A CRISIS CAN FEEL LIKE A REAL MESS!
We’ve probably all had some experience with an acute crisis. This might have been indirectly, through the experience of someone we knew. Or perhaps we have personally experienced great turmoil in the past. Maybe we are going through a life crisis or great distress right now! A crisis will demand our attention!
The way out of a major predicament may not immediately be apparent. We can feel confused and even quite lost! A minor crisis may be work or finance related. Or a personal relationship might be the trigger! A bigger dilemma might involve an accident or major health problem. We might not have seen this crisis coming!
WILL DISTRESS FINALLY GET OUR ATTENTION?
A crisis, like an SOS signal, is a call to action. Our level of awareness increases! We feel the need to pause, and to reassess the situation. We could use the opportunity to review our whole life. We might even transform ourselves and our lives as a result!
We can become motivated to change ourselves when we see others in crisis. We can benefit from the experiences of others. This can then prevent something similar from happening to us!
Sometimes we are inspired by some book, teacher or guru. Or we might simply observe someone living a life of true joy. We can be inspired to change, without needing more suffering, or even a crisis!
…What is inspiring you to change?
CAN A CRISIS ALSO BE A CHRONIC PROCESS?
Sometimes it’s not an acute crisis that first gets our attention. Our distress can also be a more subtle and chronic process! Some people can easily recognize the low-grade frustration & dissatisfaction in their lives. They realize there is some underlying problem! This distress can feel like ‘a lack’, or an empty feeling within. They know they're not happy, complete or at peace.
This ongoing dissatisfaction in life will finally reach a tipping point. Our current lifestyle will no longer satisfy. This low-grade distress can feel like a crisis in slow motion! We no longer want more of the same. This chronic dissatisfaction can also provide us with that early wake-up call that we need.
WHEN WILL WE REALIZE IT'S TIME TO CHANGE?
What does a personal crisis, or our dissatisfaction with life achieve? It is like hearing a warning signal or a wake-up call. This breaks our slumber or raises our awareness! We then ‘wake-up’! We ‘awaken’ or recognize something is not right. But what do we do next?
We usually need ‘time-out’ to pause, or even to stop completely. We need this time to ‘regroup’ or re-position ourselves. We might totally stop, to focus on working out what is wrong! We can use this valuable opportunity to reset and restart our whole life!
The disruption following a crisis can force a reassessment upon us! Our usual lifestyle might now be on hold! We have likely cancelled commitments & obligations. Plus, we have less inclination for frivolous activities. A crisis can force us to pause, and finally face ourselves! This becomes a valuable opportunity to reassess our whole way of life.
IT'S TIME TO RE-ASSESS OUR WORLD VIEW!
Ideally, we would have anticipated our crisis or current life situation! Then we might have tried some other strategy, in advance. But now we face our acute predicament and our needs! Further expert help or counselling may also be required.
How do we best reassess our situation? How do we start the positive reset of our life? It can be useful to start with the basics. This means having a better understanding of how life works. We can reassess our world view in this way. We can gain a new perspective. This can help us find a way out, a new path forward.
Let's start with some basic principles on how life seems to work…
NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO LIFE’S CHALLENGES.
No one is immune to challenges & adversity, not even the spiritual masters! Our individual human lives are inherently uncertain. We can only guess at what might happen! We can never be certain when an illness, accident or other problem will occur.
We are all equal in this regard. Life has no favorites. This is true, regardless of how it might seem at times! We should remember that everyone will have their own issues and challenges to deal with at their own level. That's all part of the human experience and our personal growth!
…Do you struggle with the uncertainty of life?
LOOK FOR THE POSITIVES IN EVERY SITUATION!
The benefit of a crisis may not immediately be apparent. But we should try to avoid ruminating or dwelling on the negative. This can delay or even abort the recovery. Look for any positive aspects instead, however small! Focus on any positive or uplifting thoughts and only engage with those. Being compassionate & kind to ourselves will help this process considerably.
Even a major crisis can eventually be of some benefit. We can learn a lot from these life experiences! We might even awaken to our true needs! We can become more brave, wise and resilient as a result. We can also become more compassionate to others in a similar plight. A crisis can help us learn to care for ourselves and others too.
Sometimes in overcoming an issue, or by coming to terms with it, we significantly transform ourselves. We might discover what really is important to us. We might decide to engage our true passion, or what gives us a sense of purpose. This can lead to great joy & contentment. We can then express our newfound talents and share this with others.
OUR PRODUCTIVE TIME IS SO SHORT.
We can never be sure just how much productive time we have left! So, without being too morbid, maybe we should take this into account. Our productive time might not be as long as we hope! Can we afford to delay?
Will we achieve our true dreams in this lifetime? Will we complete what we are really meant to do? Have we put this aside, or even forgotten what our real purpose might be? Are we caught up in materialistic pursuits, or the drama of our life? These are important issues we will eventually face.
WORK OUT WHAT REALLY MATTERS IN LIFE.
Perhaps it is worth living each week, as if it might be our last! Then we might pay more attention to what is most meaningful to us. These might be our close relationships or doing the things that we really love. We might pursue our passions & talents more. We could start living with more spontaneity, fun and joy. We might even realize that our happiness is a choice we can make. It’s our personal choice at every moment!