How to Stop the Chaos!

Is life kicking your rear end right now?  Personally, I feel like I’m standing in front of that Showbiz game called Whac-a-mole (yes, I know Showbiz got bought out by Chucky Cheese, but I’m old school).  And in 2011, I was totally kicking butt hammering at those little moles popping up with my soft oversized mallet.  Now, I feel like I’ve got one leg up on the machine with a foot and knee covering two holes, an elbow on another, and my spare hand has a cleaver and some duct tape. 

When I sit down to write our newsletters, I close my eyes and ask myself what you - our beloved and busy customers and subscribers – need or want to read.  A health tip, a recipe, a story (with bits of self-deprecating humor)...  Today, I had a hard time finding that quiet moment.  The noise was so loud.  So, I’m wondering if it’s loud at your house too…

I actually like moving fast and enjoy a bit of chaos and quick problem-solving.  So, I resist activities like yoga and meditation, because you can’t multi-task while doing those things.  Loud noises, on the other hand, will put me in bed with my head under the covers.  So, here’s my tip:  Stop Resisting.  If you pictured me (or you) in front of that silly Whac-a-mole game, don’t I (you) look ridiculous?  I’m tired, I have a leg cramp, and no one is asking me to contort my body in this way to stop those freaking moles from popping up.  I truly believe in the power of just letting things go, let it flow through you or around you (or wherever it was supposed to go).  But again, I resist this because I like to be active and ‘doing.’ 

So, I picture myself holding a large vessel – a box, trashbag, wheelbarrow, dumpster, Santa’s toy bag, whatever, and allow all those moles to pop up - the to-do lists to get long, the appointments to fill up, the ‘shoulds’ to creep in, and the noise to get really, really loud.  All that stuff and the exhaustion, chaos, guilt, frustration, and anxiety that goes with it.  When it’s all out there, I put it in this bag (and in this scenario, I’m so strong I can carry it despite its heaviness and awkward shape) and toss it in a rapid-flowing river.  (For my eco-friends out there, I promise this is not going to a landfill or polluting our oceans.) 

Then, I dust off my hands off, watch it get carried farther and farther away from me, and finally sit down.  And after all that ‘work,’ now I’m hungry…