SILENCE!!! I can't think with all the noise!! Sound familiar? No matter how much we appreciate order and efficiency, it can often feel like the universe is conspiring to ensure neatness is never achieved. Surely, mocking the nirvana of order. Commuter roadways are snarled, subways are down for maintenance and there is no hope of the honey-do list being complete or all the legos in their proper bin. As we seek the ethereal; there is a benefit to intentionally inserting a bit of chaos to ensure we can handle the demon when it arrives uninvited. The military trains in chaos to ensure the soldiers body and mind is ready for battle and resists panic. My cousin will move homes every couple of years, change his clothing style or shift jobs to ensure he is always growing and ready for whatever comes his way. The Princess Brides, Man in Black spent years building up an immunity to iocane powder to defend against the chaos of someone like Vizzini, the Sicilian, in the battle of wits. Everyday it rains, author Josh Waitzkin, takes his young son outside to play in the rain. His son is learning to dwell with the chaos of weather and finding that his mood or schedule won't be dictated by falling temperatures or precipitation. To embrace this mindset guards against the panic that accompanies uncertainty. Preparation may take the form of putting a breakdown kit in the trunk, buying bottled water before a hurricane or even building a bunker in case of nuclear disaster. Where ever you are at in the "preparation for chaos" scale, it may be time for some adventure and invite a little chaos.
How do you handle uncertainty? How can you insert bits of chaos to build immunity? How can you use this idea with your business and family?