of world news and other chaos...

I have had several discussions lately about the chaos that appears to reign in world news… I mean, stuff just seems to happen. There are some folk who are downright evil and do awful things, then there are forces of nature that are uncontrollable and leave behind destruction. Either way, there are times you can sit down and think that the world is a chaotic place, you can get scared of living.

The unpredictable will always be with us, but in truth most of us live very predictable lives most of the time. The vast majority of humanity go through the same motions of life week in and week out, with small variations – holidays, family gatherings, etc. The vast majority are not hit by earthquakes on a regular basis. Most of us will not be shot at by a madman with a gun.

While teenagers complain of the sameness of life, the routines of living, as being “boring”, the rest of us appreciate predictability. Most people feel better without changes. There is a comfort in routine, a clarity in predictability. I also think that we can find a sense of rest in ritual. Think about when you are given bad news, my guess is that you go through an immediate known ritual such as putting the kettle on to make a cup of tea. Going through that ritual helps you to restore a sense of calmness and control in the midst of the bad news which is bringing chaos into your life.

Since we know that sometimes chaos happens, that there are times that the earthquake or storms or some other calamity might hit, I don’t think it helpful to ponder on those things. I resist living life in fear of those things happening, and trying to control every little thing in my life to be able to ward off the evil. Instead, I choose to embrace life and understand that if something happens, I will figure it out. Meanwhile, I enjoy my rituals of tea making and prayer as part of the routine of my life now.

Explore posts in the same categories: Take time to think

Tags: change, changes, choices, conflict, contentment, good and bad, patterns, thinking, time

You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.