3 reasons we all need a little chaos in our lives

Chinie Hidalgo Diaz

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Chaos wakes us up, shakes us into awareness, shows us we have limits and makes us finally say, 'That’s enough!'

I’m a huge fan of the HBO show Game of Thrones, despite all the stress and gore and bloodshed that it’s known for — and the widespread agony it caused during the last season. I’m not a huge fan of Petyr Baelish (a.k.a Littlefinger), but there’s a line he once said that I just can’t get out of my head.

I love it. I kind of want to make it my new catchphrase. In fact I’m sometimes even tempted to CREATE a little chaos just so I can use it.

I don’t really mean it in the way that Littlefinger did though, because his full quote goes like this:

“Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, they cling to the realm or the gods or love. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.”

Yeah, I don’t really think that only the ladder is real and the climb is all there is.

But I DO think that chaos can actually be a good thing. It isn’t necessarily the awful thing most people make it out to be.

Don’t get me wrong. Order is great, and control and predictability are the safeguards of society and all that. But I think everyone could use a little chaos in their lives. Here’s why:

1. Chaos reveals who we really are.

In a perfectly ordered world where chaos didn’t exist, we would never be able to tell how capable (or incapable) we are of handling difficult — or even dire — situations. Our true selves emerge in times of difficulty, in a way they never would otherwise.

I once learned an analogy of life from a very wise man, who said that your time on earth is like a tapestry being woven from above. It’s only at the end that you realize that the dark threads were necessary for the picture to be complete. It’s also the dark threads that make the brighter colors more vivid. 

People who never go through difficulty or conflict or strife may be considered by some to be lucky, but they actually miss out on a lot of opportunities to learn about themselves — who they really are, and who they can be when the going gets tough.

2. Chaos gives birth to creativity. 

Any creative person will tell you this. You are never more creative than when you are unsettled.

Creativity needs chaos in order to thrive. If you really think about it, creativity is really all about seeking solutions…trying to make sense of what doesn’t…creating beauty and order where there is none, and so on. Where no problems exist, when everything is perfect, creativity is unnecessary. 

3. Chaos makes us clamor for change.

You know how people say that the opposite of love isn’t hatred, it’s indifference? Totally true. Hatred at least shows that you have feelings and passion, and these can be channeled in a different direction given the right motivation or proper handling. Not caring is just…NOTHING. 

And that’s why chaos is good. It forces us to care. It wakes us up, shakes us into awareness, shows us we have limits and makes us finally say, “That’s enough!” and (hopefully) take action.

So you see? Chaos may not be a good thing in itself, but it does lead to all sorts of good things. And that’s what I mean when I use my new catchphrase.

It isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder.  🙂 – Rappler.com

 

This post originally appeared in Chinie’s blog, Fab After Forty.

 

 

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