Happy Chaos is what I strive and hope for in my life. And, what a relief, because one can end up in a hamster wheel trying to find that Life Balance Black Hole that over 100,000 books and articles claim to mapped the course. Here are a few things I know ... despite this grown up pressure to find that "life balance" and "having it all" nirvana.
I know that life doesn't make sense.
I know that life balance is impossible and ridiculous.
I know I can't find that definitive place (both mentally and physically) of calm, peace and serenity.
So, I've come up with the state of being (or place) that most accurately describes my life, and also what I constantly and continuously strive for. Happy Chaos is that ideal and realistic combination of living out of balance and even out of control. Yet, you are in the groove, ready for disruption and curve balls, and living a life fueled with extremes and uncertain outcomes. You are armed with wisdom, experience and courage, inspired by meaningful and crazy connections, and thrive with wild and powerful relationships. All the while ... you're happy with yourself ... from pretty cool, just OK or even sad, to elated and downright euphoric.
I'll never claim to have the answers to any of life's big questions. There is however, a self-realization and self-relevance that comes with being an adult for more than a couple of decades that warrants collecting your Self Data, analyzing it and professing it. It's like a grown up Confession that is not forced or shameful, but is earned, honest and fulfilling.
Just a few years after I started NOVA, while I was still young and dumb, I had a one off moment of wisdom and purchased this print and hung it in my office. The print is the Chinese character for Chaos defined with "Where Brilliant Dreams are Born." It remained the only constant in my NOVA office over the 21 years.
Was it reminding me day after day, year after year, that Chaos is my only constant? Yes, but it was also a wise teacher. The print then says,
"Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be Chaos.
Before a brilliant person begins something great,
they must look foolish to the crowd."
Because of one dimensional or snap shot perspectives of me and my life via Bios, Facebook and Google, I may be perceived as a super busy, go getter type who's got a lot going on. Some of the perception may be true on certain days and moments, but I also can be super lazy with an office always a mess and junk drawers very junky. What I can confess and profess with pride and certainty is that I strive to Live Happy Chaos each and every day ... and what a relief.
Great post Sue!
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing Darren Hardy this past year describe balance in life as virtually impossible and counterproductive. In fact, we as humans live off-balance every day; the simple act of walking is an ideal example of living out of balance because as one foot goes in front of the other, we soon realize that the motion is, in fact, a perpetual fall. Darren Hardy mentioned that instead of balancing life, you should find out what you really need to focus on and jump in and DO IT. Glad to hear that your philosophy revolves around such an inspiring account of chaos.