Chaos is merely order waiting to be deciphered
I haven’t done a jigsaw puzzle in years, but as I emptied the box of 1000 pieces on my table and looked at the heap of multi-colored and oddly shaped pieces, I realized how puzzles are easily a metaphor for life.
Initially, it felt a bit daunting.
Yet, as I methodically began to organize the pieces, it became clear how we each maneuver life differently.
The pieces, in a heap, appeared chaotic.
The layman’s definition of chaos is a state of utter confusion. The scientific theory of chaos contradicts the dictionary definition. In the simplest terms, chaos is defined as a “form of order that lacks predictability.” “Within the apparent randomness are underlying patterns, interconnectedness, repetition, and self-organization.”
For me, the first task of solving the puzzle was to gather the edge pieces, establish the outer frame, and lay a foundation to build on.
Through systematic sorting, as each piece found its place, order began to develop, and satisfaction was achieved.
Although initially intimidating, there was hope as soon as there was a fraction of structure in the chaos.
As in life, we could throw our hands into the air and say this is not for me, or we can step back, sort through the pieces of our lives, and then find where it fits one piece at a time.
When chaos, confusion, and doubt run rampant in our lives, doors appear bolted shut, and agitation appears everywhere; even the slightest delays feel like enormous setbacks. Our energy is stuck; this is the time to look inside.
Sorting through the Chaos
1) Identify the areas in your life that are in turmoil. Be precise. Being specific allows for more profound clarity regarding our intent, which in turn manifests into the changes we wish to create.
2) Surrender to the chaos. In nature, animals don’t wander around confused as a storm approaches. Instead, they prepare by storing food and reinforcing their nests or dens. Then, they hunker down, knowing clearer skies will eventually reappear.
3) Let go of resistance. When we resist, we tighten and tense. A relaxed body or mind is receptive; a tight one is not. Moving through chaos effortlessly occurs when clarity presents itself. Remembering we have all the tools needed to navigate whatever comes our way, even when our beliefs tell us otherwise. The universe never gives us things we cannot handle.
4) Action begets action. One thing leads to another. Stagnation breds dis-ease. It is with movement that transformation occurs. Challenges and struggles afford us the opportunity for growth. Utilize mindfulness amid the opposition.
5) Shifting our perception gives us understanding. Every thought we choose in life is either an opportunity for spiritual growth or an impediment. Whether we want to walk through them or around them is up to us. Chaos appears simply as another opportunity to traverse.
6) Avoiding what makes us uncomfortable does not make it disappear but merely delays the lesson. The universe will continue providing the same lessons over and over, sometimes disguised and packaged a little differently, until we say, ok, I get it; let’s address this now.
Finding clarity through disorder is just a part of life. We must first illuminate what resides in the darkness of who we are to make a change. Only once illuminated can attention be focused on the necessary adjustments.
Finding the joy in detangling the knots or weathering the storms that come our way is the fiber that makes us who we are. So don’t be afraid of getting messy or digging into the nitty-gritty of what life presents on the journey.
Balance comes as we travel through the mess. As with all change, it transpires from shifting our perspective on how we see, and transformation occurs when we find clarity through the chaos.
One must have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star
~Friedrich Nietzsche
