Unraveling complexity
- Written by Metropolitan Digital
Most of us move very rapidly through our lives and time passes so quickly. We pick up more than we can handle, and all too often find ourselves living in chaos and confusion. We bite off more than we can chew and suffer the consequences of our poorly thought-out choices and decisions. We tell ourselves that it doesn’t matter, and everyone is on the same path. We forget that our destiny is ours to determine when we can begin to simply and find clarity in our overly complex lives. The answer lies in learning to say no and react with measure and reason. Forgoing the need for approval and learning the power of “no”. We create a more life-affirming mindset when we understand how to value our truth and learn the power that comes from listening to our intuition. Experiencing greater happiness that comes when we live in our truth and intention.
Like it or not, no matter how hard we try to stay safe and out of the way, life can be complex and complicated. As much as we can try to avoid it, complexity can feel like it’s unavoidable. It’s in the mindset and attitude we select that helps us adopt a spirit of resilience that helps us live happier and more satisfied lives. Complexity can be both our undoing and a catalyst to a better and more rewarding life.
So many of us go through our days struggling to survive and make sense of our lives. We mindlessly shuffle through each moment, in search of the next distraction. Rarely taking the time to stop, reset, and focus. We allow ourselves to accumulate too many burdens and too readily permit others to alter our opinion and change our direction. This can create a mindset where we feel like pawns in the game of life. Where we are merely participants and never the players. The deleterious assault on our ability to access our innate gifts and self-directed powers. Our truth and authenticity are lost in half-forgotten memories.
We tell ourselves that our lives are complicated and use it to create a false narrative. Always too busy to do anything with purpose and acting without asking questions. This causes us to trick ourselves into believing we don’t have choices. We falsely believe that in our inability to adapt to change that we are taking the safer path. This creates a victim-like paradigm with a life that’s full of excuses.
When we try to take on too much we begin to take on more worry and stress. We start to focus on things that matter the least and leave our core values behind. Most of us have felt this at one time or another. A feeling that we’re slipping further away from our goals. The awakening that comes when we suddenly realize how much time and energy we’ve spent living our lives for the sake of others. This is when we realize that simplicity is the solution. The realization that at the root all that matters is we are happy and fulfilled.
The next step in our destiny becomes clearer and we begin to realize that happiness comes from within. Understanding the need to be more precise in our decision making. Realizing that we are the source for simplifying our lives. Learning to live in respect for ourselves without shame or hesitation. This is how we learn to say no with grace and dignity. The enlightening moment when we begin to believe in ourselves. The turning point where we learn to value happiness and make it our life mission.
I spent most of my early life masking my true identity and living an inauthentic life. There were times when I felt a level of happiness, but there was always a feeling that I was letting myself down. I wasn’t honest with myself and never felt comfortable revealing my true desires to others. My complex life was entirely self-created and based on fears and assumptions. I overcompensated with a self-imposed feeling of shame and had many exciting and reckless adventures. I was hiding from myself, but mostly I was trying to protect my false identity. Emotional walls built from the need to protect myself from the truth and make life more complex. A false narrative based on shame and fear of being shunned that arose from the fears that I had created.
CHALLENGE CLEARS THE WAY
The best lessons in life are often learned through our hardships and challenges. We become stronger each time and more capable of battle. We grow, learn, and create wisdom. We become more confident and take on more responsibility and life can feel complex once again. Choices are made with more reasoning and clear thinking. This is part of growing up but it’s also the major element of creating happier and more fulfilling lives. The lesson here is that we can create an ecosystem in our immediate world that becomes bigger than ourselves. We grow families and businesses and responsibilities are heightened. This is when we realize that we can handle more than we’ve realized and still feel connected. Bigger lives that impact others in complexity and reason. Teams can be created, and a stronger web will form. This is a manifestation of complexity that is focused and more manageable. One that helps us make our dreams come true and have a positive impact on others. A sense of life-mastery and confidence above all that guides all actions. Complexity can be managed if we have the skill and wisdom.
COMPLEX SYSTEMS IN ACTION
Complex systems are those that may be operated in patterns or systems whose interactions are constantly changing. This can make us feel like we are juggling many tasks, but the reality is that these systems will operate with or without our input. This becomes more complicated when we have multiple systems interacting and need more help with management and control. Interdependence helps us understand how connected these systems are with one another and if they can survive on their own. Lastly, we must consider diversity and heterogeneity and their effect on the system as a whole. The greater the diversity, multiplicity, and interdependence the more complicated our lives become.
Most of us naturally believe that we can process more information, handle more tasks, and take on further responsibilities. We’re programmed to create and take action, rarely realizing the personal cost that these self-imposed burdens impose on our happiness. This creates a vacuum where we are less grateful and begin to think of ourselves as martyrs or victims. This is where complexity becomes dangerous and causes our lives to spin and lose purpose.
It's far too easy to let life take over and lose touch with our authenticity and core values. We seek satisfaction and glory in what we can accomplish but fail to see ourselves in a true light. When we can look inward and start taking an honest look at our desires and motivations we can begin to reverse the pattern and take back control of our lives.
Complexity is foolish in its simplicity. The only thing to remember is that we deserve better. That we’ve earned the right to have more happiness in our lives. That complexity is the only thing stopping us from living the lives we dream of. Lives where we are happy and fulfilled by understanding what’s important and meaningful. To realize we are all here together to fulfill our purpose and live in accordance with intention and integrity to ourselves. The best life is before us when we gain the power to disseminate complexity and make it smaller.
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