Chaos is a ladder.
I have borrowed those words from a line in Game of Thrones. If you, like me, have enjoyed it’s evolving story, it has offered rich fodder for observing the games people play, and the character arcs and manoeuvres that follow. And while it is fantasy entertainment it has shown some great examples of where things, in life, and with power, can go wrong.
And sometimes things do go wrong.
And when they do, that’s a time to choose.
There has been much written about the dark triad and the light triad in management terminology. And yes, they coexist, in the world, and in each of us, depending on our conscious awareness and reactions, to everyday life, and the issues and crises that confront us.
Sometimes people come to see me, and they are angry. And it’s at that point that I ask them an important question.
Will they be a destroyer? Or will they be a creator?
That question makes a difference, between choosing actions based on primal factors like lashing out or vengeance, or inspired factors, like care and inspiration, has an impact on them, and the world around them.
And while anger is intelligent fuel, because it tells you something is wrong. How you use that fuel can burn bright as light, or burn dark as a destroying storm.
I have been so inspired with the outcomes achieved by Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of NZ, who has so ably demonstrated how a shocking circumstance, has led to inspired action and creation. One ‘small’ country, one ‘small’ leader, has become a key player on the world stage, in how to address a crisis, and subsequent issues, including a united and confident response to the impact of social media on the welfare of the world’s citizens.
It offers a lesson that no matter how ‘small’ you think you are, no matter the issue, you can choose how to address a crisis as a way to create, and improve.
Sometimes things just don’t go to plan. Sometimes we’re hit by a curveball. Sometimes we’re confronted by the unexpected.
Sometimes things just don’t go your way.
Sometimes one small thing is the last straw.
A job might disappear, someone else beats you for that promotion, a plan may go awry, a relationship may break up, your child may bring home a bad school report, a strategy may not provide the returns you were hoping for, you have received a health scare that you were not prepared for. Every day each of us, is challenged to make decisions, from the best of us. To expand the love, to create the light, to move the world from a degenerative plight.
And while we would all like to avoid chaos and crisis, they happen. They provide a ladder of opportunity for inspired action.
Because sometimes what goes wrong is the launching pad, and ladder, for getting things right, for yourself, your family, your work, and/or your surroundings, creating a mandala of wholeness for a new wellbeing.
If you are being presented by a challenge, pause for a minute. Consider your options. Self-regulate. Choose how you can add value, to prepare for a new life avenue.
Consider how the challenge offers an opportunity, for you, and those you lead and influence around you. To improve. To build a new world, that serves to inspire, and create. To become…great.
SaraSwati Shakti