Chaos: complete disorder and confusion. Synonyms include: disarray, confusion, pandemonium, madness, havoc, turmoil, commotion, upheaval, frenzy, uproar.
Does your life sometimes feel like you’ve descended into chaos? Do you feel like your life is swirling out of control, and you are about to be sucked into a whirlpool? Is the world around you making you crazy, fearful, panicked, or stressed out?
I hate it when the chaos around me intrudes on my life. I try to keep things calm and contented, but sometimes I feel myself slipping into the habits and mindsets that fill my soul with turmoil and stress.
Sound familiar?
A life filled with CHAOS looks like this:
| C | Crazy busy. Clinging to control. Carrying guilt. Constantly craving more. |
| H | Hurried. Harried. Heartsick. Hazy thinking. Holding it together (barely). |
| A | Annoyed. Angry. Anxious. Ashamed. Always playing catch-up. |
| O | Out of time. Out of energy. Out of sorts. Overworked. On autopilot. |
| S | Striving. Stressed. unSatisfied. Searching for a way out. |
Who can’t relate?
A life filled with CHAOS is not what I want. Neither do you.
How do we avoid being sucked into the chaotic whirlpool when life gets crazy around us? By changing our focus.
We may not be able to fix the turmoil in our environment, but we can do something about the chaos within. The next time you feel your life slipping toward stress and turmoil, try to reach for these attitudes instead.
Do what CALMS the CHAOS.
Just as CHAOS is an acrostic for the kinds of things that make life crazy, so CALMS is an acrostic for ways to switch your mindset to things that will help you remain calm and capable, even when life is chaotic around you.
| C | Choose love. Choose contentment. Choose compassion. Choose hope. |
| A | Always thankful. Acknowledge my limits. Admit I am needy. Ask for help. |
| L | Let go of anxiety. Lean on God. Listen more. Love more. Laugh more. |
| M | Make prayer a priority. Maintain Mindfulness. Mindset of gratitude. Merciful of Mistakes. |
| S | Slow down. Seek Solitude. Self-care. See the good. Small Steps. |
I hope these simple suggestions will help you shift your mindset towards peace and contentment instead of craziness and confusion. May you have more CALM in your life today.
