been with me for nearly 10 years!

At the same time, I changed my tagline. It was hard to do because I enjoyed the premise for my old tagline (Everything begins with a very simple thought and grows into a magnificent premise and returns to a very simple thought…) Though the old tagline described my modus operandi, it was also too wordy and too many folks did not grasp my hidden meaning of simplicity. So, I trimmed my thinking and presented my new tagline.

“Making Sense of Life, One Blog at a Time”

We live in a crazy world that most of us do not agree with. From politics to entertainment, from family dynamics to careers, from the way things used to be in the old glory days to the way things seem to be so out of control in the present and near future.

The world is changing faster than many of us can comprehend.

In the grand scheme of life the excesses may be no different than the Gay 90’s (the 1890’s), Roaring 20’s, Prohibition, the Great Depression, Rock Music, Hippy, Free Love, Burn your draft card, Bring on the computer…or any other named reaction to the life around us.

But the problem is that we are living in it faster than ever before.

Technology has brought us to the brink of minute by minute news breaks instead of waiting for a specific time period in the evening as you relax from your hard day of commute, school or work. We are blasted with emails, texts, social media posts, breaking news stories, rumors, innuendos and all the junk that a world of nearly 8 billion souls think is important!

Everyone is clamoring for attention to their reporting and everyone is a reporter!

Well. I’ve been trimming my world, streamlining those things that are important to me, not believing anything first reported and willing to wait for the dust to settle down. No longer am I on the cutting edge of technology. Yep! That can and string sure look appealing! I would be content to backtrack a little and find a more peaceful time and place!

We may never find that settled place, but let one EMP (electromagnetic pulse) event fry all of our electronics and we’ll see how quickly the world slows down.

Instantly we will nearly be in the dark ages as all things electronics cease to exist. Think about, only those classic cars will drive but we cannot produce fuel without electronics. Smart homes will become dumb. Planes will fall from the sky. Ships will find it impossible to navigate. Farm production will cease. Wells will quit pumping water. Elevators stuck mid-cycle and who knows if those emergency brakes will work! My Kindle reader, computer, tablet, and all other communication devices will cease.

Blogging will no longer be important to me. Whoa…did the lights just flicker?

Look backward for just a moment. Can you find that time and place where you felt the most content? What age was that?

We all have that history place of contentment, peace and wish for a momentary return. My first year of marriage, Andrae Crouch wrote a song that just strikes a chord in my mind today. The chorus speaks a simple thought:

Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received you
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed

That place you find your most peace and contentment may not be too far back, but it is the foundation of who you are today. Keep your foundation strong. It’s the rock of your life. In the face of an ever-changing world, do not become what you were not meant to be. This climate too will pass.

Side Note: I’m working on trimming and streamlining all input – subscribed emails, voices that want to get in my head, free offers, sales gimmicks…you name them, I’m only keeping those important things. I’ll share later!

By Michael Gurley

Making Sense of Life, One Thought at a Time!