The Secret to Finding Calm in the Chaos

No matter how much many of us try to practice being cool, calm and collected, somehow we still manage to give into the chaos that often surrounds us. We lose our tempers, make (bad) snap decisions, or simply fail to be the person we want to be.

Take me, for example.

Over the past few weeks, I've repeatedly watched the new documentary, Mindfulness: Be Happy Now. My brother made it, and friends seem to be coming over to watch it, even though it is available on Amazon, 
Google, iTunes, Vudu, and Xbox. 

But there's a problem.

I've come to realize that many of the people who actively practice and benefit from mindfulness are able to do so because they devote their life to it. For example, consider two of the people featured in the film. Thich Nhat Hanh is a monk. Deepak Chopra is a hugely popular proponent of spirituality and healing.

What about the rest of us, the ones who have clients, bosses, deadlines, and bills? 

It's so easy to be buffeted by the forces that surround us. You can meditate all you want, but don't be late for the morning meeting, don't let that customer pressure you into lowering your prices, and don't forget to go shopping on your way home. Oh, yeah, and don't read the news, lest you get too depressed by the murder and mayhem around us.

That's the problem.

Huh?

The problem is you believe you can't be calm among the chaos because you believe in the chaos.

Believe in the calm, not in the chaos

Poverty exists because we believe in poverty. We believe it is inevitable, that it always has and it always will exist.

War exists because we believe in war. We believe it is inevitable, that it always has and it always will exist.

Nonsense.

Stop believing in the chaos. Believe in the calm.

I don't mean to imply that if you take ten minutes to do this once a week then the world will be perfect. It will take a lot more effort than that.

Believe in the calm with everything you've got. Believe in the calm with as much conviction as you have believed in the inevitability of poverty, war, murder, starvation, and crime.

Personally, I'm tired of believing that chaos is inevitable. I hope the same is true for you.

Thanks to Bruce Fryer for the inspiration to write this article.

Bruce Kasanoff helps professionals like you be clear and compelling.