As Calm As I Can Be

Where do you need calm instead of chaos? These five tips from a busy executive might be just what you are looking for!

How to stay calm in the midst of chaos? Please note I am preaching to myself, not you!

I also am not professing to have all the answers because chaos can come in so many forms; health issues, including death, relational problems, financial worries, even an over abundance of blessings can set us off balance and feel chaotic. Often, many of these totally unrelated things can converge at the very same time.

First – Stop! Calm Doesn’t Happen in a Race.

I just need to find a place to stop, be still and gain perspective.

Second – Confidence or surrender?

I need to determine what kind of calm I need. Calm that comes from confidence or surrender. These are two very different postures of leadership. Both are equally effective when applied to different circumstances.  

Third- Where am I? 

Chaos can appear at different times in a process. It can be close to the beginning or toward the end of an experience. Knowing if I’m closer to the begining or the end is important! It can help me prevent panic as I contemplate how much energy I will need to finish what I started.

Fourth – How much fuel is in the tank?

Should I stop or should I go? Do I know if I have the capacity to see this through? Where will the energy come from and do I have the needed resources? These are hard questions because we never know for sure what we are capable of in the midst of chaos. I have this innate ability to either overestimate or underestimate my capability. When my confidence, or lack thereof, talks with my experience, what does it tell me?

Fifth – Wisdom to Stay Calm!

This is like a test. The older I get, the better I should be at making wise decisions and remaining calm in the process. My humanness keeps me from passing this test every time. But grace keeps me in the game.Thank goodness for grace! I am thankful I know where grace comes from. Without it I would be a chaotic mess. With it, I am… well, I’m being as calm as I can be!