We have this idea that things should be “in order,” all the time, once and for all. Even amidst a crisis, keeping order is ideal, right? The lights go out and an emergency beacon flashes from the floor, “Please exit in an orderly fashion.” It’s interesting. We ask other people to be orderly and demand it of ourselves without much thought. Just saying, “Oh yeah, everything’s in order” feels so calming. But have we taken the idea of being neat, tidy, & free of chaos, and snuggled it up too tightly to our knowingly false beliefs of perfection? Having all things “in order” may sound good, but guess what? It can also make or break your ability to lead a happy life. Maybe it’s time to consider if having things in order, is too good to be true.
Life Is A Moving Target
Okay, to be fair, life is a series of many moving targets. Having things in order is a surface task that can easily distract us from the bigger, more meaningful things. “Get your life in order,” is a loaded statement. Firstly, as “for what?” Dinner? “No problem.” Is life itself orderly? “Eh, depends on the day.” Conceptually, being neat, tidy, and having everything from paperwork to feelings in their proper places and at optimal preparation, is a matter of basic functionality…or is it? I don’t know about you, but the neat and tidy lane isn’t often reminiscent of the real, flowing, frequently unexpected, sometimes hormonal, weather-changing, goal altering, emotionally expressive veins that run through every aspect of my daily life. Don’t get me wrong, I always have a plan, and so can you, but the truth is, life isn’t as predictable as we like to pretend it to be. We don’t have to compartmentalize everything into neat little boxes.
The Chaos of Movement
Let’s unpack the more important truth here: the only unchangeable thing about life is that change is constant and we can’t change that. Houses get dirty, people change, dreams come and go on the wind. Regardless of your current age, page, station, or season, to progress along the journeys of life, the chaos of movement must shift you forward. Even when you’re standing still, you’re changing at a cellular level, and thus life continually moves, in and around you. We set out with intentions and our every movement bounces and skitters around in tandem with all the intentions and actions of everyone else. Armed with dreams, goals, and plans, we allow ourselves to think we are in control, but the matrix of chaos is always near. It isn’t bad, it isn’t good, it just is. It’s worth it. However, we set ourselves up for failure right out of the gate if we fail to acknowledge the chaos simply because we came into the moment with a tidy plan. We’re too quick to forget that some of the best things come from the messy, unexpected, disruptive, and disorderly detours.
Bless the Mess to Move Forward
If you can’t always have life in order; be adaptable. Clean houses are fantastic, but only if they function to serve the needs of the love and families inside of them. Tidy emotions are convenient but what a shame to miss out on the riveting experiences of happy tears, heart-wrenching romance, belly laughs, or the sweet release of a good old-fashioned ugly cry. Sometimes, the most beautiful parts of life unfold in disorder. Life isn’t always meant to go according to plan. Maybe, your first plan sucked, and something better is out there waiting to rock your boat right into bliss. It is in the movement of glowing and growing into ourselves that we discover the value of life, not plans. Having things in order is fine, but if you can’t embrace the disorder with equal appreciation, what’s the point? Give yourself permission to bless the messes that make you who you are. The disorderly ping-ponging of unexpected moments are often the shape-shifters of life. They wake us up, refresh our perspectives, and offer the potential to course correct. Be okay with the messes now and then. The disorder just may reinvent you. Moving targets are the most fun because they allow life to happen. Make room for all sides and stages of the spectrum between peace and chaos, order, and disorder. Create space for living. Life is colorful and untamed. When you can accept that, allow it, breathe into it, and evolve with the changes that it brings; that’s living for sure.
Just a thought for reflection. 🙂