Painting by Belynda Wilson Thomas

Chaos breeds life, while order breeds success. Franklin P. Adams

We had a weekend of rain so I didn’t get out for a walk, of course, that is an excuse, it didn’t rain every second of every day, but any excuse will do when we want one. I did get the front closet cleaned out. Old shoes and boots we haven’t worn in years finally got thrown out.

There is something cathartic about clearing out clutter, so why don’t I get to it more often? Some of us are much better about living without clutter than others. I’ve seen shows where people live with mounds of stuff everywhere. I’ve wondered how they manage, they aren’t managing or they wouldn’t be on a show.

We might envy the compulsive cleaner but that is a problem as well. What is the line between a well-kept home, and a home that is so clean it is uncomfortable to be in because we might leave a footprint?

Life is messy; our dog goes outside and comes in with muddy feet. Our one-year-old grandson leaves a mess behind him wherever he goes. Cooking is messy, but how can we be healthy, if we don’t cook? Many hobbies are messy, but what kind of life is it without creative hobbies? Can we live in organized chaos, and is this actually the best way to live?

Organized chaos may be different for each person, but somehow we need to be able to live without our routines becoming too rigid because rigidity is not good for our souls. I wonder if we are all struggling with a chaotic life and if we get too much order in it, all the spontaneity and fun might be gone, if we have too much chaos in our lives maybe it is hard to function.

Chaos and order are not enemies, only opposites. Chaos and order combined equal balance. Richard Garriott

Do we need to embrace chaos in our lives because coming up with the perfect morning routine like the perfectly organized coat closet can be daunting? Life gets in the way and we have to be okay if we can’t get everything on our list done so we can do other things that are required for our life.

An extra hour in the morning is like a golden gift but how long will it take before this hour is filled with tasks that need to be done, and I think if only I got up an hour earlier. Maybe we are hardwired to never be satisfied, we are looking for ways to make things better, and if we are satisfied we think we are no longer ambitious enough, but perhaps we can become a satisfied striver. We are setting goals and reaching them, and then setting new goals.  If we have a comfortable life, we might think it is a little boring, if we have too much excitement we crave peace, if we eat out all the time, we crave home cooking, if we have home cooking all the time we long to go out.

Finding a balance that works for us is our challenge. Everyone is quick to tell us what works for them, there are lots of gurus who tell us to buy their system, but if something is going to work for us it will have to fit into our unique life, and life is always changing as we go through different stages.

Can we find peace as we juggle chaos and order?

In all chaos, there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order. Carl Jung

It is only in the dance between chaos and order that life progresses. Harrison Owen

Chaos precedes order and order precedes chaos and beauty is somewhere between. Amy Larson

 

Thank you for reading this post. Please come back and read some more. Have a blessed day filled with gratitude, joy, and love.