Chaos, the World & You

Chaos is a constant companion to a lot of people right now. Job-loss, health challenges, fires, earthquakes, pending heart transplants are only a few things I’ve heard about recently. The business world mirrors chaos on a huge scale as ineffective systems break down, exposing scandals, greed, and dishonesty. Household names are on the brink of extinction.

There were times when I couldn’t see a way out or through my predicament: closing on a house and losing my job the following day; my husband’s dying when his ultralight crashed; my retreat center burning down. Those weren’t exactly part of my life’s goals. None the less, my life changed. Like it or not, it was what it was. I could either accept my chaotic situation or resist.

My responses opened the door to a re-organization of my life. Our world and the human race are what science calls open systems. A characteristic of an open system is that they no longer function properly when faced with overwhelm. Eventually, the old system will collapse or re-order itself into a higher level of functioning. The result is a new you. In short, we are born again into something completely different from the old.

Here are a few tips that allowed me to let go of resistance. They got me through to the other side of letting go, and I expect they might help you too.

1. Accept. Forget blame, shame, shoulds or coulds. Just pick yourself up. Lose the complaining and look for your next step.

2. Let go of the excuses as to “why” things are as they are. Look at what you need to do to break down the excuses and move in spite of them.

3. Recognize that overwhelm is a natural by product of the chaos that proceeds growth. Breathe. Acknowledge what you have. Find something to be grateful for.

4. Know that no matter how dark it seems, chaos is a precursor of growth and new beginnings. I am reminded that a good gardener prunes back her plants to maximize new growth. Looking at setbacks as opportunities keeps your attitude and action positive.

5. Be willing to trust yourself to take your next step, even if it is to “sit and do nothing.” There is a time to move forward, a time to be still, and a time to retreat. Wisdom and practice will help you flow with the correct choice. Don’t be so quick to judge. Wait and see. Be patient.

6. Reach out to others. Sooner or later, we all need help. Sometimes a listening ear is worth its weight in gold.

I love the thought that I am an open system and connected to a universal flow that encompasses all life. Ilya Prigogine, a Nobel Prize winning chemist, first described open systems during his exploration of thermodynamics.

Every open system loses energy, which is dissipated into the environment. When its ability to discharge can’t keep up with the input, it begins to break down. Ironically, Prigogine’s words are similar to those of the Seneca Native Americans. The Seneca state that “stress is the genetic energy for change.” Seneca or scientist, it’s all the same. When things break down, there is a good chance there will real breakthrough.

So lighten up, breathe, forgive, and have some fun. If you know you are in the midst of chaos, rest assured it won’t last forever.

If you want to learn more about chaos and the human mind, check out Thresholds of the Mind by Bill Harris, founder of Centerpoint. I highly recommend it!