Addicted to Chaos

Chaos is present in many forms in every person's life. It is stressful, exciting, time consuming and strange. Some people thrive in chaos. Others crumble and break. And most, walk the fine line of managing the chaos while still holding on to a normal schedule.

If chaos has been a part of your daily life for as long as you can remember, what happens when it stops?Could someone be addicted to chaos? And if so, is that a particularly bad thing?

A recent discussion got me thinking about this. My life has been a whirlwind of chaos. For years I moved from state to state, job to job. Just enjoying life and new experiences. There were periods of great joy and periods of great despair. And then, I started equating change with chaos. And equating chaos with bad things. And the downward spiral began. I would find a new place and have new experiences, and then I would get a desire to move on. Try something new. I would instantly begin to resent the time I was in and long for a new experience.

Somehow, I had told myself that in order for me to try new things or move forward, I had to HATE the life I was currently living. And one day I realized that that is completely ridiculous. I can appreciate the experience I had and move on to a new one. And there doesn't have to be anything wrong with what I left behind. It was there and it was good.

And then I realized, I know lots of people that think the same thing. Its crazy! I know people that are perfectly happy with their life, and yet when its time to make a change or have a new experience, they must be "unhappy". Why? Why would you jump right to that conclusion?

Life is about experiences. It is an adventure. And the desire to have more adventures is not unnatural. And it is also not an indicator that you are somehow unhappy with your life. I would argue that it is the exact opposite. Perhaps you are so happy and at peace, that you feel safe taking a risk. You feel supported.

So next time you get an itch to change your career, move to a new place or have a grand adventure. Don't assume you must be bored or unhappy. Take it as a sign that your happiness has reached a new level and that you are ready to learn something new. Because if you are done learning and experiencing new things, then what are you living for?