Life unfortunately can be filled with stressful and frightening events that lead to chaos. It can change or alter your perception and ideas of yourself and others around you. The beast of chaos has many ugly faces. It's losing the job security you once had, juggling the unknown and uncertainty that comes with motherhood, or taking the plunge into a new endeavor. Challenges and stressors can also be presented in the form of time demands, financial strains, demanding relationships, self doubt, or even simply too much time alone which may leave you feeling disconnected from the world and reality.
When faced with these adverse challenges, your body can automatically go into fight or flight mode. Simply put, when you perceive a situation or circumstance to be stressful or frightening, this threat triggers you in a way that prepares your body to fight with vengeance or retreat and run away.
Making the decision to fight can definitely have its drawbacks. Fighting is often the choice that’s made without analysis, can result in great loss, and the results of that decision usually can’t be undone. Once you burn a bridge, it is often left unrepairable. It can also be followed by a sense of regret because the consequences that follow are far greater than the reward. This decision may leave you in a bed of thorn roses and an unfulfilled wish for a second chance.
On the other hand, making the decision to flee can come with pitfalls as well. The problem with retreating and running is that you never reach the intended target that you were originally running towards. Continuous running leads to tiredness and plenty of excuses as to why you felt you had to run. Lastly, once you start running, it makes it easier for you to always choose to run as a top solution when you are faced with adversity. Now, of course there are exceptions to this, but it is important that you consider that using this resolve can eventually interfere with your confidence and momentum.
So if not fight nor flight are sufficient courses of action when faced with a perceived situation that is stressful or frightening, what is left for you to do? Well, you also have the option to adapt.
The woman that adapts learns a very important rule in life; the rule of flexibility. You understand the importance of less talking and more listening, the need for being quiet and reflective, as well as being attentive and focused among others. You adapt by learning and implementing behaviors that support you maintaining and more importantly, surviving because you know how vital your role is to your family. One wrong move could cost you and your family and you refuse to make the mistake of what could feel like a punishment to your loved ones if it doesn’t all pan out.
You work to be calculated in your decisions and plan step by step, strategically every move so that in the event something happens that is not part of the plan, you have already learned how to adapt within any given situation. You use the skill of conscious decision making, planning, flexibility, and self reflection. You study your environment and learn how to make this environment work and more comfortable so that you can continue living your best life which in return allows those closest to you to experience the same benefit.
You shouldn’t choose fight or flight as a triggered response, but try to learn to adapt with flexibility. Don't adapt to the energy of chaos, instead be the influential force to calm the chaos; use the chaos to adapt to calm.
Color your thoughts beautiful!
Best,
Jess Peachy