Surviving and Thriving in a World Struggling and in Chaos by Jon Shore
As I write this, it is January, 2025. The world is experiencing widespread chaos. Already there are ongoing wars in numerous places. There are individuals, governments and organizations actively spreading hate, division, chaos, anger, ignorance, fear, misinformation, destruction, and death. The forces of chaos are growing and expanding their reach, like tentacles of dark fog, into the minds and hearts of people around the world. Democracy and freedom are being undermined by those who see freedom, compassion, intelligence, and progress as a threat to their power, wealth, and control.
How can we survive through times of chaos whether it is personal or societal? More importantly, how can we thrive during times of chaos?
The coming years will be very difficult for hundreds of millions of people on this planet. It will be years of chaos, rapid evolutionary change, struggles, suffering, confusion, and upheaval.
There is no way to stop what is coming. It is too late for that. But it is possible to rise above it, to thrive despite the chaos and to help others do so as well. It is also possible to know what to do and what not to do each moment and each day for the best possible results.
Here are some practical things you can do in your daily life:
- Practice mindfulness, and be mindful as much as possible, all day every day.
- Pay close attention to every moment. Do your best to focus on the present, the here and now. Do so as objectively as possible. Without judgment, emotion, or pre-conceived beliefs. Just observe. Then act accordingly when appropriate.
- Practice meditation every morning and evening.
- Morning meditation sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you begin your day in a calm and clear state of mind, you will be able to use this as your baseline throughout the rest of the day and evening. It will help you notice when you have become distracted, or your mind is unclear. It will help you to alleviate and deal with stress, and the stressful situations and thoughts that present themselves. It can help you experience the ‘flow’ in life. It will also help you deal with whatever life presents you with and provides you with the ability to make good decisions.
- Evening meditations will not only calm your mind, but provide for improved sleep – essential for building the strength and calm needed to make good decisions.
- Practice self-care.
- Taking good care of yourself, body, mind, and spirit is essential. If you are not healthy in body and mind, then it is impossible for you to function at 100%. This makes you vulnerable and unable to deal appropriately, or thoughtfully, with the chaos, problems, issues, and difficulties more likely in our current reality. It also makes it likely that you will make self-destructive choices. Remember also that if you are not strong and stable, it is difficult to help others.
- Be introspective and honest with yourself. Know yourself.
- It is extremely important that you develop deep self-awareness. This requires honest and fearless introspection. Be honestly aware of your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, emotions, reactions, and the very depths of what motivates them and drives you. Without self-awareness you are nothing more than a leaf being tossed about by the wind. You may react without awareness or understanding, setting yourself up for poor outcomes.
- Develop True Self-Awareness
- True Self-Awareness is the awareness of what and who you truly Far deeper and more expansive than your personality. The Self, referenced in this Self-Awareness, is the unchanging and untouchable core of who and what you are. It is far deeper and more profound than your beliefs, emotions, feelings, history, body, mind, or personality traits. This is discovered only with courageous self-inquiry and in stillness. True Self-Awareness is like a superpower. It allows you to rise above the chaos and to know what to do, where to be, and what choices to make. It causes life to be experienced as a flow of synchronicities. True Self-Awareness effortlessly provides strength, insights, creativity, problem-solving, clarity, and objectivity in all situations. Discover this, feel this, be this, and live this authentically in daily life as much as possible.
- Help others.
- Getting through difficult times and thriving in a chaotic world requires cooperation and support. Be an active and dependable support for others. Accept support and help from those who offer it when it feels appropriate. Remember, you are never really alone.
- Pay attention to everything within you and around you.
- Be aware of your environment, your region and the world. Stay informed, but do not become emotionally reactive. Do your best to always be objective. Pay attention to details without judgment. Over time your critical thinking skills and powers of observation will improve. In every situation, there are always opportunities, answers, insights, solutions, and lessons. If your mind is clear, and you are not clouded with emotions or negative beliefs, you will see those opportunities and know how to make the best use of them.
- If your mind is clear your intuition will be much more accurate. Clear intuition will be a powerful ally.
- Be flexible and be able to shift with rapid evolutionary change.
- During times of chaos, change can come rapidly and unexpectedly. It is very important that you are flexible, and able to adjust to new situations as they occur. This too requires a clear mind and honest self-awareness. There are also times during extreme and widespread chaos when change is rapid, profound, and evolutionary. What we accept as normalcy will tend to shift and change during times of chaos and transformation. Therefore, it is important to have a functioning and clear moral compass and the ability to achieve a loftier and objective perspective. Do not abandon that which you know to be right for expediency’s sake. Stay true to your fundamental values.
- If you are truly Self-Aware, this clear perspective, ability to intuitively anticipate future events and probabilities, and ability to shift as required in life will be automatic and effortless.
- Do whatever it takes to have a clear mind and clear perspective.
- There are numerous tools and strategies you can practice to achieve a state of mental and emotional clarity.
- Mindfulness – Paying close attention to the here and now moment without any judgment.
- Meditation – Quieting the mind to experience the unaffected peace that is always present beneath the surface.
- Developing critical thinking skills
- Developing research skills
- Practicing unemotional objectivity
- Being Self-Aware
- Focusing on the present moment all day and evening
- Learning to know the difference between that which you can change and affect and that which you cannot.
- Healthy body and mind practices like; sleep, exercise, healthy eating, body scanning, introspection, stress management.
- Consistent practice is an essential element to having these skills available when needed.
- There are numerous tools and strategies you can practice to achieve a state of mental and emotional clarity.
- And, most importantly, be thankful.
- Be thankful for the magic of creation – every insight, gift, moment of beauty or amazement, experience of peace, moment of love, strength, creativity, solution, a problem solved, healing, synchronicity, etc. Thank whomever or whatever you wish. But do your best to be grateful on a daily or even moment to moment, basis. Gratitude is extremely powerful.
No matter what happens, do your best not to surrender to hopelessness, depression, fear, or anger. These emotions will not serve you nor will they allow you to see any viable solutions or answers. The agents of chaos want you to feel hopeless, powerless, fearful, and angry. You are much easier to manipulate and control when you are overwhelmed with these emotions. Surviving and even thriving in a chaotic world depend on your clarity, strength and unwavering sense of unchanging Self.
Seek and accept support when necessary. We are all in this together and here to help, support and care for one another.
You are not alone.
If you need help, reach out. I have posted many resources and self-care tools on this website that you are welcome to use. You can also contact me through this website for additional support,
https://www.lifesanswers.org/about_sessions/
Take care,
© 2025 Jon Shore
All Rights Reserved
To reprint contact Jon at reachout@lifesanswers.org