Finding the Calm in the Chaos
By Guest Blogger Suzy Fielders
“This too shall pass.”
This infamous Persian adage is an important mantra to keep in mind during challenging times. It has helped me through so many difficult situations or experiences. That, and learning how to use this mantra to channel my inner calm to avoid panic. After all, panic (or fear) and logic cannot live in the same ‘house’.
Our country, our state, our community is currently in a state of turmoil with COVID-19. It has turned lives and businesses upside down. During this chaos it is so easy to panic, be anxious, and be afraid. These emotions are what I like to think of as the dark side of the human mind. The only way to fight darkness is with light.
How do we shed a light in our minds to stop that darkness though? It’s truly different for every person. The key is finding what calms you in a positive way. For instance, turning to food usually doesn’t have a positive result in the long run. However, turning to prayer, family, friends, yoga, meditation, keeping yourself busy, etc. are all the best ways to turn on that light. Whatever that method is that brings you peace and serenity, allows the light of calmness to break up the darkness of panic and fear in your mind.
For me, it’s remembering that mantra… “This too shall pass.” No matter how bad or hard things have been in my life at any given time I know they will always turnaround, at some point.
During my ridiculous over 24 hour birth, including around SIX hours of pushing, I quite literally thought I might die. But, kept reminding myself… “This too shall pass.”
When my child has not once, but twice, wound up in the hospital for an anaphylactic reaction, I was able to stay calm, reassure her, and not break down because I remembered… “This too shall pass.”
The summer of 2017 was among the hardest times of my life. I actually wrote about it in this past Triad Mom’s on Main blog. I was laid off from my job and had to undergo surgery within about a month of each other. In that time of despair, one of the things that got me through and more importantly helped me keep my sanity was the mantra… “This too shall pass.”
On my daughter’s first day of Kindergarten she was supposed to take a bus to an aftercare program at another school. When I arrived at the aftercare program, she was not there. Every mom’s first natural response is of course to let panic in and yell at any person in sight. Before I reacted though I remembered my mantra… “This too shall pass.”
In that last instance, that mantra helped me stay calm and remember that panicking or yelling would not help me find my child quickly. Side note: An employee of the aftercare program helped me to quickly find out that my daughter was sent to the aftercare program at her school instead of the one she was supposed to be at!
Like all the other times the mantra forced me to remain calm and not let panic take over. Remember that light I mentioned, it’s in those moments of calm we can see and think clearly to solve whatever problem we are faced with.
As a teenager I had the opportunity to travel to a lot of amazing places with my dad. Somehow we always seemed to run into issues with travel plans, or something always coming up. Whether he realized it or not, by the calmness in how my dad usually dealt with those problems or turning them into something positive, helped me to see challenges are just opportunities to turn things around. From those days, I have always tried my best to see challenges as just a new adventure or twist in life. Yes, it’s hard and sometimes agonizing. But, it was in those moments I learned the meaning of my mantra… “This too shall pass.”
It’s during hard times we are most challenged with our faith in everything… God, ourselves, and even in mankind.
Regular prayers and remembering He is always there for me helps me keep my faith in God, even during the worst of circumstances.
Knowing all I have to offer my family, friends and colleagues helps me keep my faith in myself.
While watching the many posts on Facebook, it’s warmed my heart to see the many moms in the mom groups I follow step up to help each other and offer services or advice when they are able. It reminds me of my faith in mankind.
No matter where you find your calmness, hope, or inspiration always remember in these trying times… “This too shall pass.”
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