Have things seemed a bit chaotic lately? Have your stress levels been turned to eleven? Perhaps that’s not your situation presently, but it certainly was at some point and will be again. Chaos can be brutal. You get battered about, bruised, and a bit disoriented in the process. Maybe you’ve made a few poor decisions during such times. I think we all have. I certainly did…

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about 4 years ago. Kayaking down the Sacramento I inadvertently found myself pulled into a nasty set of rapids my friend had warned me to avoid. As the river bobbed my vessel about like a toy I tried to paddle to gain some control. The problem was the water level was down and I nearly capsized my boat. In an instant, I knew the answer. Go with the flow. Stop fighting it. Instead, I raised my paddle above my head, spun about here and there, and safely exited the rapids. Fighting that which I had no control over was actually doing more harm than good. Lesson learned. 

Besides river rapids, there are several ways we can find meaning amid chaos, and here are just a few. Perhaps you can add to this list.

1- You learn the value of preparation and the pain of being ill-equipped.

2- You develop a new skillset or dust off an old one that’s been idle for some time.

3- You learn that you’re capable of much more than you think.

4- You broaden your perspective. Adversity can help us think more creatively to solve problems and possibly connect us with those who challenge our entrenched ways of thinking.

5- You learn that your emotions come from within you, not from outside events.

6- You discover there’s life after failure. You will fail, not constantly, but at times and with that failure comes the realization that life goes on despite whatever missteps you’ve had.

7- You strengthen the ability to discern that which you can influence and control and that which you cannot.

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