Okay, so my editor asked me to write something about how to stay calm in chaotic times. My first thought considering my circumstances (beyond chaotic) and how I have been wrestling to stay calm and not losing it in some situations, was to pass. I thought maybe someone more sorted, a calmer person would do better. But then I thought who better than me because I can relate to the struggle that it can be. Let’s agree to the fact that most of us usually get stressed out and lose our calm and composure when we are involved in it somehow. Yes, the world issues like global warming, climate change, corruption, politics, increasing violence, etc all affect us too, but not enough for us to lose our cool.
Its where we are personally (even at work) involved that things get out of hand, and no matter what the circumstances what it comes down to is the feeling that somehow we have been wronged. And this pushes us to react and defend and/or offend, leading to chaos in our worlds. The ideal situation is Zen, Kung fu Panda’s Po activating Chi. But then if all of us were that evolved we won’t even be discussing it. Masters/Experts suggest we all need to practice equanimity. But how to reach there, how does equanimity transcends into the roots of our daily life? There are many good pieces of advice out there, all, but it’s not possible to list all of them or even half of them here. So I am going to list the few that I have been trying, and some that I want to imbibe.
- Meditation: Well it’s the holy grail. To be honest I have kind of been shying away from it. As I know from my earlier trials that it isn’t as easy as it sounds. When your mind just wants to stray continuously to your inner chaos it’s a little difficult to keep bringing back to just stay in the moment. But we have to try, start with 10 minutes a day. If I can’t even bring myself to focus on my present self for 10 minutes out of 1440 in a day, then we are doomed.
- Self-Awareness: Out of all the big heavy words that get thrown out self-awareness and freedom are my favorites. If I don’t know who I am in my current state, if I cannot even acknowledge the truth within me, then I am uncomfortable within, and this internal chaos will seep into the external world as well. So it’s ok, talk to yourself, ask how you are, how you feel, why, and what do you want? These are important conversations, and you can establish your equilibrium only when you are honest with yourself. We need to be okay with ourselves first before we expect it out of anyone else, and even accept others. So invest in finding you.
- Lastly, don’t give up on love. I found myself most desperate and drowning in despair when I gave up on love. When I say love, I don’t mean romantic love, it can mean that as well, but what I mean to say is, everyone around, your families, your pets, your colleagues, your real friendships and the transitory one as well. Be open to receive and give love, without pressure. We don’t need to carry the weight of the world alone. We can share our burdens and we can help others carry there. Once we feel one with the world with others equanimity won’t seem too hard to achieve.
That’s all I have to say for now, but if you have some suggestions, I am open to that, after all, I need help too.