There’s a strange thing that happens when we stop resisting the messiness of life. We begin to see that the chaos, the struggle, and the unpredictable tides aren’t here to break us — they’re here to shape us. Somewhere in the friction, we find our edge, our true selves, and the meaning we’ve been searching for all along. It’s not about avoiding the storm; it’s about learning to dance in it.
. . .
You’ve heard it before: “In these unpredictable and turbulent times…” It’s a phrase tossed around in conversations about mindfulness, meditation, and standing up for what we believe in. But isn’t it worth asking: does every generation have its own underlying belief in victimhood?
We certainly don’t own the rights to struggle, injustice, uncertainty, or political upheaval. These are old songs replayed with updated terminology and shinier technology.
So why do we adopt this “woe-is-me” stance? Maybe it’s passed down genetically. Maybe it’s absorbed from the media we consume, the rituals we follow, the religions we practice, or the traumas we leave unexamined. Maybe it’s something our parents unknowingly taught us. Perhaps it’s even written in the stars.
But here’s a deeper question: why do we always believe something is wrong — with the world, with others, with us?
Would we know gratitude without lack? Recognize love without hate? Would we even need the word peace if we had never known conflict?
We teeter constantly between logic and feeling, distorting the balance like children with a new toy: fascinated for a moment, then bored or indifferent just as quickly. But these so-called iniquities — the lack, the chaos, the struggle — are essential ingredients in this expansive, fascinating journey. They make life interesting.
The truth is, there are no real victims here. We’re all connected by the same creative energy that forms worlds. So why fear danger? Why fear death? In truth, it’s not dying we fear — it’s regret. The “should-haves” and “if-onlys.” We project that fear outward, desperate to find something or someone to blame for our own lack of courage or awareness.
And yet, let’s be honest: we crave the unpredictable. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t keep coming back for more.
So give yourself some credit. Take time each day to sit with it all — the chaos, the wonder, the uncertainty. Maybe frown. Maybe wonder. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll catch yourself smiling.
Because beneath it all, you’re a crazy, wonderful, strange human being — here, against all odds, to dance in the storm.
Disce saltare in procellis vitae
. . .
“JoyRide [NiteTymeStylings Mix]” from Wander… Another Path