Move Little Pieces at a Time

Today was one of those days for me. I had coaching calls, client calls, our house got cleaned (MAJOR blessing there!!!), I had to file some ‘official’ papers and after all that I had to get more work done. Whew! It’s not even noon and I’ve done a week’s worth of tasks. The chaos in our lives can wear us out at the same time it can thrust us into a whirlwind of activity that when it all dies down a multitude of things were accomplished.

The real challenge is facing up to the chaos and not letting it get the better of our mental state. It boils down to the source of our chaos. If it’s screaming kids, burned dinners, pet mess, unexpected guests all converging in your living room at the same time – THAT kind of chaos can dim your lights! It all happens at once and attacks our core space where we value peace and harmony. What we have worked so hard to create melts away in mere moments. When the chaos is work deadlines, moved up timelines, budget hits and employees leaving, suddenly the work we so carefully planned falls to ruin before our eyes and our precious time was wasted. Then there is the worst chaos life drops in our laps – sudden illness, Cancer, death, accidents, relationship failures or even child related traumas. No matter how organized we are, no matter how we planned, nothing but time and patience can help us recover from that life altering chaos.

In all three of those examples nothing went as expected and our efforts, time and peace are gone. Wow! It is overwhelming to say the least. For circumstances, time does help us get things back into order. Children’s messes can be cleaned up and relatives eventually go home. Work deadlines can be reset and employees can be hired. Order will be restored until another day when life reeks another session of chaos.

It is when life is totally altered forever that chaos seems to be unmanageable. This is when time seems to stand still and basic elements of life no longer have any meaning. People we love are hurt or gone, our health is irrevocably different, or we face a life we did not expect nor believe could happen to us. These are the days when it help to be patient with ourselves, move slowly and with kindness, and when we have to rethink what our future looks like without the piece chaos just removed. Asking for help – either professional or personal – is a viable option. Having somewhere to let out our thoughts and fears without judgement is like letting the air out of a balloon; slowly, carefully, over time and with assistance we are able to get back to a version of ourselves that we recognize. It is at this point that our healing and rebuilding can begin.

Whatever type of chaos you may be experiencing, know that time will make it better…even if right now that feels hard to believe. EVERYONE lives with and through chaos. Find your own version of “order” and move little pieces at a time to reach your desired end state. Ask for help, give yourself a break, and have hope that life will return to your heart and soul in a way that peace will prevail. It may be a different version of your life, yet it is still a life worth living.