Читать книгу Comfortable Chaos - Carolyn Harvey & Beth Herrild - Страница 20

Like stress, chaos is a double-edged sword. It can be quite positive at times and be a necessary part of your current priorities. But it can also be just as destructive. How do you know if your current chaos is too much?

One key way is to assess whether, despite all the mayhem, you feel like you are making an impact on something, or someone, that you care deeply about. For example, Cathy says, “I need to feel like all my children are taken care of and are happy. It’s important that I am doing something positive and that makes a difference in order to feel like all the chaos is worth it!”

Most people need to feel that what they are doing makes a difference in some way. How individuals define “making a difference” varies vastly. For some people, it may mean doing something that is socially conscious and affects the greater good. For others, it may mean doing a job in which they feel they are a “player” and can impact the business. Still others need to always feel they are learning something. Ask yourself if your priorities are being addressed. Are you clear on what those priorities are? If not, go back to the earlier section on identifying your priorities.

In addition to being able to name the positive force that is keeping you going, it’s normal to want to feel like you are making strides in the right direction. Liz is a stay-at-home mom with two children. Her CFC is in the mid to low range. She puts a lot of energy into conscious parenting and child-centered activities. She says that she can handle a fair amount of chaos, but “I need to feel like I’m making progress, meeting some goals.” Like Liz, most people need to feel some sense of forward movement.

Only you can really know if your chaos is supporting or sabotaging your priorities. We all have to put up with certain tasks, situations, and struggles to live the life we have chosen. Having children is a perfect example. If our priority is to raise healthy and well-adjusted children, we accept that sick days, cranky days, and sibling rivalry are part of the package. The trick is knowing whether you have orchestrated the right environment and approach for your coefficient for chaos. Before you can do that, let’s assess one more aspect of your current chaos.