We spend our lives living with ourselves and other people in many contexts,
And in my experience,
One of the most challenging things about that is living with different balances of order and chaos.
Within my own family there are different preferences which can lead to jarring,
Judgement and frustration if we are not coming from a compassionate place with each other.
And this is something that comes up a lot in my coaching sessions too.
Finding harmony and balance requires a constant effort to be curious and accepting so that we open up awareness,
Making space for wiser choice,
And so increasing our power,
Aliveness,
Clarity and fulfillment.
As always,
Awareness starts with ourselves.
So which is your preference between the two?
Which state do you find yourself most in?
Whether it is order or chaos,
I invite you to ponder these questions.
What draws you to that one of the two?
What are the benefits of being there,
In that space?
What is lacking here?
What do you find difficult in others?
What do you need from others?
To balance you.
We are often drawn more to one of these states because of our core values such as freedom or creativity for chaos and structure or rhythm for order.
And we may veer away from the other state because of our values too.
Though we can also have a less healthy reaction.
The chaotic rebel,
Fearing being trapped by order,
Or the judgy micromanager,
Fearing losing control in the face of chaos.
The less helpful reaction is more likely to happen when our stress levels rise.
I cling on for more order when I'm in heightened stress,
And my inner micromanager surfaces.
Not a part of me that I or anyone else wants around.
I recognize this through increased tension in my body and getting caught up in the little things.
Or getting caught up in other people's things.
What happens in you when your stress levels rise in terms of your relationship with order and chaos?
Again,
If we are aware of this,
We get to choose how to handle it.
Of course,
We are all a balance of both,
And what is one person's order is another person's chaos.
So none of this is easy or straightforward.
For example.
To get my holistic,
Interconnected thoughts in order.
I often verbally process,
Which can be very chaotic for other people to listen to.
However,
This is the formation of order.
Out of chaos comes order,
One way or another.
And this is true across the universe.
Too much chaos leads to shamos,
A collapse of systems much like following an earthquake.
And too much order leads to unhealthy levels of control,
Such as in dictatorships.
And these extreme states can then lead into each other.
Neither of these places is where we want to head.
Between order and chaos though.
There is a space of innovation and creation.
This is the chaotic path.
Or chaotic space.
This is where we dance between order and chaos.
Giving way to emergence.
Chaotic confidence which is feeling okay with being in this often uncomfortable place and keeping going through it.
Takes willingness,
Trust in yourself as well as the process,
Plenty of self-awareness,
And lashings of curiosity.
All around us in nature are examples of an exquisite blend of order and chaos,
Working in intelligent harmony.
Of course we are a part of this.
Nature is a beautiful mix of both order and chaos.
It is in a constant generative dance between the two.
From the ecosystem of the forest floor to the infinite universe,
Chaos and order are present in harmony,
Opening the way for new life.
So next time you find yourself frustrated with your own or someone else's order or chaos.
Perhaps take a moment to get curious about what is possible from that state of being.
